Marietta, Georgia (Cobb County)
With fall practices and tournaments in full swing, we at 643 DP Athletics want to talk about how our players should be approaching the fall season. Of course, everyone wants to perform well, hit a lot of extra-base hits, make every play in the field, and give up zero runs with plenty of strikeouts. Unfortunately, that is not a great mindset to have during this season. Most players are either participating in a different sport or treating baseball as a secondary focus right now. Some of us also took the month of August off for a much-needed rest after a long summer of baseball. Both of these scenarios are perfectly normal, but they are not conducive to achieving a lot of success in the fall.
For players who are solely focused on baseball and have been working throughout the month, they usually do not get to face any live pitching during that time. As a result, they often have to rediscover their timing when facing a live arm in their first tournament. With all of this in mind, we need to reframe our mindset about how we define success for the fall season in order to avoid feeling like we are not performing well.
The fall is all about growth and working on becoming a better baseball player by reflecting on what we did well and what we need to improve from the summer. Whether it involves situational play, swing mechanics, or pitching mechanics, we should use practices to fix and improve our skills, then apply those improvements in real games. If we are applying new ideas to our game and taking a new approach, we should not expect immediate and remarkable results. We need to redefine our understanding of success and carry that into our games in order to make progress.
When you are implementing the new concepts that you and your coaches have been working on, it’s important to be more process-oriented rather than result-driven. If you’ve made a mechanical adjustment, go into the game thinking, “Am I doing what my coach and I discussed? Am I making solid contact with the ball? Am I being competitive in the strike zone with all of my pitches?” Those are the criteria we need to focus on for achieving success. If you can consistently stack successful outings like this, you will find yourself in a good mental place and grow confident in your new approach or mechanics.
Carlos Correa (Minnesota Twins shortstop) talks about how, early in spring training, he is more concerned about feeling out his swing and finding his timing(Video Here). Obviously, he wants to get hits, but he prioritizes getting into a good position with his swing and making hard contact over simply counting hits. I often hear Danny Pralgo say our fall season is a lot like MLB spring training, where teams come together, meet, and learn about their new teammates. The focus should be on getting work in and believing in the process as we navigate this portion of the season.
Anthony Rizzo (New York Yankees first baseman) has a great interview discussing the importance of falling in love with the process and not being overly result-driven during spring training(Video Here).Everyone knows that baseball is a challenging game filled with failure. When we are working on specific skills and just trying to regain our feel for game speed, we should not be overly concerned with results but rather stay focused on the process.
Let's embrace the journey of growth and development this fall. By shifting our focus from immediate results to the process of improvement, we can cultivate a mindset that fosters resilience and confidence. Remember, every practice and game is an opportunity to learn and refine your skills. Trust in your training, support your teammates, and take pride in your progress, no matter how small. Together, we will build a strong foundation for success, both on and off the field. Let's make this fall season one of growth, camaraderie, and enjoyment of the game we all love.