Good vs. Willing to be Good

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 practiced hard. I played hard. But as they say, what are you doing when no one else is watching? Priorities. 

So what does it take to be good? Where do “good” players and “good” teams priorities lie? Besides discipline, respect, intensity, passion (DRIP) which I’ve already laid out, here are some characteristics and habits I believe good players and good teams exhibit. 

Commitment- it is my firm belief that commitment is the first step in being successful at anything you do. When you commit to something-- fully commit-- there is no way you cannot improve in that endeavor. Commitment is easier said than done, though. It takes sacrifice; it takes the discipline to do things you may not feel like doing; it means less time off and more time to work. Commitment means showing up and putting in your best effort when you're expected to, but it's also extra work, and more extra work, and more. Here is a part about baseball that I did not take very seriously... the weight room. Now more than ever, players need the weight room. It's a separator. I'm not saying being big, strong, and fast will make you an elite baseball player... but it will most definitely enhance your chances of being the best possible player you can be!

Attitude- things we talk about with our team all the time: body language, responding to adversity, picking up teammates, being the same guy when things are going well and when things are not going well. These things require the right attitude. Baseball is hard and it will beat you down... your attitude and how you respond to things are critical in your development. It's not WHAT happens that matters, but HOW you respond that makes the difference!

Toughness- mental and physical. This really goes hand in hand with attitude. Baseball is a tough game that must be played by tough people. Competitive baseball is not for the soft... it will eat you alive if you let it. Being mentally tough enough to overcome the obstacles the game presents is vital. You will lose; you will make an error; you will strike out; you will have slumps; you will have plenty of opportunities to learn! Being physically tough enough to manage the grind of a season is also vital. I've told teams before-- after day one, you probably won't ever feel 100%. Can you perform your best when you don't feel 100%? There's certainly a difference in being hurt and being injured.

Effort- 100% effort 100% of the time is the standard. I've seen many players work their way onto the field and in the lineup because of their work ethic. On the flip side, I've seen many talented players lose playing time because they were not willing to put in their best effort.

Competitive Spirit- the best players have a competitive edge that can't be denied... and many times can't be matched. My favorite players aren't always the most talented ones, they're the ones that hate to lose so bad, that they are willing to lay it all on the line to be successful... for their team. 

Confidence- this is another one that hits home to me. Part of my issue as a player coming up was confidence. If I got a hit first AB or made the first play... I was about to have a day! It was when things did not go my way early, that I struggled... lack of confidence, lack of mental toughness! Having the confidence is your ability is really important to developing as a great player... the other part is the confidence in your preparation, in your routines. Build confidence by the way you prepare... and when you step between the lines to compete, trust that preparation and let it rip! Be the baddest dude on the planet in between those lines!

Coachability- are you willing to take instruction, take criticism, and do something about it?? The best players are. The best players do not know everything and they're always looking to learn, to grow, to develop. That goes for coaches, too! 

Selflessness- sacrifice for something greater. Many players are willing to do whatever they need to do to help the team... the first to setup practice without being told to do so,  the first to start cleaning up after practice. You won't find selfless players hiding when there is work to be done. You also won't find them in the dugout when it's game time. Selfless players are your blue collar guys who are willing to do the "dirty work," the stuff that may not show up in the box score, but help your team win. 

Baseball IQ- knowing the situation, knowing what to do, having the ability to execute. Sadly, baseball IQ/situational awareness/heightened awareness is lacking. Is it because kids don't get in the yard and play it anymore? Is it because they don't watch it on TV anymore? I don't know, but I'll always love a player who understands the game and is mentally prepared for every situation.  

Players will only be as good as they want to be… not as good as their dads want them to be, not as good as their coaches want them to be, but as good as they want to be. Sure, parents and coaches are there to teach, motivate, encourage, push— there’s a balance there— but in the end, individuals must decide for themselves how good they want to be and what they’re willing to do to get there. Bad players have no motivation, good players can be motivated by outside sources, great players motivate themselves, and elite players motivate themselves and everyone around them! 

Play the game with DRIP. Discipline. Respect. Intensity. Passion.