Introduction - The beginning of the Journey - Key Thoughts
Whenever I give this book to a player, I inscribe inside the font cover the following:
"You have taken the first step in not just becoming a great baseball player, but in also becoming a great individual as well. No one can play the game forever, eventually the crowd stops cheering and you are left to move forward with your life. If you take this book seriously, it can be applied to all aspects of your life. Lessons learned here, and on the Baseball Field, can carry you on to a long and successful life, regardless of the path. The difference between the Good player and the GREAT player is not just their skills, but how they use them. The mental side of the game and Life, makes the difference between Winners and Losers !
KEY THOUGHTS :
* NEVER GIVE IN !
* Sometimes you can win, but yet still lose and sometimes you can lose, but yet still win ! "
Coach Jim (year)
So what does this mean? The first comment I will make, is anytime I give an answer to "what does this mean" it is always with the caveat that everything can mean something different to different individuals. It is everyone's responsibility to take my opinion (IMO) and then assess their beliefs into it. Just because I, or someone else, say it is a certain way, DOES NOT mean it is the ONLY way. Always evaluate situations / ideas / beliefs / etc. in relation to your own thoughts. Disagreement is NOT a bad thing. Agreement with a lack of effort is a bad thing.
Never take anything , or life, at face value and without thought. Always make a concious effort to review things and come to the conclusion that you agree, disagree or agree with certain aspects. NEVER GIVE IN. Why is Baseball America's past time ? Because almost everyone has played the game. The game does not discriminate based on size, speed, sex, etc. At some point in their lives, almost everyone has stood at the plate, stared down the opposing pitcher and felt the anxiety of trying to do the most difficult thing in sports - hit a moving round object, with a round bat. Additionally, that same individual has been standing in the field with the round object moving toward them, runners running around the bases and trying to make that one great play.
Baseball is a great game that mirrors life. While it is very much a team sport, it also encompasses the one on one challenges. Eventually, at some point, everyone will have to “step up to the plate” and make things happen. All of this while confined to the team aspect. Just like life, no one is successful without the assistance and help of others. While it can take many forms, be it a loved one, work associate, bosses, customers, etc., we truly can not survive on our own. Sure, there is the 1-0 game that is won by a walk off home run, but how did the other team get held to ZERO runs ? Great defense, great pitching (although, that still requires assistance - what would happen if the pitcher threw a great pitch and there was no one there to catch the ball?), or whatever, it still could not have been achieved without the help of others.
What do I mean by my Key Thoughts:
NEVER GIVE IN – this is one of my favorites and never have 3 words had such profound meaning (well there are 3 other ones that do a great job also). Regardless of what is going on around you, the true judgment of a GREAT person and player is how they react to situations. It is very easy to do a good job of handling things when everything is going perfect. But the true judgement of an individual is not how they handle situations when things are going right, but how do they handle situations when things are going wrong. This is the true test of the character of an individual. NEVER GIVE IN, regardless of the situation, you must always give it 110%. During the course of your life, there will be many times when things will not go your way. You may lose a loved one, lose a job, have a boss that makes your working life a living hell, struggle with making ends meet for your family, whatever. During these times of struggle, you must NEVER GIVE IN . Accept these as challenges that you can overcome, for if you do not make an effort to conquer these challenges, they will not magically go away. You must meet them head on and rise to the occasion. These same lesson’s can be learned and practiced on the baseball field. Regardless of the score, regardless of the situation, NEVER GIVE IN. You may be having a terrible day at the plate, you’re in the middle of an 0’fer striking out every time. Then, you come to the plate in the last inning with the winning run in scoring position. You have the chance to make it happen, will you put everything that has happened behind you or will you dwell in the past. NEVER GIVE IN and you will always be a Winner. Or you may be pitching and you fall behind in the count. Will you give in to the hitter and just walk him or will you challenge your way back. Or maybe you have been giving up hit after hit, run after run. The game seems like it is going against you. You have the opportunity to stand up there and change the course, continue to fight on the mound and NEVER GIVE IN. The team behind you see’s your effort and suddenly, they start making all the plays, offensively you climb back into the game and now you have a chance to win. NEVER GIVE IN.
Sometimes you can win, but yet still lose… I love this saying. It comes from one of my favorite movies, White Men Can’t Jump. The main character Billy is confronted with this saying by his girlfriend. He spends the entire movie battling his inner deamons and just can’t figure it out. This phrase drives deep to the heart of how we define Winners and Losers. I use those words very specifically. Athletic contests are merely just specific periods in time, defined by time, innings, whatever. A team that has a better score at the end of this specific period of time is called the winner, but are they ? It is possible to Win the event, but you do it by Cheating or degrading the other team – are you really a WINNER? Or conversely, you can fight a very tough battle and lose a game 1-0. Yet, every member of the team gave it 110% and left everything on the field. Yes, they lost the game, but are they LOSERS? Being a Winner is not so much about whether you won the contest, but more about how you approach the process. Winners never give in and always challenge themselves to the very end. Losers make excuses and find reasons to give up. Everyone has desires and needs that they wish to be met during the course of their lives. One of these key desires I feel is to be remembered. How do you want to be remembered ? A common assignment in many high schools or colleges is for students to write their own epitaph or obituary. Sure, no one wants to think of death, but the real message is about how do you want to be remembered ? What do you want people to say about you when you are not around or gone ? Do you want them to say he was a Winner or a Loser? The question then becomes what are you going to do to make this happen. You are in absolute control over this process. This is a key thought throughout the course of the Mental Game of Baseball. The concept of Winner vs Loser.
As we move through this book, there is no doubt that if you can master the mental game of baseball and the concepts in this book, you will become a better baseball player. Coupled with the physical skills that you possess and develop, this will determine how long you play the game. HOWEVER, if you truly master these steps, everything you learn here can be applied to you life moving forward. You have the opportunity to make things happen in your life and at the end of the day – be a WINNER no matter what path your life will take.
"You have taken the first step in not just becoming a great baseball player, but in also becoming a great individual as well. No one can play the game forever, eventually the crowd stops cheering and you are left to move forward with your life. If you take this book seriously, it can be applied to all aspects of your life. Lessons learned here, and on the Baseball Field, can carry you on to a long and successful life, regardless of the path. The difference between the Good player and the GREAT player is not just their skills, but how they use them. The mental side of the game and Life, makes the difference between Winners and Losers !
KEY THOUGHTS :
* NEVER GIVE IN !
* Sometimes you can win, but yet still lose and sometimes you can lose, but yet still win ! "
Coach Jim (year)
So what does this mean? The first comment I will make, is anytime I give an answer to "what does this mean" it is always with the caveat that everything can mean something different to different individuals. It is everyone's responsibility to take my opinion (IMO) and then assess their beliefs into it. Just because I, or someone else, say it is a certain way, DOES NOT mean it is the ONLY way. Always evaluate situations / ideas / beliefs / etc. in relation to your own thoughts. Disagreement is NOT a bad thing. Agreement with a lack of effort is a bad thing.
Never take anything , or life, at face value and without thought. Always make a concious effort to review things and come to the conclusion that you agree, disagree or agree with certain aspects. NEVER GIVE IN. Why is Baseball America's past time ? Because almost everyone has played the game. The game does not discriminate based on size, speed, sex, etc. At some point in their lives, almost everyone has stood at the plate, stared down the opposing pitcher and felt the anxiety of trying to do the most difficult thing in sports - hit a moving round object, with a round bat. Additionally, that same individual has been standing in the field with the round object moving toward them, runners running around the bases and trying to make that one great play.
Baseball is a great game that mirrors life. While it is very much a team sport, it also encompasses the one on one challenges. Eventually, at some point, everyone will have to “step up to the plate” and make things happen. All of this while confined to the team aspect. Just like life, no one is successful without the assistance and help of others. While it can take many forms, be it a loved one, work associate, bosses, customers, etc., we truly can not survive on our own. Sure, there is the 1-0 game that is won by a walk off home run, but how did the other team get held to ZERO runs ? Great defense, great pitching (although, that still requires assistance - what would happen if the pitcher threw a great pitch and there was no one there to catch the ball?), or whatever, it still could not have been achieved without the help of others.
What do I mean by my Key Thoughts:
NEVER GIVE IN – this is one of my favorites and never have 3 words had such profound meaning (well there are 3 other ones that do a great job also). Regardless of what is going on around you, the true judgment of a GREAT person and player is how they react to situations. It is very easy to do a good job of handling things when everything is going perfect. But the true judgement of an individual is not how they handle situations when things are going right, but how do they handle situations when things are going wrong. This is the true test of the character of an individual. NEVER GIVE IN, regardless of the situation, you must always give it 110%. During the course of your life, there will be many times when things will not go your way. You may lose a loved one, lose a job, have a boss that makes your working life a living hell, struggle with making ends meet for your family, whatever. During these times of struggle, you must NEVER GIVE IN . Accept these as challenges that you can overcome, for if you do not make an effort to conquer these challenges, they will not magically go away. You must meet them head on and rise to the occasion. These same lesson’s can be learned and practiced on the baseball field. Regardless of the score, regardless of the situation, NEVER GIVE IN. You may be having a terrible day at the plate, you’re in the middle of an 0’fer striking out every time. Then, you come to the plate in the last inning with the winning run in scoring position. You have the chance to make it happen, will you put everything that has happened behind you or will you dwell in the past. NEVER GIVE IN and you will always be a Winner. Or you may be pitching and you fall behind in the count. Will you give in to the hitter and just walk him or will you challenge your way back. Or maybe you have been giving up hit after hit, run after run. The game seems like it is going against you. You have the opportunity to stand up there and change the course, continue to fight on the mound and NEVER GIVE IN. The team behind you see’s your effort and suddenly, they start making all the plays, offensively you climb back into the game and now you have a chance to win. NEVER GIVE IN.
Sometimes you can win, but yet still lose… I love this saying. It comes from one of my favorite movies, White Men Can’t Jump. The main character Billy is confronted with this saying by his girlfriend. He spends the entire movie battling his inner deamons and just can’t figure it out. This phrase drives deep to the heart of how we define Winners and Losers. I use those words very specifically. Athletic contests are merely just specific periods in time, defined by time, innings, whatever. A team that has a better score at the end of this specific period of time is called the winner, but are they ? It is possible to Win the event, but you do it by Cheating or degrading the other team – are you really a WINNER? Or conversely, you can fight a very tough battle and lose a game 1-0. Yet, every member of the team gave it 110% and left everything on the field. Yes, they lost the game, but are they LOSERS? Being a Winner is not so much about whether you won the contest, but more about how you approach the process. Winners never give in and always challenge themselves to the very end. Losers make excuses and find reasons to give up. Everyone has desires and needs that they wish to be met during the course of their lives. One of these key desires I feel is to be remembered. How do you want to be remembered ? A common assignment in many high schools or colleges is for students to write their own epitaph or obituary. Sure, no one wants to think of death, but the real message is about how do you want to be remembered ? What do you want people to say about you when you are not around or gone ? Do you want them to say he was a Winner or a Loser? The question then becomes what are you going to do to make this happen. You are in absolute control over this process. This is a key thought throughout the course of the Mental Game of Baseball. The concept of Winner vs Loser.
As we move through this book, there is no doubt that if you can master the mental game of baseball and the concepts in this book, you will become a better baseball player. Coupled with the physical skills that you possess and develop, this will determine how long you play the game. HOWEVER, if you truly master these steps, everything you learn here can be applied to you life moving forward. You have the opportunity to make things happen in your life and at the end of the day – be a WINNER no matter what path your life will take.
posted by Jim at 10:55 AM
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