It is a feeling inside your gut and chest. It is filled with nerves, excitement, past experiences, future thoughts are all bundled up in a tight knot in our stomach. The feeling can spread throughout our entire body reaching our fingertips and toes.
Our mind begins to race. Our heart rate increases.
This feeling is called competition and there is no substitute for it.
A love affair with competition drives so many athletes and coaches to keep pursuing a silly game called baseball.
People get addicted to this feeling and can’t shake it nor do they want to shake the feeling.
I recently talked to a California High School baseball coach who has won multiple titles and he stated “a love of competing is essential to a ballplayer.”
You can have all the tools in the world but without a love of competition, that athlete will never reach their full potential.
He stated “Competition means there has to be a winner and a loser. I like winning way too much to settle for the latter. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but that is why I compete.”
The realization of a concrete fact in baseball is that someone will win and someone will lose makes it simple. You will win and you will lose. But I will always compete.
Compete against fatigue – and my body telling me that I am tired.
Compete against the fear of failure. Fight against that inner feeling and overcome. Never let fear beat you.
Compete against an opponent. Give your best effort against their best effort. That feeling is irreplaceable when two people are giving their absolute best.
Win or lose, 4 for 4 or 0 for 4. Never give in and stop competing.
When you have just made an out and you feel defeated – do you compete and run hard out to your position and compete defensively?
When you make an error do you continue to compete and want the next ball hit to you?
When your team is losing by 10 runs – do you compete against your want to give and quit?
Every time you give in – your body and mind will remember.
Every time you overcome and keep competing – your body and mind will remember.
Always choose to compete. Learn to love that feeling and this game will always reward the competitor.
Until Next Time,
Chad