WOODBURY—Some coaches will tell you to take a deep breath or use positive self-talk or other common ways used to overcome challenges in the middle of big games. 

But, the urinal handle inside the Nonnewaug Chiefs baseball dugout is nothing ordinary. 

In the beginning of this year, first year head coach Kyle Tehan needed to think of a way to calm his players down in important moments—moments where one’s mental health could change the output of the game.

“I learned this strategy during my Sport Psychology Master’s program from renowned coach Ken Ravizza,” said Tehan. “He taught that players need a physical “reset” to move past mistakes, and in my first year as head coach I wanted to incorporate the toilet handle as I thought it would be a powerful mental skills tactic for our program. 

So, the toilet handle was born. The handle was cut off, then glued onto blue-painted wood. 

What was once an idea, has now come to life in Tehan’s dugout.

“I worked with our custodial staff to find an actual toilet handle. We installed it in the dugout to serve as a constant, tangible visual for our team to use when we need to reset,” said Tehan. 

The coaches also had each of the players write “flush it” on their hats for whenever they were having a tough time, and needed a reminder to reset their emotions. 

The toilet handle inside of their dugout has been one of the major keys to success according to many players

“It really helped me when I was pitching against Pomperaug,” said junior pitcher Ryan Alther. 

The Chiefs now stand 14-4, first in the Berkshire league and ranked 55th in the state of Connecticut.

The Nonnewaug chiefs won the class M 2023 state tournament. Their saying “So what” helped them control their emotions to win the championship, and it was even inscribed on their rings. 

“I wasn’t aware of the “so what” motto initially, but when I introduced “flush it” to the team, Coach Brennan noted the similarity,” said Tehan. “It resonated well with the seniors who remembered “so what” from their freshman year.”

Assistant coach Kyle Brennan viewed “flush it” as an effective tool for Tehan to add to the program and culture of the team.

“This was a good metaphor for [Tehan] to install as he tries to build a new culture in his first season as head coach,”said Brennan. “In 2023, our version of this was, ‘So what?’ We had a very talented team, but they’d beat themselves up after they made an error or struck out or walked a batter, and dwelling on those failures often created the conditions for more mistakes.

And this is something that has helped everyone on their roster equally, Tehan claims.

“It has benefited the entire roster by fostering accountability. We’ve seen a shift toward a more supportive, less selfish culture where players help each other move past individual failures for the sake of the team.”

The help from this has resulted in different outcomes in games, one flush at a time. 

“Many times. I’ve seen players struggle at the plate but, by using the “flush it” mindset, they’ve stayed mentally locked in to make a game changing defensive play or a clutch hit in a later inning.”