G. J. Kinne: Perspective has helped this great young man take off

A lot of what is needed to succeed in sports, or really anything, is perspective. When you realize what you have and what you are doing means ... really means, in the grand scheme of things ... then performance becomes more natural and less of a chore.

"Having to" is a much different feeling than "having an opportunity."

And when you, or some one you care about, gets a whole new lease on life, well, things get put in perspective in literally a heartbeat.

Check out the story of G. J. Kinne HERE.

How do you think our efforts might be affected if we lived and played in light of all our blessings ... both here and in eternity? Let that soak in. And live thankfully and purposefully today.

See you on the field ...

What Will be Necessary to Hear that Stampede Coming?

What will it take to get where we want to go?

It's funny, but every year I hear different opinions on this subject. We all have an idea, whether stated or not. People's expectations start to take root.

Last year, some people thought that simply having 7 seniors would be enough. This year, some think that having few seniors will mean we lack what we need. Some think getting a year older is all that is required ... just do the same stuff, you know, "get your reps." You know me enough to know that I want to do more than simply "get our reps." Repeating something only has value to the extent that the thing being repeated is valuable.

I think that deliberately practicing those things ... with passion, persistence, and purpose ... that we each need to improve is what is required. I would suggest that this approach is needed more than ever before. We are going to have to get after it.

So, what do we need to improve? We've talked about some of those things as a team. But what about each coach and player taking individual ownership of what he needs to do? What about you? That is what the great teams do. Because of a sense of brotherhood and accountability, they do the hard work as individuals necessary to get where the team wants to go. They do it for themselves, but ultimately, they are doing it for each other, as well.

And where does ... or can ... this team go? That is up to each of you. Two years ago, we had no (as in zero) seniors and folks expected a tough rebuilding year; instead, we ended up finishing higher at the HWS than ever before. Last year, with a team loaded with seniors and experience (with 5 of those players now playing in college), we set a lot of new marks and records but still finished behind the 2010 team ... the one with no seniors.

As homeschoolers, we know better than most how artificial characterizations about who we are or what we can do are just that -- artificial. Rather, our experiences and performance are defined by what we do with the time and God-given opportunities we have.

So, what do you need to work on? What is your weakness, or weaknesses that you want to eradicate or turn into a strength?

If you have any questions in this regard, ask me. Email ... text ... call ... whatever. Talk to your team captains. Find out where to be working, and then start chipping away. Do a little bit at a time, and then pretty soon you are a long way down the road.

Let's make a pledge to be as good as we can possibly be in 2012. I promise you that if we all do this -- commit to deliberately work on our weaknesses and lessen them as much as we can during the coming year -- that we will have a very special year around here.

It's a dangerous trap to think that success is the eventual result of simply hanging around or showing up. At some point, each of us has to step up to the plate and compete.

My challenge to you is to start facing those things you know you need to address to fulfill your part of the bargain. That's what I will be doing.

So, be part of the stampede. A stampede starts with one Mustang running as hard as he can ... and then another ... and then another. When they are all running in unison, you can see, hear, and feel the power. It's exciting. And then the energy starts to spread amongst the group. And the running becomes more determined, yet easier.

Let's go.

See you on the field ...

Great Stuff from the World of College Football

Check out the mental game training that Coach Nick Saban is doing at Alabama ...

Here it is: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/andy_staples/11/03/alabama-mental-conditioning-coach/

By the way, they've been working on this since '07 and have a national championship over some team from Austin, I believe, to show for it. Pretty interesting.

I was impressed with the emphasis on communicating clearly and using eye contact. Also, I am reminded that working through distractions is something that can be developed. In other words, we can practice concentration.

See you on the field ...

Time to Break Out the New Bats

As we have been discussing with our players and also with a number of Mustang parents, this season, all high school aluminum or composite bats will be required to be Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution or "BBCOR" certified bats.

Typically, our junior high team will also play per high school (NFHS) rules, so I would advise all of you JH players to be getting BBCOR bats. As a general rule, I think it's a good idea for a JH player to be swinging a drop 3 high school bat sooner rather than later, in any event.

Here is a link that sets out the new bat rule:

http://azbca.org/nfhs-rules/rule-1-3-2-through-5 .

Paragraph (e), which sets out that all bats as of 1/1/12 must be BBCOR certified. That is, the "BBCOR" stamp will be on all approved bats.

The long and short of this change is that the BBCOR bats perform similar to wooden bats, but without breaking, of course.

There was some discussion that this rule was changed for safety reasons. In actuality, it was apparently driven largely by scouts who want to see how guys hit in high school without souped-up aluminum bats. Pretty interesting, huh?

We have adjusted some of our practices and training this fall to be ready. We will be ready when 2/11/12 gets here and we open vs. Northeast Christian. Semper Gumby.

See you on the field ...

WS ... of Phones and the Failure to Ask Questions

So, by now you probably have heard the story of the strange bullpen fiasco that happened in Game 5 of the World Series.

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Actually, this happens quite a bit. This was certainly one of those times.

The Cardinals were stuck in the 8th inning without their best reliever, closer Jason Motte, available to pitch to the series hottest hitter, Mike Napoli. So ... Napoli, a right-hander, doubled off of Cardinal left-hander Mark Rzepczynski to drive in the go-ahead runs.

The story goes ... Cardinals Manager Tony La Russa calls to the bullpen to get his closer Jason Motte and the bullpen coach hears a different name ... twice.

Okay, let's leave the phone story for what it is. The Cards say that LaRussa tried to get Motte up and warming twice, but the bullpen coach misunderstood.

I want to focus on one of these mistakes and what it might say.

The second time the LaRussa called for Motte to warm up, Lance Lynn got up. Lynn sounds different than Motte, but let's leave that one alone. Here's the real issue: Lynn was unavailable to pitch in Game 5. LaRussa confirmed this after the game. The Cardinals knew this.

To prove the point, Lynn came in (to stall for more time) and intentionally walked the next hitter. He was then removed.

So, here's the obvious question. Why did no one ask LaRussa if they heard right that he was asking for Lynn? What about Lynn himself? What about the bullpen coach? What about a teammate? Some one? Any one? No one wondered? Sure they did. But no one spoke up.

Asking a simple question might have saved the game for the Cards. But we will never know.

I think what you want is a team that has the fortitude and smarts to say, "Is this what you are asking me to do, Skip?" LaRussa has a history of making unconventional moves, so perhaps his guys are used to that. But here, he was asking a pitcher who every one knew was unable to pitch ... to pitch. At least that's what they thought. Was there some one there who could confirm what the instructions really were?

I want our players to be willing to do what we ask, but also willing to ask and make sure they understand what we are asking of them ... and, as much as possible, understand the reason why.

In other words, make sure you understand. Once you do, then let's move forward full speed.

If a team is unwilling or unable to ask a question in such an obvious situation as presented in the Lynn phone fiasco, I think that indicates there may be largers issues/problems afoot.

So, have the courage and leadership to ask the questions you know you need to ask.

And then have the courage to follow through and do what you know needs to be done.

See you on the field ...

Lots to Learn in a Great World Series

I am really enjoying watching this World Series unfold. I am a NL fan, but the Rangers are winning me over with their grit and approach.

We were discussing Quality AB's this fall as our goal of each AB, and one of our players told me that the Rangers have a definition of a Quality AB on their batting cages. You can see the consistent application of a practical mental-game approach that has brought guys like Matt Harrison from obscurity to the starting rotation in the playoffs.

And then we saw last night. The Cards seemed to have broken the Rangers' spirits after a 16-7 rout for the ages when Albert Pujols and Co. made history and seemed to turn the series in St. Louis's direction.

And then the Rangers put their fate in the hands of Derek Holland, a promising young lefty who had struggled through the playoffs with an ERA above 8 ... yes, 8 ... the next night. All Holland did was shut out the Cardinals for 8-2/3 while only giving up two hits to Lance Berkman. The series is now even, 2-2.

Here's a great recap of Holland's and Ron Washington's thinking that set the stage for last night's special WS moment:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2011/story/_/id/7141337/2011-world-series-derek-holland-star-performance-evens-series

So, the night after the Cards looked like they were incapable of being stopped ... a young lefty who had struggled through the post-season shut them down (and nearly out) because he stayed in the moment and remained committed to his approach.

If he keeps doing this, we'll come to expect it of him, too.

R-E-S-T Redux

Okay, players ... here it is:

R-E-S-T.

This is our DNA ... who we are ... and how we play on the HS level. Learn it. Live it.

Mental Game Building Blocks & How We Practice

Greetings All,

This fall we are going back over the the fundamentals of the game ... fielding, hitting, throwing, pitching ... along with what I believe is the key force-multiplier in baseball -- the mental game.

In addition, we are teaching our players how we practice, so that they understand our points of emphasis, can embrace them and get better.

Regarding the mental game, here are the core principles that I believe form the basis of all mental game training:

Responsibility -- Each player is responsible for his thoughts and actions. Umpires, opponents, other players, even coaches have no power to give you a poor attitude or make you have a poor performance. You have a choice to make each moment. You can, with God's grace and help, make a difference in your thoughts and actions. You can make an excuse or make a way.

Routine -- Every successful person has routines that work, from the big to the small. We have times for going to bed/getting up, what we eat, how we spend our time, what has to happen each day, etc. On the baseball level, we have how we prepare (especially on game day) to get ourselves mentally ready to play. On a micro-level, we have how we approach each AB, each pitch, each play in the field. A good player has a checklist that he consistently goes through that works for him. Over time, this breeds consistency and confidence. Confidence ultimately grows out of preparation, and routines are a big part of preparation.

Communication -- How we communicate to ourselves and each other is huge. H.A. Dorfman said that he never met a successful person whose mind wasn't "full of positive thoughts." Your thoughts are your communications to yourself. Listen to what you are saying to yourself, including tone of voice. How we communicate to others is key, as well. Telling some one what you want, in a positive way, is the best course, as opposed to "Don't this" or "Don't that." There is a place for restrictions, for sure, but there is also a better way to communicate that. We strive to be positive and clear in what we say. It leads to positive and clear actions.

Focus -- Learning what to focus on (i.e., the baseball, the situation, etc.) and how to focus upon it is critical. There are ways to increase focus during practice and games. Routine certainly helps, but the ABC's that we'll cover are key, as well (building these into your routine will reap huge rewards). Focus is practiced, too, in practice and on your own. It can and does improve, with proper attention.

Task at Hand -- The next pitch or play is where our thoughts are. What just happened, except how it affects the situation and thus provides needed information, is left behind. Keeping the game simple -- "one pitch at a time" -- makes the results we want attainable. Conversely, if our concern is first and foremost with the results -- "get a hit" or "we have to win this game" -- then ironically, the means for getting there is hampered. To be successful in baseball or life, focus on the very next task that God has put in front of you.

Perspective -- This is really the foundation of all our efforts. Starting with the understanding that nothing on the field ultimately defines who I am and that the world will continue turning regardless of the result frees me up to play my best. A healthy perspective, in other words, leads to success on the field. And as we learn to give each pitch and play our attention, then the "big" games are just like practice. And our performance soars on those moments, as a result.

Two Bonus R's ... Relentlessness and Resilience -- These concepts are key, as well, because they sum up a lot of the attitude that results from a good mental approach. If we are relentless in our work, our learning, our effort, then we will find success. It's a matter of time. Let's remember, too, that baseball is a tough game. Line drives get caught; bloopers fall in; umpires miss calls. Being resilient means that we will overcome these obstacles and get stronger. We expect bumps in the road. But we know we can overcome.

As for how we practice, here are the elements that we want to be distinctive about our Mustangs practices:

Athleticism -- Baseball players are athletes. A lot of modern baseball training (particularly at the youth/select levels) ignores this fact. Our practices are designed to both build and reinforce athleticism, particularly the kind required for baseball. You see this in our warmups and in how we work on throwing. We are building explosiveness and quickness. If we spend our time on conditioning (and we will), it will be spent on the conditioning that will make you a better baseball player.

Businesslike -- The practice field is our office. Baseball is on the agenda. That's what we talk about. That's what we do. We show up with a purpose -- individually and as a team -- and we work until our job is done for the day. Thus, we minimize distractions and we seek to make our time profitable. We show up ready to learn and improve. Practice is our meat and potatoes and we take care of so we are ready for desert (the games). We earn the right in practice to do what we do on game day.

Efficiency -- We want our players to be doing something -- learning, being productive, working on getting better -- during the entire practice. That is the goal. When we are teaching or reviewing, we want all players paying attention. We try to work stations and in groups to minimize standing around. We run to where we are going. We make every minute count. We watch while others are being instructed, as well, so that the learning becomes cumulative. Our practice time is valuable, and we act like it.

Game-like -- We come to games with practice faces. We play like we practice, so we make efforts to make practice more game-like. This takes a lot of forms, from live pitching like that we'll see in the games, to timing throws on the IF to simulate a runner, to measuring every bullpen. The key here is objective measurement (as opposed to subjective opinion as to how we are doing). We also look to create artificial stress to simulate game stress. We will be better on game day as a result.

Deliberate -- We work in such a way (always with a plan) to take advantage of and maximize strengths while eliminating/minimizing weaknesses. To do this, we need to be able to self-evalutate and also plan to consistently work on and perfect our approach while also shrinking those areas that are weaknesses.

Team Emphasis -- Our time is limited, so we take advantage of when we are together to focus principally on work that will benefit our team as a whole. We can and are working on our own, particularly on our weaknesses as we move toward turning these into strengths. We want to make sure that our team is on the same page in our approach, our schemes, plays and calls, and that each player understands where he fits in what we are doing.

So, there you have it -- how we think and how we practice, in a nutshell. As I have told the players, we could spend the whole fall talking about each one of the mental game building blocks. It's a process of season- and career-long learning. So, we'll keep at it.

I look forward to seeing you all on the field ...

Mental Game? We don't need no stinkin' mental game. What does this video have to do with the mental game?

We'll talk about it on September 6, when we get going with our fall program. We are excited to get started.

See you on the field ...

Dog Days ... and the Beat Goes on ...

Here in the Mustang Nation, the beat goes on ... literally year-round.

Our JH is wrapping up tournament play for the first time ever. Our first-ever Alumni Game is in the books. And now ...

This month, we will finalize our plans for our fall program. Stay tuned. We begin workouts on Tuesday, 9/6, at 5:30 p.m..

Scheduling for a great 2012 is underway.

I am excited to get going.

See you on the field ...