Cardinals manager shares lessons in youth sports, life

Mike Matheny is set to begin his fourth season as the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. The young manager has a full plate this spring training as he looks to get the St. Louis Cardinals back to the NLCS for a fourth consecutive season. Hopefully a World Series title would follow.

Though he's found success in professional baseball on the field and as manager, baseball is not the only reason to admire Matheny.

In his recently released book, "The Matheny Manifesto: A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and Life," Matheny shares with readers the back story behind his famous letter to a youth league baseball team's parents.

For those who have not read the letter, the five-page thesis is an appeal to parents to be part of a new kind of youth sports team. His challenge to parents is that if there is anything in it that's about them, the group should find a new coach. His goals as outlined:

"(1) to teach these young men how to play the game of baseball the right way,

"(2) to be a positive impact on them as young men, and

"(3) do all of this with class."

This was not a gig Matheny was looking for. The 13-year big league catcher was forced into retirement after a string of concussions -- something he addresses in the book and a reason he supported Major League Baseball's rule change on running over catchers.

But Matheny had seen youth sports done wrong. Parents living their lives through their children. Fights between parents. The list goes on.

When the parents approached him about coaching a youth team, he was interested -- but only if the parents bought into the vision. Ultimately, the team grew to an organization of teams.

Matheny highlighted several ways coaches, parents and athletes can approach youth sports. The book is full of tips, from how to maximize practice time to finding opportunities to teach character-building. (Not only does Matheny require the athletes to shake the opposing team's hands after a game, but the athletes also are expected to shake hands with the umpires. Of course, showing officials up on the field is off limits.)

Part 3 of the book focuses on what Matheny identifies as keys to success:

1) Leadership

2) Confidence

3) Teamwork

4) Faith

5) Class

6) Character

7) Toughness

8) Humility

Though each chapter includes nuggets of wisdom, it's the theme of leadership that makes this a book beyond baseball.

When interviewed for the St. Louis Cardinals manager's position in 2011, Matheny was asked what he thought the job of manager required. His answer, as told in the book, "You know, it's about more than baseball. I think its about leadership."

Matheny notes former NFL player Joe Ehrmann's book "InsideOut Coaching" and the difference between transactional and transformational coaching. Transactional meaning the coach will say or do to his team whatever it takes to win. Transformational looks at growing players beyond performance.

The theme continues with references to legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. One of the all-time great coaches, Wooden had a number of maxims that transcend sports. Several pages of the book are devoted to these pearls of wisdom.

Wooden's faith was central to life. "Basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior," Wooden was quoted in Matheny's book.

That was Wooden's character -- something he valued far more than a basketball game, though he won more than 80 percent of the games he coached over 27 seasons.

Matheny shared in the letter and book that it's his faith that defines him, and said it would be cowardly for him to shy away from what he believes. The same message was shared when he spoke in November at the Arrow Leadership and Success Summit at the Show Me Center. (If you missed the speech, check out the coverage at southeastarrow.com or semissourian.com.) In the book, he writes: "My goal is to live in such a way that what I believe is obvious by how I go about my business and how I treat others."

The emphasis Matheny places on character, class, faith and leadership is refreshing. Youth sports is more than winning games. Coaches, parents and athletes would be wise to consider Matheny's message, and the leadership and faith message is one that benefits readers of all ages.

Lucas Presson is the editorial-page editor of the Southeast Missourian and general manager for Arrow Digital.