Belief Conquers All

A lot has been said this Spring Training, as is always the case when you get into a room with 20 coaches and bosses and roving instructors and all the rest.  Each morning we go into a meeting before we head out to the fields and each morning a coach or boss or whomever is assigned a topic for the day so we can debate and discuss different things.  Yesterday it was my turn and I discussed the word "startle".  In short, "startle" is basically what happens to the body when it feels threatened in some way, shape, or form.  The body is built for survival and it goes into survival mode when it feels the need.  That is basically the definition of "startle"

So, who cares, right??  Well, basically it doesn't matter at all if you are a person who is not competing against 150 other professional players for a job in the big leagues.  But, if you are one of those guys fighting for your livelihood and your life in professional baseball, then it does matter.  "Startle" is something you can get in many different ways by doing many different things.  For me, I go into "starle" each time someone mentions Batting Practice!! LOL...right now I am pretty bad with that!!  But for these young pitchers on the mound "startle" is something that can be very serious and very real.  Basically it is when you are on the mound and you feel as though you have no chance in getting anybody out.  Or it comes up when the catcher drops down a sign to throw a curveball and you feel a shortness of breath because you have no feel for the pitch that day.  Or it comes up when the manager walks out to the mound and points to the bullpen and the umpire runs over and says, "you're in!"  However it comes up it all comes down to one thing and one thing only.........BELIEF!

The bottom line of all things in life is belief.  If you truly believe in who you are, in what you are doing then "startle" is not an issue for you.  "Startle" is just another word that some fancy shmancy coach uses to explain what goes on in the nervous system when the body feels threatened.  And for those who do believe in themselves and their abilities that is what the word "startle" will always mean to them.  But for the pitchers out there who do get freaked out when it gets tough on the mound or when a big time hitter comes to the plate or when there are too many people in the stands watching your every move, you need a way to deal with this so called "startle".

Well, belief is the way to go.  Belief needs to be something you practice daily.  Now I am not talking religion here and going to church and all that stuff.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, but this is not a blog on religion.  The belief I am writing about is the belief, the knowledge in yourself and your abilities that no matter who is hitting or what the situation is or who is in the stands watching, none of that matters because you believe in you!! 

People all the time debate on talent vs. hard work.  I realize that talent and hard work are both equally important, but when it comes down to it, if you don't believe in what you are doing and in your own abilities, all the talent and hard work in the world will not mean a thing.  In professional sports especially, you must be so locked in to who you are and what you are capable of or the game will eat you alive.  The game is not forgiving, don't forget that.  I compare it to the ocean and the waves in the ocean.  Riding those waves out there the ocean seems so beautiful and fun, but you lose your focus on a big time wave for a second and that beauty can turn into pure fear in an instant...LOL!!

I guess what I am trying to get at with all this blabber is that belief can be learned.  Belief is something that you can train yourself into and it is not just given to those who are gifted.  Belief is something we all have in our bodies right from birth, it is just that some of us get trained out of that along the course of life.  That is ok too, you just got to get back on course and realize who you really are and what you are capable of.  I know I am giving a lot of eyewash now but don't worry, the belief sermon is not over yet....stay tuned!!!!!