Baseball season has started and so have the excuses: “I don’t have anybody to practice with.” “My coach won’t give me a chance.” “I need a new bat.”
These excuses (and many more) are being said by everyone from players in Little League all the way up to college.
Here are three of the more popular excuses I have heard during my time as a professional hitting instructor:
“I don’t have anybody to practice with.”
As a kid, I’d watch Chicago Cubs baseball games and then go outside to practice on my own by throwing rocks in the air and hitting them with a bat that was almost bigger than me. Success was when I would hit a tree with the rock off my bat from 50 feet away.
- 75% of your development as a hitter must happen on your own
- 20% should happen in the presence of a coach
- 5% should happen in your games which tells you what to work on at your next practice
“My coach won’t give me a chance.”
When you made the team, did you ask your coach why you were selected?Did you ask him what your hitting role on the team was? Did you ask him how he’d help you fulfill that role? Did you ask what failures would cause you to lose your role in the lineup? Did you ask him how you could earn your role back if/when you lost it?
“I need a new bat.”
Shame. Blame. Complain. This is the three-step sequence that hitters follow when they don’t prepare for the success they have been bragging about.
Remember this: “Quality leaders recognize that life is pretty much about managing expectations—their own expectations and those of others. People can handle significant challenges—as long as they align with their expectations. Any time hardship fails to align with expectations, however, we can expect trouble.”
Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.
For more information, visit www.diamonddirectors.com today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.
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, C.J. 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.
Leave a Reply