In my opinion, one of the toughest things to do is keep your cool in the middle of an important game, especially when your season is on the line. A couple of key errors, a bad pitch, hitting into an untimely double play, or any of a dozen other things can cause even the best coaches to melt down, lose faith, or hang their heads. Not that I'm putting myself into the "best coaches" category, but I know I've had that meltdown.

That potential was there in the HS game I was watching today. A couple of throwing errors in the top of the 13th inning that led to two runs could've caused the wheels to come off the wagon. But they didn't. Instead, I watched the coaches keep the girls in the game, and believe they could come back. Which they did, plating three runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning to earn the victory. Two of the hits were by players who made the throwing errors, and a two-run double came from the #8 hitter. That's what makes it so impressive.

I readily admit I can be a bit(?) judgmental on other coaches from time to time. But I can also recognize a job well done. Tonight I saw a textbook example of the difference a coaching staff can make in the toughest part of the game - the mental game. Kudos to both coaches for helping their team do what it takes to win.