Mental Strength from the Ballfields
Life-Changing Tips - Hitting & Life
Coaching is about leadership, and leadership involves influencing people in ways that change their perspective.
Perhaps I am naïve, but when teaching hitting to my students, I feel the concepts I try to get across go way beyond the ballfield. Below are examples of baseball coaching tips I pass on to my players, hoping they catch the meaning that will also help them daily. Turning an athlete from a defeatist viewpoint into an optimistic one takes time, but it’s more gratifying than assisting them to become better ballplayers. What's remarkable is that it often is done with a word or two.
One Word Magic
One life and sports coaching term we should all use is simple enough and only one word – “yet.” Self-talk is critical for athletes and everyone. Adding the word yet when we say a negative is vital. We often say, “I can’t do that,” or “I’m not seeing any improvement.” Simply adding the word yet to the end turns a huge negative into a significant source of hope and belief, so I insist they practice adding it to the end of their self-talk. “I’m not good yet,” tells oneself that it’s just a matter of time, which comforts and brings the confidence that it will come.
The second word I’m constantly telling athletes is simple and another daily goal, “Smile.” I tell them that they must treat their reactions to good plays equally as they do to the poor ones. Most athletes are good at getting upset when they do not come through but fail to give the same amount of joy when they do. It’s not that they have to smile every time they do it well, but they should self-congratulate with “Good job, self, I can play this game.” I’ve read that self-talk in the third person is valuable, so I insist they add their name after telling themselves, “Way to go, Jack!”
Two Words of Magic
“No Shortcuts.” The meaning of this is obvious but also necessary because many players want to play games without putting in the hours and hours of required practice or expect great things without the toil. It takes endless hours on the batting tee, hitting flipped balls, fielding, throwing, analyzing, reworking, and doing the process repeatedly. I typically follow that initial statement with, "It takes thousands of practice reps to perform it once correctly when the pressure is on and the game is on the line.”
Those who do not sacrifice, no matter the skill level they begin with, have short careers. I have worked with many students who had little talent, persevered through the tough times, worked hard, and went beyond expectations. They had solid careers through their high school years, if not further. But many players looked for the easy path and didn’t want to put in the effort. That was fine, but it led to regret knowing they had more unachieved potential. I have run into many friends over the years who said to me, “I wish I had worked at the game as much as you did.”
The no shortcuts statement’s relationship beyond the ball diamond is apparent – no shortcuts exist in life, either. It’s about doing the little things, grade by grade, realizing there will be many obstacles and nothing given to you. Life is about buckling down with the nitty gritty, taking the good with the bad, and being patient, knowing the home runs and peace of mind will be there eventually.
Spoken Reality
In addition to my magic words when frustration sets in, another common phrase I seem to use often is, “It won’t be the last time,” My facetious but 100% accurate point is, "It doesn’t have to be the end of the world or the career just because they missed a ball, whether at bat or in the field.” I know that sounds wild, but seeing players get upset and get down on themselves so quickly is unbelievable, a common phenomenon in the current pressure-packed youth sports culture.
I explain that baseball and softball are hard and acting depressed every time a swing-and-miss occurs is negativity that doesn’t help. They must learn that pessimism carries over into the next pitch, at-bat, and game, putting them at an immediate disadvantage.
As implied, learning the nature of sports – that failure is a massive part– is a microcosm of life. The hardships an athlete encounters and must overcome are the same as those in life. Sports doesn’t have a monopoly on frustration and tension. I hope my players hear when I mention it won’t be the last time: "Indeed, it won’t be the last time you say the wrong thing at the wrong time or do something you regret.” That is life - having good days and bad. The key is how we deal with it, so I follow up my point with, “Forget about it; it’s over next play.” The same with life advice – “Forget about it; it’s over, and take the opportunity to do something about it the next time.” Staying positive without beating oneself up is crucial for enjoying the experience and work.
As implied, it’s a process to help an athlete become a glass-half-full outlook on life person, but the difference is life-altering. Finally, I convey my baseball coaching philosophy: “Head down when you hit and field, head up when the games are over.” In other words, “You will never be perfect, so enjoy, play, and live on!” Happy Trails!
