Did you ever have a coach say, “Never give up?” At the time, his advice most likely was heartfelt and right on. Well, today, I’m going to ask you to give up on three things this fall. Here’s a look at what they are and why you follow this advice:
No. 1 – Bad attitude
You can’t control it if a batter hits a home run to win the game or a pitcher throws a no hitter against your team. But you can control your attitude. A bad attitude usually occurs because you choose to have one. You know right from wrong. Unfortunately, a bad attitude often affords too much attention.
The majority of your body is made up of water and, let’s face it, a bad attitude raises your body temperature. So, essentially, having a bad attitude actually cooks your body organs.
There is one thing I know for sure, and that’s you can’t focus on executing your skills when you have a bad attitude.
No. 2 – Bad answers
Your parent: Why aren’t you hitting the ball hard?
You: Because my coach won’t throw me extra batting practice and I don’t have time to practice on my own.
Your teammate: Why aren’t you starting today?
You: Because my dad won’t spend more time with me at the batting cages.
Your coach: Why aren’t you hustling out there?
You: Because my legs hurt from too much conditioning at practice yesterday.
These are three real scenarios. And they all offer bad responses. Why? Because they lack accountability. Being successful in anything in life requires knowledge, desire and good habits. What often keeps me in check is clear expectations and clear personal accountability.
Your parent: Why aren’t you hitting the ball hard?
You: Because I’m not spending enough time practicing at home. Starting tonight, I will commit to a better practice routine. And for the rest of the fall I will include a simple, 10-minute workout plan.
- Footwork drill x 3 mins
- Read a blog x 3 mins
- Push ups x 4 mins
Your teammate: Why aren’t you starting today?
You: Because I haven’t been showing a good attitude, but I will start making adjustments now. They may be challenging to make, but I hope you’ll help me by letting me know when you see me showing a bad attitude.
Your coach: Why aren’t you hustling out there?
You: Because I’m selfish. I want to talk to you about it.
Will you stop by to see me?
Tip of the Week: Wall Drill Extension
No. 3 – Bad advice
When I talk about bad advice, I’m talking about the things we tell our teammates when things aren’t going their way. We say things like, “Hang in there,” “Get ’em next time” or “Don’t worry about it.”
Bad may not be the best choice of words here, but I hope you understand that it’s better to be authentic when trying to help your teammates.
There are times when somebody strikes out, misses a ground ball or over throws a base, and then responds in anger. We shouldn’t be happy when we make mistakes. But we must realize that baseball games are simply a testing ground that identifies what needs to be worked on at the next practice.
Mistakes are not to be responded to in anger.
When your teammates respond with anger, you have five main choices (among many):
- You can say nothing.
- You can say, “Hang in there,” “Get ’em next time” or “Don’t worry about it.”
- You can say, “Calm down and take responsibility for your actions.”
- You can ask him if he wants to remove himself from the game to calm down.
- You can remind him that there are more games to play and practice coming up.
What frustrates you the most when you’re on the baseball field? What prevents you from hitting the ball hard? What advice do you give your teammates when they display a bad attitude?
It’s time to start figuring those questions out.
Remember: Intelligence trumps being smart.
For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today. Check out our latest Diamond Directors’ Digital Magazine.
BIO
C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an area scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, CJ has more than 12 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J Stewart has a proven system of development and track record of success that can work for you.
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