Muhammad Ali once said, “I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’” And he was one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Baseball season has begun. For some, it will be successful. For others, it will be stressful.
I started playing baseball at the age of eight and it was fun. That is the age where everybody cheers you on. If you failed, there were lots of people there to lift your spirits.
When I got to high school, my focus was on earning a college baseball scholarship and getting drafted. While I was playing well on the field, my work ethic began to fade like a really tight slider. Slowly but surely, my stats started to decline. It was nobody’s fault but mine. My “Hope is Enough” strategy was not enough.
Two words in the quote I reference from Muhammad Ali’s quote, one of my favorites, are “training” and “quit.”
Training is practicing under pressure. I intentionally create a pressure environment for my hitters to develop February through April—one that helps convert their habits to skills. Skills is what you repeatedly do without thought while under stress.
Applying stress to wood can create bats. Applying stress to coal can produce diamonds. What happens when stress is induced? Do you quit?
Parents tell their kids that quitting should never be an option. That sounds good, but when you are not well trained, it usually becomes the best option.
This is the time of year to make your practices harder. And I want to hear how you are doing it. Send me an email at askcj@diamonddirectors.com and tell me your favorite hitting drill. Then I will tell you how to make it harder so that your training helps you develop the skills that could one day pay your bills.
Diamond Directors has been providing the blueprint of success for diamond sports athletes since 1998. Let us assess your swing in our next Hitting Combine.
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.
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