I wanted to share with you something I’ve been trying to teach the players and what is a foundational belief of 706 Baseball.
Preparation is one of the most important factors in building confidence. Player’s that attach their confidence to results create a fickle sense of confidence where they thrive on the peak of victory and wallow in the valley of defeat. With confidence built on preparation, players navigate the season in a more healthy mental state. The wins become validation of the preparation and the defeats serve a purpose of identifying areas of growth. I understand that winning is important to build up confidence but it needs not be the only source, especially with our youth. Results don’t define them. Their character and work ethic have more influence on their confidence than their wins and losses. Results take precedence later in their career when the stakes are attached to incentives such as money, NIL, scholarships, etc. but I digress.
We want to help develop strong work ethics in our players and instill a drive of constant improvement so they don’t define themselves on their results. Instead, their identity is rooted in the self-confidence that they did everything in their power to be the most prepared and they gave it their best effort. With that mindset, tough competition should excite players as they get the opportunity to put to test their preparation. It’s a maturation process. I want our guys going into games expecting to play THEIR best baseball. The mindset of entering a tournament with the mindset of expecting to lose is a weak mentality that I am working to get kids to outgrow.
Parents of all age groups, keep challenging your players to be on a path of constant improvement and help find ways to get them to develop those daily habits that would make them develop confidence in themselves and improve their skill set. 706 Baseball is meant to prepare kids for the next level and this type of accountability puts them on the right path. If you have any feedback or questions, please don’t hesitate.
