God cancelled your plans to save your life. He sent You the other direction to avoid danger. He fights battles you know nothing about. His plan for you is always better than your plan for your life.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
- Isaiah 55:8-9
Friday is gloomy and drear. It is impossible to see the good in what lies ahead. All hope is lost. The world seems to be spiraling toward impending doom. But there are three words that lie on the horizon that bring everything into perspective: Sunday is coming… #heisrisen
If I could go back at age 58 …. this is what I would tell my 16 year old self as a HS baseball player who wanted to play D1 and play in the Big Leagues.
Big dreams for a very little guy…. Who graduated HS at 140 pounds with very little coaching or baseball IQ. I could switch hit, run well, had a plus arm (for my size)…but heavily needed my own advice below. It would have helped me tremendously to reach even a higher level of pro ball. Hope it helps someone on that same journey now…
1. You must be willing to be different. The best are the best for a reason. Sacrifice has a steep price tag and it is paid mostly in sweat equity. Shrink inner circle and eliminate weaknesses. Don’t be afraid to look bad when challenging yourself in drills to make them as game like as possible.
2. Every day is gift. If the day is wasted, it is gone forever and others (my competition) advance ahead of me in pursuit of my goal.
3. It’s about process, not about how I feel. Discipline over motivation … Get done what needs to be done daily and do it well. Rise early and compete. Even when I don’t feel like it.
4. Enjoy your teammates. Smile, laugh, don’t take yourself to serious and encourage my buddies, especially when they are down.
5. Take at least 200 ground balls and 200+ swings a day (above practice time). Find ways to make them challenging, competitive and game speed. Have as many bullets in my gun on both offense and defense.
6. Watch as much high level baseball as possible. Watch as a player, not as a fan. Study my position(s). Understand how to react correctly and on time to all game situations.
7. Lift with the purpose to improve my balance, coordination, quickness, body control, power, explosiveness, flexibility, grip strength and overall pure strength. Have a plan in the weight room then execute it to perfection.
8. Long toss… 3 times a week for eight weeks prior to the season and continue in season. Gradually increasing distance over the weeks. I would do low intent throwing on other days to improve short arm stroke, repeatability, accuracy…from all arm slots. Build up my bullets so my arm is ready for the demands of games and practices.
9. Get adequate sleep. 8 plus hours a night. Put my phone away and monitor screen time heavily.
10. Eat nutritionally with plenty of fruits, vegetables, protein and lots of quality water.
11. Know that age matters for the draft. Even though you are a very late developer physically, they won’t care or take that into consideration. So get physical. Be a fit and just as fast 185 … instead of the 163 you were when you graduated from UNCW.
12. Be more even keel. Save the emotion for when it is really needed. Don’t live and die with every game and base my personal worth on how I played each night.
13. Choose a degree that I’m passionate about and I will actually use.
14. Take time off each season to rest my mind and body.
15. Most importantly get to know God and get close to Him. Play every pitch for an audience of 1 “AO1.”
There has never been anyone that has been successful in life that didn’t have great discipline.
Be disciplined in every aspect of life.
Discipline is doing what you’re supposed to do, when you’re supposed to do it, exactly the way it needs to be done.
Curt Cignetti has a fascinating philosophy...don't waste anyone's time, coaches not expected to work nights just get work done, limited practice to keep players healthy
Success is momentary. It isn’t continuous. You start to resent the very things that got you where you are in the first place.
Once you become successful, you become the target and you can’t let your guard down lest you fall. You must grind daily and embrace the process.