Derek Monn

Just a normal guy with an extraordinary since of humor, who also loves family, sports, marketing, construction, business, and lots of other things.

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@jlinehan9 If those magic green cleats aren't in the trophy case at the Student Athlete Building . . . what are we even doing?

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@Paintballphotos @toddmartinez @SanDiegoDynasty Cash Money!

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@EppsKody One of the best choices I made was to get my MBA from BYU. Good luck in the program!

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@mbrucefillmore @jaromjordan Exactly what I was thinking of.

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@JesseKazam

[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints @Ch_JesusChrist]

Visitors to Times Square were in for a surprise on Nov. 27 as its famous billboards became a larger-than-life tribute to the true reason for Christmas: Jesus Christ.

The billboard takeover at Times Square in New York City was part of Light the World, an annual movement to bring people from all over the world together to share the light of Jesus Christ during the Christmas season. The beautiful nativity scene that emerged from the blackout was a tender reminder of the Savior’s birth and why we need His light and love in our lives.

Learn more about the Light the World movement:

https://t.co/TUB4zzyK4k

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@BaddieStreams . . . can we really?

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@Pestily GoldenEye (N64), Perfect Dark (N64), Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Command and Conquer, Starcraft

[John DeMarsico @JohnDeMarsico]

Orion Kerkering's dad crying for an entire inning in his son's MLB debut was one of the coolest moments of the season. I don't care what team you root for.

[Jacob Turner @TheJacobTurner]

They cut @MikeTrout.

The greatest baseball player of our generation.

The story you have never heard and the lesson to learn:

Back in 2008, I was a high school junior.

I was an up-and-coming baseball player and my first big break was an invitation to the USA baseball team trials.

You see each year USA Baseball brings in 100+ of the best baseball players in the country to try out for the 18u national team.

That year, USA Baseball had arranged for two players each to stay with a host family.

My roommate was a player named, Mike Trout.

Mike had incredible athleticism but was from the Northeast so he didn't come into the event on the "hype train" like some of the top prospects from California, Texas, and Florida did.

We both performed well at the event and made it to the final stage of the trials.

Here USA Baseball chose the final 18 players for the national team.

Mike didn't make those final 18 players.

Fast forward 15 years and Mike is the best player of a generation. A surefire Hall of Famer and arguably one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Funny, how life works sometimes.

Look the lesson we can all learn from this is life is full of things that are outside of our control.

You will be told no.
You will suffer adversity.
You will face disappointment.

Accept it as part of your journey.

My friends, we focus far too much on the end destination and completely miss the beauty in the journey.

The come up, the adversity, and the struggle are what you will talk about one day.

It makes the destination worth striving for.

So, the next time you face a setback, remember Mike's story.

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@DemolitionRanch

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@JesseKazam No one more deserving. #KazamFam4Life

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@Challenger_ST This is great.

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@NoContextHumans @mufasatweetss Also @CousinSkeetHer

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@NoContextHumans @mufasatweetss

Giving credit where credit is due.

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@MLBMetrics Obviously, you have never seen 9U travel ball teams then. Ha ha!

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

@JaredMonn20

[Baseball Dudes Inc. 🇺🇸⚾️ @BaseballDudes48]

12 Things I would tell myself as a young player:

1. The work you put in away from your team is where real growth happens. Take your personal development into our own hands. Stop waiting for others to help you.

2. The game will be hard on your body. Take care of it.

3. Accountability will be one of your biggest weaknesses. Get better at it ASAP!

4. Everyday you play catch you are a pitcher. Even if you’re not slated to pitch that day, while you play catch, be a pitcher. Work on your throwing mechanics, throw your off speed pitches and hit spots on your partner.

5. THROW YOUR CHANGE UP!! Start learning it from day one. Experiment with different grips. Keep it out of your palm. Play catch with it EVERYDAY you throw the ball. It will be a very important pitch you need later. Develop it and your confidence in it early on so you don’t need to later.

6. GET STRONGER!!

7. Be a student of the game. When you watch the game on TV, watch it more like a student than a fan. Watch how they move their bodies. How they move around the field. Read up on mental toughness. Seek out those with more experience and ask questions.

8. You’re a pitcher. Just because you threw a pitch, your job is not over. The only time you should find yourself still standing on the mound after a hit ball is if there is no one on base and a GB is hit to your 3B or SS. Any other time you are either moving towards 1B to cover if needed or backing up a base somewhere. Stop spectating!

9. Your headspace will separate you from your competitors. Please start learning this at a younger age! Mental toughness, baseball IQ, competitiveness and emotional control need to be a constant focus.

10. You will have some great coaches in your life and some who have no business being in that position. But you can learn something from all of them, even if that means learning how you DON’T want to be as a coach someday.

11. Playing with and through discomfort is part of it. You shouldn’t have to feel 💯 to give 💯. You better develop some toughness in that area if you want to last.

12. Enjoy the Game!! Someday you will play in your final game. Be grateful for what the game gave you. Respect the game. Remember as much as you can. Enjoy your teammates and when you’re ready, give back as much as you can.

[Derek Monn @derekmonn]

How can you not love BASEBALL!

[Pittsburgh Pirates @Pirates]

“Anything is possible. Never give up.”

Drew Maggi will forever be a Major Leaguer.