Batting Practice

'''Abstract''':
Trainees can learn to make reflections or respond to resistance. Doing so is easier than it looks, and this can be a confidence builder.

'''Overview''':
Trainees can learn to make reflections “on their feet” by using an exercise called “Batting Practice,” drawing on an image from baseball or cricket. The concept of the game is that the trainee does not have to “hit a home run,” but merely has to “get some wood on it” as if it were batting practice rather than a major league game.

'''Guidelines''':
Provide a demonstration before the exercise begins by having members of the audience “pitch” statements to you and model reflective listening or other ways of responding to resistance. Any group member makes a “pitch” and the batter (you) takes a swing at it, and that is the end of the turn. (The pitcher does not respond to the batter’s reply.) Then form trainees into small-group batting cages of 6-8 in which one person at a time takes a turn as batter. The other members of the group throw out specific client statements to which the batter responds with a short, simple reflection or other resistance-coping strategy (such as emphasizing personal control). Each batter responds to a specified number of different “pitches” (3 or 4 work well) volunteered by other members of the group, before the turn moves on to the next batter.

'''Example(s''':
Two good applications of the exercise are in helping trainees to make reflective listening statements, or in coping with client resistance statements.

'''Notes''':
This exercise is usually a lot of fun. It’s a good, energizing on-your-feet exercise after people have been sitting or listening for a while, after lunch, or toward the end of a training day.

Thanks to: Dave Rosengren