I stopped by practice to visit with our high school players recently; I wanted to share with you what I told them. I had three general, but foundational pieces of advice for them: 1) Practice well; 2) be a great teammate; and 3) have fun. I will break these down a bit more for you.
First, practice well. Focus on the process of getting better each day, rather than worrying about the results to be attained, hits, errors, walks, runs, wins ... losses, etc.. Each day, have a mission for practice. Have something you want to work on and improve. It is the player's responsibility, rather than the coaching staff's, to have a good practice. Coaches come with a plan, but the players' attitude and focus on the tasks at hand during practice dictates how productive the practice will be. Speaking of focus, we need to practice this at practice, that is, work on focusing, work on our eye patterns, work on doing every single thing -- everything -- as best we can. This is work. We practice focus, so that it becomes habit at game time. We create artificial stress in practice to simulate game stress. We have fun and "let it fly" on game days. Players are responsible. And ... people are watching. Coaches, players, the Lord. If you think you want to play at the next level (or even if you don't), then practice well! Work hard. Hustle on and off the field. Always. We are always running between the lines. And I better see you running to your positions with a purpose on game days, as well.
Next, be a great teammate. Nothing can keep a determined teammate from being great. Your attitude is completely your responsibility. No "slump," no game situation, no team situation can deter the player who desires to be a great teammate. And the great teammate has no complaints, no excuses, and no regrets. We have no reason, and no right, to complain about our team, our teammates, our position in the lineup or batting order. Complaining solves nothing. If you have an issue, be a man and take it to your coach or teammate. Address it. Move on. Pull together. And a good teammate makes no excuses for his performance. If he makes a mistake, he admits it. Thus, he learns from it, and he grows. He gets better. And ... a good teammate has no regrets. He leaves it all on the field, each day, each play. So ... when he walks off the field for the last time, he has no regrets. It is a great feeling to be a great teammate. Life begins when you start to give yours away.
Finally, have fun. You have the opportunity to play the great game of baseball with as good a group of teammates as you could hope for. Savor each day, each practice, each game, and each moment. It goes quick. Be intentional about having fun. It is a game. Smile. Relax. It is a great ride.
MtB Always,
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