As a father and grandfather I have watched many youth baseball games. Over the years I have observed many things from home field advantage to player attitude and body language that have gave a team the edge or ledge that has resulted in a win or loss.
In way too many games it has been attitude and body language over skill that has won or lost many games.
As youth baseball players, coaches and family we must learn to control and use attitude and body language to our advantage if we are to win not only in baseball but also in life.
I would like to share with you part of an article from The New York Times, Language of Losing Team? Read Their Bodies This article discusses the body language of the Giants when they blew a 21-0 lead against the Tennessee Titans.
Tonya Reiman and Maxine Lucille Fiel do not know much about football, but they are fluent in body language, one of many areas in which the Giants have appeared suspect recently.
Flailing arms and shrugging shoulders and drooping chins were on display in the fourth quarter Sunday, when the Giants blew a 21-0 lead against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville and lost for the third time in a row, 24-21.
”It’s like they all needed a B-12 shot,” Fiel said yesterday after watching tape of the game. ”It’s like nobody was home.”
Reiman and Fiel noticed Coach Tom Coughlin crossing his arms. In their playbook, that was a defensive posture. They saw quarterback Eli Manning biting his lower lip and said that was a sign of regret. They watched the Giants’ players bowing their heads when they were still way ahead.
”Even when they were winning, their body language wasn’t all that good,” Reiman said. ”They seem to have a defeatist attitude. You see disagreement and restrained anger. There’s not a lot of communication among them.”
Reiman and Fiel usually analyze politicians and celebrities. They dissected a Giants game tape that was provided by The New York Times. Reiman, a public speaker based on Long Island, has evaluated Terrell Owens, the Dallas Cowboys’ fiery receiver. Fiel, a writer and consultant based in Queens, has evaluated baseball players, golfers and the racehorse Funny Cide.
”This is extremely important in sports,” Reiman said, referring to body language. ”If you’re trying to work together, you need some kind of rapport. You show rapport through body language.”
