As many of you know at this point, I have accepted a job as an assistant coach for this summer with the Savannah Bananas. It’s been great to ride the recent social media wave of congratulatory wishes. The influx of texts, direct messages, and calls can definitely make a man feel good. I appreciate all of that. Of course, I owe a huge thank you to Banana Nation already for welcoming me into the family with open arms. The immediate support has been nothing short of extraordinary.
That said, I did not write this edition of my blog strictly as a thank you letter or an awe-striking reflection of the well wishes I received. Rather, I believe the backstory that led up to my announcement can without a doubt serve as a lesson on the power of connections and communication for coaches and players alike. I will date back to where this whole story started back in January of 2020. Hopefully you will see underlying themes, leaps of faith, and hours of the grind that made this opportunity possible and reinforce an absolute truth: closed mouths don’t get fed.
Text exchange from January 27, 2020
Adam: Coach Gillum, my name is Adam Moreau. I know I am extremely late to the game due to some major shakeups in my own summer plans, but by any chance is the assistant job with the Bananas still open? 3 days before your tweet went out on December 18 looking for an assistant, I accepted a head coaching position in the Puerto Rico Collegiate League. The league, as of yesterday, has completely changed its course after the earthquakes devastated the island. If you still have a vacancy, I’ll follow the steps listed in your Dec 18 tweet and get you the email and video ASAP. I would love to be a member of the Banana Fam.
Gillum: You’re not too late. Haven’t reviewed all resumes yet. Send in your info Adam!
Adam: Thank you! I’ll get things going ASAP.
And that is where it all started. The video and email referenced in the above texts were the key components of the application, as Gillum requested a two minute introductory video offering some background, as well as why applicants thought they could be a great addition to the staff. The email was the more formal cover letter and résumé.
Well, it turns out in January/February of 2020, I wasn’t the right guy. I didn’t get upset. I didn’t pout. I went back to the grind. Though, I did have a lot of self-assessment to run through. For whatever reason, I had sent in my application with a little swagger bordering on cockiness that I would immediately be offered the position. I definitely did not realize how many coaches across the globe were putting in the same grind I was.
When I got passed over, I had an epiphany. If I was on the same grind as everyone else, I had to come up with something to set myself apart. Everybody can have energy and give tremendous effort. To create a competitive advantage (a term straight out of business school), I needed to change the direction of my energy and effort.
As I began to research all the coaches working their way up the coaching ladder, it seemed all were considered to have a specific level of expertise, whether it was hitting, pitching, infield, outfield, etc. I was extremely confident in what I could bring to the table both from a hitting and pitching side, but as far as I am concerned, those areas are muddied. I knew I needed to be different. After knifing through every tangible skill I have a passion for in baseball, I felt like I couldn’t get past hitting and pitching. Then, for whatever reason, it clicked. I didn’t need to be the almighty guru of a specific tangible skill. Why couldn’t I revolutionize communication? And with that, my goal became crystal clear. I would become the “communication guy.”
As discussed in some of my early posts, I became passionate about setting up quizzes using Google Forms to assess player comprehension of a skill or necessary task in the game of baseball. I also used this format for game review or introducing a new play. This allowed me to determine where we as a staff may be falling short in the way we explain something, or how to better reach an individual player if something isn’t quite clicking.
Also, this is odd to write about, but I just started writing. Jotting down thoughts quickly turned into this blog as I came to realize that if coaching is about community and my goal is to help the entire baseball community improve its product, not sharing my thoughts would be selfish. Plus, this became an essential part of my own learning as it forced me to both define and refine my thoughts.
I had a plan, was executing on that plan, and everything was going according to plan. Then, on March 12th, 2020, down at Eckerd, the world stood still. After going out on a high note with a huge W, we began our shutdown.
The days became long, and the conversations were hard. Life changed. I had no idea how to move forward, but I knew I had to do something. Then, I took a chance with something I saw advertised on twitter called “Dugout Chatter.” I was confused by what it was, but I figured I would take a chance.
Notebook and pen in hand, I logged on. I definitely did not fully understand who the people were leading the Zoom, and I had absolutely zero concept of how it was designed to work. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t able to talk or share on these calls. I then did my research. Do you remember a handful of paragraphs earlier when I mentioned being on the same grind as everyone else? Yeah, well, this is when I realized how far from the top I really was. The content, the videos, the speaking engagements, the presence, all of these qualifications and attributes just seemed like daily activities to the hosts and guests. That was the moment I recognized I was a small fish in a very, VERY big pond.
Over the coming weeks, I refused to miss a webinar opportunity. I was tuning into Dugout Chatter, Baseball Outside the Box, Blast Motion, 1% Better, etc. As they kept popping up, I was there. I quickly realized I had a heck of a lot more to learn, and I knew I couldn’t get it all in 1-2 hour video conferences. As a result, I set a new goal for myself. My new goal was to connect with at least one person from each call. This to me meant exchange contact info, find a new twitter follow, and/or exchange private messages to share thoughts.
I began to post and share my writing more often. I began to shamelessly plug my title and twitter handle. It all of a sudden made sense to me. I can’t be noticed if I am not participating.
Closed mouths don’t get fed.
Then, about a month into the shutdown, I discovered a new webinar. This one seemed different. This one was “Infield Happy Hour.” The fact that I knew a couple of the hosts gave me the confidence to join the fraternity, even though I immediately realized I still had a lot to learn. Nevertheless, the connections came easy. There was a different vibe. Jokes and laughs were flowing. And all of a sudden, things came full circle. The coaches I was wanting to work for, I was soon having conversations with. I refused to miss a call, and I never missed a chance to share or contribute.
Closed mouths don’t get fed.
Over the summer, webinars and the online gathering died down a bit, but I realized I couldn’t falter on my goal of connecting with someone new every day. While the medium changed as I took the same approach to recruiting, the results were just as positive, and it made calls and emails a heck of a lot easier.
I was hooked and set out to employ the same methodology into the fall. This is when I got really confident. I figured I had nothing to lose. Remember that first exchange I had with Savannah Head Coach Tyler Gillum back in January of 2020? Well, I reached out again, but this time, I called. It did not go as planned as it went to voicemail. I left him a message. My only goal here was to make a connection. We were in need of some big time players, and as a recruiting guy at Eckerd, I knew his juco, South Mountain Community College, was the perfect place to look.
After a few texts to set up a time to talk, I finally got him on the line. We talked about players and a little about our overlaps and mutual connections, but then something occurred to me. Closed mouths don’t get fed. I took a shot. I asked him what the Bananas staff looked like for the summer. I didn’t ask for a job. I just wanted to know if an opportunity was there. Turns out, there was. I asked him everything he was looking for and told him I am extremely interested in pursuing the opportunity. That’s where the first call ended.
I took this confidence and began to reach out to other innovators in baseball. I figured if Gillum was willing to help, why wouldn’t others. I was able to lock down a few other conversations with some notable industry leaders to learn about culture, branding, personal development, recruiting, etc. Like I said, I realized back in the spring I wasn’t where I needed to be as a coach. I needed to reach out and ask for help.
Closed mouths don’t get fed.
After a couple of weeks, I was walking out of practice and saw I had a notification on my phone that I never expected: Missed FaceTime Call Tyler Gillum. Petrified I missed my chance – let it be known I had no idea what the chance may have been – I called him back later that night. Thankfully he picked up. Without any prefacing details or statements, Gillum just started asking me questions. In my head, all I could think is, “HOLY S***! IS THIS AN INTERVIEW?!” As my heart raced, I did my best to stay calm and confident. Gillum asked me about my blog, my research, my coaching career, my goals, my philosophies, and of course, we laughed about summer ball stories. He gave me the inside scoop on some Banana plans and even asked for my opinion on business structure and implementation. With my mind working a mile a minute, I almost missed it when he asked me to join him for the first ever Bananas Winter Camp on December 28-30 in Savannah. I knew for a fact I couldn’t pass on the opportunity.
After a December to remember, I made my way to Savannah. I had no clue what to expect, but I dang well knew this was my Super Bowl. I needed to be ready.
A short 48 hours into my stay in Savannah, it hit me again. Closed mouths don’t get fed.
“Gillum, in regards to a position on the coaching staff, what else do you need from me?” He started laughing and said I beat him to the punch. He offered me the job. Without hesitation, I accepted.
As fans of the Bananas or followers of mine, you got to see/hear my first bit of content with the crew. I couldn’t imagine starting off my tenure with anything but my “final interview” with 8 year old Bananas Assistant Coach Riley Wooten. Although this may be the official starting point, to me it all started back in January of 2020. I would not be sitting here today as a member of the Bananas staff if I did not completely buy into connections and communication. Without stretching outside of my comfort zone, asking questions, and building relationships, I would not be on my way to Savannah this summer.
Whether you’re a player, or a coach who is just starting out or a seasoned vet, I believe the takeaways are universal. It’s natural to hesitate to ask others for help out of a fear of rejection, but most people are more than happy to help you in your journey if you ask for their help. They likely travelled your same journey at some point. And even if those you ask for help cannot give you exactly what you want at the time you ask for it, accept whatever help or advice they provide, be thankful, and act on it. You never know what it can lead to. And never forget, closed mouths don’t get fed.
Thank you,
Adam Moreau, MBA, CSCS
Director of Player Development and Recruiting Coordinator
Eckerd College
419-250-7243
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