D.R.I.P.

Many say that baseball is "just a game" and they got one thing right-- it is a game. However, it is SO much more than "just" a game.  I've had great mentors throughout my life-- parents, siblings, teachers, coaches, bosses, colleagues, and friends... but there's one different than the rest-- not better, not more efficient, not more effective-- but different. That's because it isn't a person. Baseball. From a young age, when I first grasped a baseball or swung a bat, I was being taught valuable lessons that go beyond the field and, at the time, I had no idea. Baseball has taught me many things, so many lessons that help in all areas of life. Now, I am no expert on anything, but where would I be without the things I've learned from... a game? We've established, or at least I have in my mind, that baseball can teach you discipline, the importance of respect, how to channel intensity into something positive, and passion for something greater than...

Good vs. Willing to be Good There are two questions I always ask teams at the beginning of the season:  1) Who wants to be good? I ask them to raise their hands if they want to be good- a good player, a good team. Without fail, they all slip their hand up.  2) Who is willing to do EVERYTHING it takes to be good? I don’t ask them to raise their hands for question #2, but ask them to really think about it after I lay out what it takes to be good, to be successful. And we do take some time to define what success looks like for us.  Of course everyone wants to be good. Every individual has goals to be as good as they can be, contribute to the success of the team, maybe even make it to the next level. Every team has big aspirations— wins, playoff runs, championships. But far too many want to be good without the willingness, the sacrifice to do everything it takes to be good. Man… a lesson I wish I would have actively absorbed a little more as a player before it was too late! I...

Welcome to DRIP-- a baseball blog focused on the Discipline, Respect, Intensity, and Passion in which the game of baseball should be approached.  Let me introduce myself. My name is Chris Shelton and I have been coaching baseball at various levels from travel to high school to college for the past 15 years. Before I really get into this, let me provide a disclaimer: I’m certainly no expert on baseball, coaching, program building, or life in general. However, through years of experience, many failures, and a few successes, I have learned some valuable lessons in those regards and have developed some philosophies about running a program, developing players, and the game itself that I believe in... really believe in. I did not have a spectacular baseball career, if you call it that, or play at a very high level. However, an ever-growing love for the game has allowed me to hang around long enough to learn a few things and develop some sort of philosophy on how the game should be played...