Catch the Ball - Throw the Ball

As you get to the higher levels of play ( i.e. HS Varsity, Travel Teams, AAU, College, Professional, etc.) you will find certain common themes:

1. You are EXPECTED to be ready to play from the first day of practice. This means off season and between game workouts are very important.

2. The fundamentals of the game never change, the amount of time you PRACTICE THE FUNDAMENTALS must increase if you want to remain successful.

3. Mental strength is increasingly more important with every step up the baseball ladder. To get mentally tough, see item 2.

4. You are in charge of you.....no one else is responsible for what you do on the field. The sooner you play like this the sooner your advancement will come. Don't make excuses.

5. It's a simple game that looks easy - catch it, throw it, hit it - but it looks easiest for the players who work at it the hardest.

I always tell my pitchers that you are a work in progress, not everyone will have the same timetable to their ultimate success on the field. DON'T CREATE A DEADLINE TO YOUR SUCCESS - DO CREATE A NEVER QUIT ATTITUDE. Deadlines can be missed due to outside circumstances. Not meeting your deadline can cause you to give up much too soon. Hard work has no deadline, it only has rewards.