Q&A with Tim Hyers from Texas Rangers

2nd reciprocal interview. Thank you very much Tim for your participation!

David's questions to Tim:

1) After your player career, what has motivated you to become a coach?

Honestly, I'm not sure I could have done anything else. I tried, I worked in Sales for a short period of time, and I taught PE at a Christian School, but I never stopped thinking about the game for one second. My passion for baseball runs deep, I was the kid playing that couldn't get enough, the high school player that went to the batting cages on Friday nights, this is just what I was meant to do. So when the opportunity arose to get back into the game, there was absolutely no hesitation.

2) What would be your main advice to a MLB player who would like to become a MLB Coach?

Never forget how hard the game is to play. It's easy to sit in the dugout and make all the right decisions after a play happens. A coach needs to have patience when patience is deserved. Players need to know you're in the fight with them and not critiquing their every move. Lastly, communication is so important to a healthy player/coach relationship. And to be a good communicator you must be a good listener. Listen to what your players are saying and avoid quick judgment decisions. Every player is different.

3) From your perspective, is the ''well-being'' of a MLB player considered an important component of his performance ?

Absolutely, there are so many factors that come into play. Home life, nutrition, a player's mental state, and even the time they spend away from the field are important. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't eat right, nourish your body, exercise, have good sleep hygiene, and make sure you are in a good head space you will not be successful. You have seen it time and time again, great players are taken out of the game due to anxiety and depression or drinking to excess and being reckless. There is a lot of pressure in this game to perform and you must come into the season fully loaded with a healthy lifestyle in all aspects.

4) For you, coaching hitting is: ''A model that I can apply to all my players'' or ''I must take the time to observe each player and find out how to adapt his swing?''

I try to keep my biases out of it and look from the hitter's perspective. I have my principles I believe in but first I try to listen to what the hitter is saying and how they are moving. Ask good questions before suggesting swing changes.

5) As a coach, what is the main advantage for you to know the motor profile of a player (motor preferences)?

Yes, every hitter has a movement preference in the box, and it shows up dramatically more under pitch pressure during game action. So, for me, it's critical to watch and observe how the body responds in this type of environment. As a hitting coach, it's important to look out for their motor preference so you don't work against their natural tendencies. I've failed many times working against a hitter's natural move.

Tim's questions to David

1) Did you play different sports growing up?

Yes I did! I have played several sports in competition: Horse riding, swimming and skiing. In leisure time, I did a lot of mountain biking. As a young adult, I started to do physical training and I still do. I have discovered baseball at 17 years old, with friends.

2) In your opinion, is it healthy to play multiple sports as a teenager or should they concentrate on one?

I would say to you: a big yes! It is necessary to think to vary the disciplines but not only, it is also necessary to think to have periods of rest.

Practicing different sports allows you to acquire more motor skills. It also allows you to develop your physical abilities, balance and power in various situations.

Secondly, without variation in practice, the risk of injury increases because repetitive movements can overwork the body and affect muscle development.

Finally, children will develop important skills because they will be stepping out of their comfort zone. They will also socialize differently because the people involved will be different.

3) As an experienced player, is it easier for a pitcher or hitter to understand their motor profile?

Virtually anyone can understand their motor profile. The hardest part is not understanding it, but rather identifying it and then adapting your mechanics. This is the expertise I am bringing to players throught Motor Preferences Experts. I am working with professional players to help them discover what could be called their "best coordination".

4) From your perspective, if a player has a movement pattern that is far from their natural motor preference, does the risk of an injury increase?

This is probably the worst thing that can happen to an athlete. Training and having to perform outside of your profile is what justifies (from my point of view) the paroxysm of the famous phrase "no pain, no gain".

Our body is intelligent. It knows what is good for it. That's why people prefer to practice one sport or another. It's because they feel good doing it in the first place.

A body that is constrained by movements that do not respect the motor profile, is: mental and physical stress, "over" energy expenditure, the guarantee of injuries and a shortened career.

So, yes. Being trained and coached outside of profile drive poor performance, high level of stress and a higher injury risk.

5) Do you have suggestions to help players deal with mental stress or anxiety during game action?

I would say, that players should identify where the stress is coming from. It is hard to find a solution when the issue is not clearly idenfity.

There are different signs that allow the coach and the athlete to recognize a state of stress. They are mainly physiological, emotional, somatic, cognitive or behavorial.

Mostly for atheltes, stress is a biological reaction. It is a stimulus and a manifestation of the mismatch between the athlete's abilities and the efforts required for the game action.

When the athlete is faced with a stressful situation, his body secretes certain hormones such as dopamine, noradrenaline or adrenaline. These different secreted substances allow the athlete to face or give up. Thus, we distinguish two types: positive and negative stress.

In the first case, the athlete manages to overcome his stressful state and maintains balance with the demand. On the other hand, negative stress occurs when the demand for physical effort exceeds the athlete's resources.

So my suggestion will be to identify when it happens and talk with the coach to find together solutions. Player should not feel guilty to stress. It is normal. And the staff is here to support him.