Commitment:
The word commitment is thrown around quite often in the sport’s world.
Often announcers, coaches, teachers, and even parents throw around the word commitment in very broad terms. Commitment is an essential part of success in every aspect of life.
But too often, commitment is misinterpreted. As a baseball player, players need to be committed to the moment not just the end result.
When a sign is given by a coach to execute a sacrifice bunt, a hit and run, a bunt defense, a particular pitch, a hitting plan, athletes need to commit to that moment and that fundamental.
Whether a player agrees with the call or does not, a player’s job or role is to commit to that moment and execute that fundamental with 100% commitment.
Executing a fundamental baseball technique is difficult and often impossible if the player gets into the middle of the play without the full commitment to the play.
- Offensively: Never get into the batter’s box until they are 100% sure of the coaches sign. It is nearly impossible to execute the fundamental technique if a player is unsure of the sign.
Always – I mean always get the sign first before digging into the batter’s box and going through your pre-pitch routine.
Secondly, see yourself succeeding the called play. Professional golfers often state that they visualize the proper shot three to four times before they address the ball. See yourself succeeding!! Never failing!
Third, execute the fundamental. If you have practiced success with an attention to detail, success is often attainable.
- Defensively: Always know the outs, situation of the game and your responsibility on each play. These three checkmarks occur between each pitch.
Secondly, when the pitch is delivered – go through your fundamental pre-pitch routine trusting your footwork
Thirdly, execute the fundamental play. If a player is committed to the play then the athlete’s athletic ability can take over.
- Base running: Never take your lead until you are 100% sure of the called play.
Secondly, know the situation, and your responsibility before each play.
Thirdly, if you did your homework before the pitch then you can be completely committed when reacting to the ball put into play.
- Pitching: Always be committed 100% to the pitch called. Throwing a particular pitch in a particular spot is a difficult task. This task becomes nearly impossible if the player second guesses. Know the pitch – see yourself succeeding – take a deep breath and execute the pitch.
- On the bench: Commit yourself to every pitch for your teammates. A baseball game is made up of hundreds of individual pitches. A baseball player needs to commit just to that one pitch moment and then move on to that next moment.
If a player can commit to the moment, the call, and the fundamental then a player’s success is heightened and fear of failure decreases.
Commitment is essential
Until Next Time,
Chad