food for thought

Don't Doubt YourselfToo many players worry about making a mistake on defense or about striking out in the batter's box. Get these negative thoughts out of your head. Don't doubt yourself or your ability to perform. Doubts and negativity will contribute to the "bad" outcome you fear. Believe in yourself. Trust your ability. On offense change "I hope I don't strike out" to "I'm going to drive this ball". On defense change "I hope the ball doesn't come to me" to "Hit me your best shot, I'm ready to get you out". Know Exactly What Pitches You Hit WellKnow your strengths in the batter's box so you know what pitches you are looking for. When your count is 3-0 you should be looking for one pitch and one pitch only. If you don't have a good visual of what that one pitch is, you need to get one. Draw it out if you have to. With 1 strike, know what pitches you can handle and handle well. Then look for something in that zone. Choose something you can drive. You should not be looking at the whole strike zone with less than two strikes. If you don't have a clear picture of what pitches you want to hit, sit down and think about it. Draw the strike zone and mark down what part of the zone you want the ball to be in for different counts (i.e. 3-0, no count, 1 strike, etc). Want the Ball When you're on defense, you have to want the ball. Especially in the pressure situations, be the one that wants the make the out. Know what you are going to do before hand so that you are prepared when the ball comes your way. Want to be the play maker. This ties in to "Don't Doubt Yourself" ~ when you doubt yourself, you don't want the ball. When you are confident, you will find yourself wanting the ball to come to you so that you can control the situation and make sure the play is made. That's where you want to be mentally. If you're not at that point, it's something you need to work on. Make Something Happen It doesn't always take a diving play or a line shot to make something happen. Always go into the batter's box with the intention of doing something...make something happen. Whether it's just get on base to start a rally, move your teammate into scoring position, or simply hit a groundball to the right side to score your teammate from 3rd, always approach the box with the mindset that you are going to make something happen. It's doesn't always have to be big. Winning runs have been scored on small bloopers and routine ground balls. It doesn't always have to be a towering line drive or a " Hollywood " play. It's the same thing on defense. Just because you don't get the ball doesn't mean you don't have a job. Cover a base or back up a play. Always move, always be involved. Communicate with your teammates who are involved with the play. Communicate with your teammates before and after a play. Always look to make something happen because you just never know when the ball will come your way. Always Back Up Your Teammates I don't care if you get along with your teammates off the field or not. The fact is you are on ONE TEAM. Whether you like it or not, you are working toward the same goal. When you fail to support a teammate, you fail to contribute all that you can to your team. Even when your teammate makes a mistake, pick them up, support them, and make a contribution to help make up for their error. You never know, one day you may be the one that makes the mistake and they may be the one to bail you out and make up for it. Don't only support them and cheer for them when YOU need them. Your team needs everyone all the time. If you truly want to be the best you can be, it's an absolute must to put aside personal differences and be a team player on the field.Improve your game every day ~ it's not just a matter of field, throwing, and hitting. There's so much to learn and so many ways to improve. Choose something each day and get better. And, of course, always remember to have fun!"Some people say I have attitude - maybe I do...but I think you have to. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does - that makes you a winner right there." -- Venus Williams "Whatever you are, be a good one." --Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) You may not be the fastest on the team or the one that has the strongest arm, but whatever it is you can do well, make it a point to be the absolute best at it! Next time we'll take a look at the difference between good players and great players