THE SECRET SAUCE IN EVERY CHAMPION’S RECIPE
We recently concluded our second season of the Reds Baseball/Softball Camps and it was a wonderful repeat of Year One…except that over 1,000 kids attended, up over 20% from 2012. I want to extend our sincere appreciation to a crazy good group of instructors who are the backbone of the operation. I also want to thank Jay Bruce, Zack Cozart, Xavier Paul, Shin-Soo Choo, JJ Hoover, Todd Frazier and Tony Cingrani for making the Great American Ball Park visits so unforgettable. And, of course, Billy Hatcher was again the perfect host for our GABP trips.
At each camp, we conduct a Skills Competition that really spices up the week. A few weeks ago, the top 80 scorers from the summer participated in Champions Day at GABP. In addition to the 80 competitors, there were another 300+ friends and family members in attendance.
The focus of this post is to ask whether or not placing kids in the cauldron of competition prepares them for what’s ahead. Trust me; the kids at Champions Day feel the pressure of competing for a trophy in front of a lot of people on the very field their baseball heroes perform. It’s only natural to feel that heart-pounding, sweaty palms, “where’s the restroom?” sensation. The big question, of course, is whether or not the performer can park those feelings somewhere they won’t impede their physical and mental performance. Or do they give into them and essentially fall apart at the most critical time?
I submit that champions not only control those emotions but use them to propel his/her performance to new heights. That confidence, that belief in oneself, is the secret sauce in every winner’s recipe.
I think about all the travel tryouts that were conducted throughout Reds Country in the last 60 days. We measure kids’ running speed. We hit them ground balls and watch the “carry” on their throws across the infield or outfield. We throw batting practice and watch their strokes. What we can’t do is put a dipstick in that part of the athlete that measures their ability to manage stress…to excel under pressure. If we could, I fear that many of us would come up a quart low.
Case in point. If you ever had the pleasure of standing in the third base coaching box you get a real sense of the kids who step into the batter’s box like they own it. It’s as though they lock the door behind them and nothing exists other than the next pitch. These kids will compete for me. On the other hand, I’ve had plenty of kids who stepped into the batter’s box in that same pressure cooker situation and looked as though there was a snake in it.
The remarkable “you can’t beat me” attitude is what separates good from great and it may very well be hard wired in the athlete’s DNA. Although, preparation, experience and multiple “learnable” techniques can make a huge difference. But the “will to win” that we see from the great ones may not be something we can teach. Then again, a few Sunday’s ago class was in session at GABP for 80 young athletes from the Reds Baseball/Softball Camps…and they put on a show. You can go to HERE to see the final rankings.
Until next time, “If you’re gonna swing, might as well swing hard.”
Coach Tim
SOURCE:
http://redscamps.mlblogs.com/2013/10/23/the-secret-sauce-in-every-champions-recipe/
We recently concluded our second season of the Reds Baseball/Softball Camps and it was a wonderful repeat of Year One…except that over 1,000 kids attended, up over 20% from 2012. I want to extend our sincere appreciation to a crazy good group of instructors who are the backbone of the operation. I also want to thank Jay Bruce, Zack Cozart, Xavier Paul, Shin-Soo Choo, JJ Hoover, Todd Frazier and Tony Cingrani for making the Great American Ball Park visits so unforgettable. And, of course, Billy Hatcher was again the perfect host for our GABP trips.
At each camp, we conduct a Skills Competition that really spices up the week. A few weeks ago, the top 80 scorers from the summer participated in Champions Day at GABP. In addition to the 80 competitors, there were another 300+ friends and family members in attendance.
The focus of this post is to ask whether or not placing kids in the cauldron of competition prepares them for what’s ahead. Trust me; the kids at Champions Day feel the pressure of competing for a trophy in front of a lot of people on the very field their baseball heroes perform. It’s only natural to feel that heart-pounding, sweaty palms, “where’s the restroom?” sensation. The big question, of course, is whether or not the performer can park those feelings somewhere they won’t impede their physical and mental performance. Or do they give into them and essentially fall apart at the most critical time?
I submit that champions not only control those emotions but use them to propel his/her performance to new heights. That confidence, that belief in oneself, is the secret sauce in every winner’s recipe.
I think about all the travel tryouts that were conducted throughout Reds Country in the last 60 days. We measure kids’ running speed. We hit them ground balls and watch the “carry” on their throws across the infield or outfield. We throw batting practice and watch their strokes. What we can’t do is put a dipstick in that part of the athlete that measures their ability to manage stress…to excel under pressure. If we could, I fear that many of us would come up a quart low.
Case in point. If you ever had the pleasure of standing in the third base coaching box you get a real sense of the kids who step into the batter’s box like they own it. It’s as though they lock the door behind them and nothing exists other than the next pitch. These kids will compete for me. On the other hand, I’ve had plenty of kids who stepped into the batter’s box in that same pressure cooker situation and looked as though there was a snake in it.
The remarkable “you can’t beat me” attitude is what separates good from great and it may very well be hard wired in the athlete’s DNA. Although, preparation, experience and multiple “learnable” techniques can make a huge difference. But the “will to win” that we see from the great ones may not be something we can teach. Then again, a few Sunday’s ago class was in session at GABP for 80 young athletes from the Reds Baseball/Softball Camps…and they put on a show. You can go to HERE to see the final rankings.
Until next time, “If you’re gonna swing, might as well swing hard.”
Coach Tim
SOURCE:
http://redscamps.mlblogs.com/2013/10/23/the-secret-sauce-in-every-champions-recipe/