In a sport obsessed with numbers, it might be hard to accept that intangibles can end up
being the difference-maker.

Baseball’s emphasis on measurable data makes it easy for developing players to
believe success is black and white: if you throw hard enough, if you hit well enough,
then you qualify for consideration at the next level. Stats don’t tell nearly the whole story
though.

I’m here to train athletes—to get them physically prepared to perform the skills utilized
in baseball to the best of their abilities. Players who are bigger, stronger, faster, and
more powerful tend to see the most success. But, all too often the expression of their
talents is hampered by neglecting certain controllables.

The athletes who separate themselves by bridging the gap between “really good” and
“great” are the ones who master those intangibles that other players often ignore.
. . . .

I’ve spent five winters across four different facilities working with professional baseball
players during their off-seasons. These experiences, coupled with nine seasons in
college baseball, have allowed me to connect certain dots when it comes to identifying
commonalities among the athletes who are truly all-in on their goals and therefore most
likely to reach their dreams.

Success leaves a trail. And it’s a lot more than ERAs and on-base percentages. Don’t
get me wrong, the numbers are incredibly important. The ability to play at a certain level
in this sport is heavily dependent on whether an athlete has certain skills. But the
behind-the-scenes approach that few people ever see is often the most telling when it
comes to predicting how much of an athlete’s potential he will fulfill.

What does it look like when an athlete thinks he is all-in, but his behavior says
otherwise?

· He can’t bother to eat breakfast, but spends lots of money every month buying
supplements.

· He won’t put in the time to get good grades in high school, but assumes a college
coach figures he will make the effort to stay academically eligible.

· He can’t bother to get to bed at a decent hour, but relies on massage guns and
Normatec boots for his body to feel recovered.

· He talks in the team huddle while his coach is talking, but expects everyone to trust
that he will pay enough attention during a game to pick up signs.

Now, if any of this rubs you the wrong way, it’s probably because you feel called out.
And that’s totally ok! I’m not trying to offend or insult anyone, but as I’ve told several of
my current high schoolers, I’m here to help you become the best version of yourself and
sometimes that involves some hard honesty. If you being mad at me is collateral
damage to you discovering that you are in fact capable of becoming more, then I can
live with that. My wish is truly that this opens your eyes to see what else you could be
doing to raise your own stock and stop inhibiting your potential. It’s never too late to
make an adjustment, but it will take some effort.

If you care about something, you’re going to take it seriously.

Of course, the definition of “taking baseball seriously” is going to vary across the little
league, high school, collegiate, and professional levels, but it has some common
threads.

Here are five behaviors that separate those who have a professional approach:

1. Be Accountable

Take ownership. How involved are you in your own career? Play a role in creating your
schedule. This is especially important for teenagers. Learn to sign yourself up for
sessions instead of relying on your parents. If communication with a coach is needed,
reach out yourself. Learning this before college will help make that transition into
adulthood much smoother.

Demonstrate responsibility. Do what is expected of you. If you’re supposed to be
warmed up and ready, warm yourself up and be ready. Help others if they need it. Honor
commitments. Also, if you mess up, own it. Everyone makes mistakes. Correct it if you
can, then learn from it, and move on. This builds trust between you, your coaches, and
your teammates.

Act coachable. Be receptive to hearing direction, feedback, and cues. Even if you don’t
agree with the advice, being willing to listen and engage in a discussion plays a big role
in how coaches view you.

2. Show Up Prepared (Even for the Unexpected)

Bring proper footwear. Crocs in sport mode don’t count. And just because you were
able to do a lift in your socks last week doesn’t mean this week’s session won’t include
activities that require shoes. Your coach’s plan might change. Don’t hurt your
performance or make yourself look bad by being the guy who can’t participate or has to
try to hit in Birkenstocks.

Dress appropriately. Weather changes quickly. Practice venues can be switched.
Throwing outside in a t-shirt when it’s chilly out isn’t making your coach think you are
mentally tough—he’s thinking you aren’t mature enough to plan ahead and bring a long-
sleeved shirt. Same goes for lifting in jeans or khakis—if you’re not going to dress like
you’re ready, why would a coach assume you’re ready to play?

Take care of, and be responsible for, your equipment. Left your glove at the field?
Figured you could just borrow a helmet for BP? Calling mom to bring the batting gloves
you left in her car? Not the best look. You need equipment to play this game and how
you treat your equipment speaks to how you prepare to play.

3. Respect Time—Yours and Everyone Else’s

Be on time. Or better yet, be early. If practice matters to you, you plan around it. Leave
early and account for traffic. Set an early enough alarm, maybe more than one. No one
wants to spend their time waiting on you. And no one wants to feel like their time isn’t
valued by the people using it.

Use time productively. If a training session should take an hour, make it take an hour.
You’re not impressing anyone by wasting time and dragging it out for twice that long.
Quality beats quantity. Likewise, when you do have spare time, use it for something
worthwhile. Instead of scrolling on your phone if you arrive early, get some extra warm
up in (foam roll or do some mobility). Show respect for other coaches and athletes by
being done on time—it’s not cool if you’re still picking balls in the cage when the next
hitting group is waiting to start.

4. Treat Your Body Like You’re Already a Pro

Never skip the warm up. There’s nothing cool about “show and go.” Young athletes
tend to be the most guilty about avoiding or rushing through the warm up. It’s not a good
habit to develop and will come back to haunt them eventually.

Caffeine should not be a crutch. There’s a big difference between having coffee with
breakfast before you train and having an energy drink FOR breakfast as you rush to the
gym or field. It’s never a substitute for properly preparing your body.

Prioritize sleep and other forms of recovery. Athletes who don’t get a minimum of
eight hours of sleep per night have higher injury rates. Allowing your body to recover
helps you perform and train at higher levels.

Consume quality protein and balanced sources of calories. Supplements should
SUPPLEMENT your diet, not compose it or replace anything in it. Protein shakes are a
great way to get extra protein, but only if you’re getting more than the bare minimum
from food in your diet.

5. Communicate Like Someone Who Wants to Improve

Make eye contact. Even if the message is tough to hear, looking a coach in the eye
and letting him or her know you’re paying attention goes a long way in how they
perceive you. Coaches are more likely to spend time on athletes who are receptive to
coaching.

When in doubt, ask. It’s better to know for sure than to guess and potentially do
something incorrectly.

Be professional when texting and emailing coaches. Proper punctuation and putting
effort into what you write won’t go unnoticed. Typos and poor grammar make you look
sloppy.
. . . .

Developing Professional Behaviors

Psychological development follows a similar trajectory as physical development.
On the physical side, we first build movement capacity and quality with young athletes.
As they progress, we shift the focus to building strength and then developing power. For
an athlete to maximize his physical potential, you have to learn to walk before you can
run. Skipping steps will ultimately hamper the end results. You can’t dump on a ton of
responsibility on a 17 year-old athlete who has never had to do much for himself and
expect him to thrive. We see this with college athletes—once they’re on their own and
have to handle their own business, some sink instead of swim.

Introducing elements of taking responsibility to younger athletes lets them learn
to take care of themselves and builds their self-esteem. Begin by introducing a
young athlete to scaled versions of the behaviors and mindsets that older athletes will
need to rely on to maximize their success, like responsibility, accountability, intrinsic
motivation, and coachability. Let a little leaguer pack his bag for the game. Let a
teenager prepare his own snacks for the tournament. As they grasp these concepts and
implement them without much assistance and reminding, the next level can be
presented.

Now just because a young athlete doesn’t have the psychological tools to advance to
and succeed at the next level right now doesn’t mean he won’t develop them. But it
rarely “just happens.” Like anything worthwhile, it takes conscious effort to build
the attitudes, mindsets, and intentions that predispose an athlete to putting himself in
the best possible position to maximize his abilities.

If you’re the parent of an athlete, you can best support your child by teaching him to
navigate obstacles instead of helping remove them.

Defining Success

Now, does adopting these behaviors and doing things the right way guarantee success
in baseball? Unfortunately no—talent is still a crucial piece of the puzzle. Opportunity
and even luck play large roles as well. But it also depends on how you define and
evaluate success.

Acting like a pro and developing mature habits dramatically increases your chances of
becoming the player you want to be. This also carries over into life beyond sports.
When your career eventually comes to a close, knowing you controlled everything within
your power to the best of your ability will let you walk away knowing you maximized your
potential, regardless of the final outcome.

You have more people in your corner than you realize. Coaches love helping athletes
who show they care. Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help.

It’s what we’re here for.
-Jen