The Dos and Don'ts

    I do not know everything about running a successful program, leadership, and certainly not everything about baseball. However, through years of experience, many failures, and a few successes, I have learned some valuable lessons in those regards.

    While I am writing through the lens of a coach, these ideals and values are valuable lessons for players and coaches at all levels. So here it goes, my attempt at articulating some of the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” when it comes to baseball... and LIFE!

1. Do the right thing. 

  Following directions, being coachable, off-field behavior, classroom behavior and academics, how you treat people...

    If I had to choose one principle that matters more than all the others combined, it would be this one: Do the right thing. All the time. Every single time. In my humble opinion, it should be the #1 expectation or standard of any program and any player… at any level. 

  It sounds simple, doesn't it? Almost too simple. But I can tell you from fifteen years of coaching, from watching hundreds of young men navigate their lives both on and off the field, that doing the right thing is anything but simple. It's the hardest thing to do consistently, and it's also the most important.

    When I talk about doing the right thing, I'm not talking about a complicated moral philosophy or some abstract ethical framework. I'm talking about something much more practical and immediate: In any given moment, in any environment, ask yourself these question: "Is what I'm about to do going to help me get better, or is it going to help someone else get better?" or "Is what I'm about to do going to be good for me and/or others?"

    If the answer is yes to either of those questions, do it. If the answer is no—if what you're about to do is purely selfish, purely destructive, or purely a waste of time—then don't do it.

    That's doing the right thing.

2. Do your job.

    Doing your job sounds simple. Show up. Do what you're supposed to do. Go home. But in my experience, most people don't actually do their job. They show up, sure. But they're not fully present. They're not fully committed. They're not fully engaged.

    Doing your job means more than just going through the motions. It means showing up on time. It means being prepared. It means doing exactly what's been asked of you, and doing it well. It means taking pride in your work, whether anyone's watching or not.

    And it means going the extra mile.

    
    Here's something I've learned: When one person does their job, it affects everyone around them. When one person doesn't do their job, it affects everyone around them. It's not just about you. It's about the people around you. It's about the team.

3. Do your best.

    Here's a fundamental truth that I've learned over fifteen years of coaching: You get out what you put in. It's not complicated. It's not mysterious. It's not luck or talent or genetics. It's simple cause and effect.

    If you give your best effort, you can expect maximum results. If you don't give your best effort, you can expect minimum results.

    I understand that there are days when you're tired. There are days when you're not feeling it. There are days when you're dealing with stuff off the field that's affecting your mindset.

    I get it. I've been there. But the standard is still 100% effort, 100% of the time.

4. DON'T MAKE EXCUSES.

    Why excuses don't work-- No one cares. 

    Let me be direct: Excuses have never made anyone better. 

    Not once. Not ever.

    There is a difference in a reason and an excuse. Know it.

    Excuses are a way of avoiding responsibility. They're a way of saying, "It's not my fault. It's someone else's fault. It's something else's fault." And when you make an excuse, you're giving away your power. You're saying, "I'm not in control of my life. Other people are. Other circumstances are." That's not true. You are in control of your life. You are responsible for your choices and your actions.