Contrast

What is the definition of Contrast?  For this blog the definition of contrast will be anything that happens to you in your career path for baseball that is deemed negative.  A quick example of that is when you are a pitcher and you are the starter for your team that day.  You get all warmed up and ready to go for the game.  Your bullpen felt great and you feel you are prepared and set for a great outing.  The next thing you know the game starts and you can't throw a strike.  You are walking guys, guys are getting hits off of you and you don't ever make it out of the first inning.  That would be a great example of Contrast. 

Now that we have a pretty clear idea of what Contrast is, the next step is to figure out how to deal with Contrast.  The first thing we need to know about Contrast is that it is there for our assistance.  Contrast is there to guide us so we know what parts of the game we need to improve upon.  But the most important thing we could learn from Contrast is how it grows our desire.  The more Contrast we have the more desire we should have.  Think about that for a second because this is a pretty tough pill to swallow sometimes, especially when we are in the middle of the Contrast.  The more Contrast we have, the more desire should grow inside of us. 

The best way I know how to relay this information to the players I work with is perspective.  If you can look at Contrast as your friend, then it won't beat you up so much.  Think of it this way, what if by having Contrast we also at the same time got better in our minds and our bodies.  What if every time you threw a bad game or hit too many batters or threw too many balls or gave up a game winning home run, what if at the same time you experienced this Contrast you knew that your mind and your body were learning from the experiences and they were fine tuning themselves for you even if you were not aware of it.  Now, if you could wrap your head around this belief, would you feel a little bit better about Contrast?  Would you allow yourself to feel better about the situation and not beat up on yourself because things did not go your way? 

You see, I am going through that same thing right as I am typing this blog to you.  I have had an ongoing battle with Batting Practice.  Over the years I have trained myself to feel a certain way about batting practice and what it represents.  I have twisted the story in my head so badly that it is tough for me at times to even go play catch with the guys out here.  But let me explain to you what really is going on.  The more I beat myself up and talk down to myself and feel unworthy, the more that comes to me and the worse it gets.  But the minute I am able to switch my focus to what is I want and then keep my undivided attention to that, things get better.  The Contrast I have experienced through the years have ultimately set me up for a lifetime of great batting practice!!  But to tap into that energy and create that good BP, I must also be able to understand that Contrast is a good thing and it is nothing to be scared of.  Contrast is there to help me grow my desire and get me to a point of where I really want to be.  My job is to continue telling myself that.  My job is to do the best I can to not discourage myself from throwing but to understand things are ok and it will get better.   In no way am I telling you that it is that easy.  Trust me, I have wanted to quit many times because of how badly it felt.  But when I look at the bigger picture and understand that me not throwing good BP right now does not make me any less of a person.  It does not make me a bad coach.  In my opinion, it makes me a better coach because I know exactly how it feels to battle through confidence issues.  I know how it feels to fail and I need to be able to communicate to my players how they can push through those setbacks.

In the end, this all ties back into Focus.  Step one is experiencing the Contrast.  Step two is identifying what you do not want, which allows you to now know what you do want.  Step three is taking your focus to what it is that you want and being so stubborn that you won't allow yourself to think any other way.  For example, what I need to do better is take all that energy and focus I have on not wanting to fail while throwing BP and pivot my thoughts to the other end of the spectrum.  I need to focus on succeeding and throwing well and sitting with the feeling of how great it will be and is when I throw great BP.  The more I can take my focus and put it on where I want to be and not what currently is, then I can start to tap into the energy I have stored up through all the Contrast.  So, if there are ever any times you experience Contrast in this game of baseball, and there will be (trust me on that one...LOL)just make sure you remember that Contrast is your friend.  It is setting you up for a world of future success.  Just take your focus to where it is you want to be and continue to dream as big as you can.

That is all for now...enjoy your weekend Passion for Pitching Family!!!