You Only Get One Chance at a First Impression

(Photo by Lance Wendt)

by E.J. Freeman | MCLA.us

ATLANTA — The calendar flipped to August this week, and around here that means school is starting. The start of the school year has crept earlier and earlier in these parts over the last several years. In between all the first-day-of-school photos, I also saw the first posts from MCLA teams announcing their open tryouts later this month, and in fact, the first one I saw is about two weeks away. It still feels like we are squarely in the summer for the academic calendar, but clearly Fall Ball will be here before we know it.

Those opening fall practices are fascinating for an MCLA team. Freshmen are now sophomores, sophomores are juniors, and juniors are seniors. Those voices that guided the team a few months ago are likely gone, or at least a significant portion of them are. In addition to that maturation, there will be a plethora of new faces. Fall Ball is a great way for new arrivals to find their footing on the team in a relatively low-stakes environment compared to the spring season. At the same time, all of the new faces are making their first impression with a new team and coaching staff. As the cliché goes, first impressions are hard to break. While it may be cliché, the sentiment did not materialize out of thin air; there is truth to it. It can be very difficult to overcome impressions forged during those first days of practice.

As the player pools are increasing at many of our member schools, the first impression may be the only impression that players get to make, as a two- or three-day tryout does not give much of a chance to overcome a tough start. If you have not touched your stick or broken a sweat since last season ended, you could easily find yourself fighting an uphill battle during that short tryout window.

As always, there are a number of programs across the MCLA that have experienced coaching turnover this offseason. In those programs, every player on the field is fighting to make a good first impression. At the same time, that new coach or coaching staff is also making a first impression on their new team. How do they run practice? What are the hot button items and things they will let slide? Some officers and veteran players may have met the new coach during the interview process, but once practice starts, it may look different.

Coaches are also getting first impressions of their teams as a whole. Things like scheme and skillset can change as the season progresses, but coaches can get a quick handle on other features of their team. Are they self-motivated and competitive, or do they need a little more prodding? Are they focused, or do they need to be reined in? The personality of the team will likely begin to show itself early, and coaches are wise to take note of it.

So, while the spring season may feel like it is a long way off, teams and players will be taking their first steps toward their spring goals very soon.