So I went to a workshop this weekend, one that I normally attend at least once a year. This workshop is for my personal growth, but then again everything in life really is. But I use the workshop as a way to evolve as a person which in turn will always allow me to evolve as a coach. My job as a coach is to not only research, watch film, gain knowledge in my sport, but it is also to get better as a person so I can have better relationships with the players I work with. In the end that is what it is all about because I could have all the answers and the best information in the world, but if nobody wants to listen because I am the worlds biggest jerk, then none of that really matters.
The message I wanted to talk about and get across to the lovely athletes who actually read this thing is a little thing called Want and Believe. This is something that stuck with me this weekend. In order to manifest anything you want in life there is always a process of creation that is going to take shape. But before you can move forward in the process you must bring along two very specific things, Want and Believe. Seems pretty simple right. This is the starting point and basis to everything you go for in your life.
Now in my line of work this is a HUGE deal. To want and to believe is really what it is all about. The thing is though that the wanting has to be through the roof. You have to want so badly that you will do anything to get what you want out of this profession. You have to want so badly that there is no real sacrifice because you don't care about anything else. You have to want so badly that all the workouts and the games and the traveling and all that other stuff you could throw into the bag is never called work or a job. You have to want so badly that you eat, sleep, drink... (you know the rest)...this sport. To be a professional pitcher in the biggest of stages your wanting needs to consume you. Yes!!! Consume you!! I understand I am on the verge of sounding cultish and insane and overdone but it is the truth. There is always perspective that comes into this as well. So when I mention all these crazy sentences you must realize the perspective that you must have on all this. The perspective is coming from a passion and a love. Not from a lack or a longing for. This means that sacrifice doesn't exist because your perspective on what you are doing is clean. This means that work or a job type focus is not in your vocabulary because it is just your life and what you love to do. This means that the choice to have baseball consume your life is a choice of joy and not insanity. It just means you love the sport so much and you choose to succeed so you practice at your craft and you study your craft and you love your craft. That is the "consume" that I speak of.
The next step is the Believe part. If you have this ever-burning desire or wanting to be a major league pitcher you must then have the belief in yourself, no matter what the situation brings, to back that wanting up. You have to believe so clearly and confidently that you never hear the doubters, the naysayers, the people who tell you that you are too small, too short, too fat, too slow and whatever else the critics think of. The perfect example of belief right now is Tim Tebow. Look at that guy. You think he believes in himself?!? He believes so strongly in himself and he wants to succeed at quarterback so badly that he has convinced his entire team, his entire organization that he can win, no matter what. No matter how bad it looks or how bad he throws or how bad the game goes into the 4th quarter. Nothing matters, nothing shatters his belief because he knows he is capable of anything. Just think of the belief he has in himself when week after week he has to hear the critics and the opposing teams continually criticize the way he looks on the football field. But yet he wins and has been highly successful solely based on his wanting and his belief.
So the next time you go to practice or to your game and are wanting to have results that are satisfying, just think about how much you want it and then believe that it can happen. You could go as far as measuring on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 being the low and 10 being the high. If you go home each night and answer the question honestly to yourself you will know exactly why you get what you are getting out of your sport right now. Increase the wanting, increase the belief and see the performance in your sport flourish!
Ok, that's all for now folks...hope all is well in your baseball world and keep throwing!!!!
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label belief. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
New Year...
It's that time again. Spring Training is in full swing and that means the minor league systems are getting revved up and ready to roll. I'm back down in Jupiter, FL and participating in my fourth spring training with the St Louis Cardinals. It is very exciting to see the pitchers you had in the previous years turning themselves into productive players and perhaps future big leaguers. The start of the spring and new year of baseball has inspired to my first blog of the season!!
For this blog I wanted to be very quick and to the point. I wanted to share with all of you, what I think it takes for a young athlete to evolve and hopefully mold themselves into successful professional pitchers. So what I am going to do is create a list of things I feel are important and fundamental to the process: (in no particular order)
1. Belief...you must have an amazing amount of belief in yourself and not necessarily need physical proof of that at all times. There are going to be plenty of times in your career where things will not go well. Your belief must grow and stay true throughout.
2. Desire...you have to have an amazing amount of desire to want to be better, to want to be a big leaguer and not care about what anyone else thinks, says or does.
3. Evaluation...you must be able to evaluate your level of play in an honest manner. This doesn't mean you have to beat yourself up and say your no good. But you must be able to be honest in the fact that if you need to get better at something, you can't be in denial about it or not be able to recognize that you need to be better. Then once you realize what you need to get better at, you must be able to know if the work you are doing is worth a damn. There are a lot of guys here in this camp thinking they did a whole lot of good in the off season but really nothing has changed.
4. Focus...you must be able to understand what focus is and what it can do for you. If you are not able to understand and use focus to your advantage it will be very tough to have any sort of a lasting career.
5. Preparation...you must know how to prepare yourself MENTALLY and physically for what you are about to do. If there is no preparation to your work it will be a waste of time. Know what you are going to do and why you are going to do it in all situations.
6. Perspective...you must understand the word perspective and how powerful it is for you. What you perceive will eventually become your reality. Do your best to eventually make everything come from a perspective, a point of view, that will be beneficial to you.
7. Contrast...understand that contrast is shaping your future. It is giving you clarity to show you what you need to be better at and how to go about it. If you can take the contrast and perceive it as a good thing, as "showing you the way", then you can use it to fuel your desire and help inspire you to bigger and better things.
8. Stubborn...you must be stubborn enough to be your own man. Not stubborn enough to where you never listen or you are not open to information that could be helpful, but if there are things that you have done over the years that have made you the player you are now, you must be able to stick to your guns no matter who is in front of you asking you to change or do something different. If your gut is telling you that you are on the right track, then you probably are and shouldn't be persuaded by people who have no clue about how you feel inside.
9. Fun...you must have fun!! This process must be perceived as fun. No matter how tough it may seem at times or how many hours you will put into training or no matter how bad it may hurt at times you must look at it as fun. All the different emotions you will feel and all the different experiences you will have, do your best to see the bigger picture. Nothing matters, it is just the game of life. Have fun, smile and don't take it so seriously.
Alright, that is it for today. I am sure there are many more items to add to the list, but this is a pretty good start for now. I was just thinking of where I was and how there are so many guys here working on their dream and thought I would offer some guidance before you get to the same place. There are just too many athletes here who will not make it and it won't be because they weren't talented enough. It will be because they don't have an awareness of some of the things on the list above. So much easier to see these things being a coach and being on the outside looking in, but it is so true.
See you down the line!!!!
For this blog I wanted to be very quick and to the point. I wanted to share with all of you, what I think it takes for a young athlete to evolve and hopefully mold themselves into successful professional pitchers. So what I am going to do is create a list of things I feel are important and fundamental to the process: (in no particular order)
1. Belief...you must have an amazing amount of belief in yourself and not necessarily need physical proof of that at all times. There are going to be plenty of times in your career where things will not go well. Your belief must grow and stay true throughout.
2. Desire...you have to have an amazing amount of desire to want to be better, to want to be a big leaguer and not care about what anyone else thinks, says or does.
3. Evaluation...you must be able to evaluate your level of play in an honest manner. This doesn't mean you have to beat yourself up and say your no good. But you must be able to be honest in the fact that if you need to get better at something, you can't be in denial about it or not be able to recognize that you need to be better. Then once you realize what you need to get better at, you must be able to know if the work you are doing is worth a damn. There are a lot of guys here in this camp thinking they did a whole lot of good in the off season but really nothing has changed.
4. Focus...you must be able to understand what focus is and what it can do for you. If you are not able to understand and use focus to your advantage it will be very tough to have any sort of a lasting career.
5. Preparation...you must know how to prepare yourself MENTALLY and physically for what you are about to do. If there is no preparation to your work it will be a waste of time. Know what you are going to do and why you are going to do it in all situations.
6. Perspective...you must understand the word perspective and how powerful it is for you. What you perceive will eventually become your reality. Do your best to eventually make everything come from a perspective, a point of view, that will be beneficial to you.
7. Contrast...understand that contrast is shaping your future. It is giving you clarity to show you what you need to be better at and how to go about it. If you can take the contrast and perceive it as a good thing, as "showing you the way", then you can use it to fuel your desire and help inspire you to bigger and better things.
8. Stubborn...you must be stubborn enough to be your own man. Not stubborn enough to where you never listen or you are not open to information that could be helpful, but if there are things that you have done over the years that have made you the player you are now, you must be able to stick to your guns no matter who is in front of you asking you to change or do something different. If your gut is telling you that you are on the right track, then you probably are and shouldn't be persuaded by people who have no clue about how you feel inside.
9. Fun...you must have fun!! This process must be perceived as fun. No matter how tough it may seem at times or how many hours you will put into training or no matter how bad it may hurt at times you must look at it as fun. All the different emotions you will feel and all the different experiences you will have, do your best to see the bigger picture. Nothing matters, it is just the game of life. Have fun, smile and don't take it so seriously.
Alright, that is it for today. I am sure there are many more items to add to the list, but this is a pretty good start for now. I was just thinking of where I was and how there are so many guys here working on their dream and thought I would offer some guidance before you get to the same place. There are just too many athletes here who will not make it and it won't be because they weren't talented enough. It will be because they don't have an awareness of some of the things on the list above. So much easier to see these things being a coach and being on the outside looking in, but it is so true.
See you down the line!!!!
Friday, March 26, 2010
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!!!!!
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!!!!!
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