Success Does Not Come From Skills and Drills

Although strength and conditioning is my job, it is only my job.

I sometimes forget I have other, more important, advice to offer young athletes.

Advice about success, however you’d like to define it.

Getting what you want. Getting where you want to go.

 

Here’s a story that illustrates lessons far more valuable than any exercise.

I was a college ball player before I was a strength coach.

I was a pretty good hitter and held a number of school records.

Recently, I’ve watched them all be surpassed.

I’ve also watched my former team have its best seasons in school history.

 

Here’s my question.

Do you think the team had better seasons because certain players had better statistics?

Or did the players have better statistics because they had a better team?

 

Here’s my next question…we’re talkin’ baseball now..

I’m the three hitter.

What happens when the one and two hitters get on base?

The pitcher goes into the stretch.

With a man on first, I get pitches to hit.

With a man on second or third he may choose to walk me.

But who walks the three hitter to put two men on for the four hitter?

So I probably get pitches to hit.

My chances of improving my batting average just went up by, we’ll call it 66%.

See what I’m getting at?

I’m sure there are more complex sabermetrics to illustrate that I’m trying to say:

CHEER FOR YOUR TEAMMATES LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT BECAUSE I’M TELLING YOU, IT DOES.

 

Don’t cheer for your teammates just to benefit yourself.

Constantly help them. Make them better. SHOW THEM YOU APPRECIATE THEM.

Give more soft toss than you take. Everyone wins and when everyone wins opportunities grow.

From my heart, I’m telling you the one thing I regret in my life was not being a better teammate in high school and in college.

My records were team records.

 

It’s taken me 7 years and many more lessons to realize there is nothing more integral to your own personal fulfillment than helping others around you.

It is OK to be want to do really well for yourself.

It’s OK to want to be seen by college coaches.

It’s OK to want these personal things.

YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD EVERY DAY WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING,

And I’m telling you that never changes so start now.

But from the score book, to your sorority, to your career, to your partner and family,

Be a better teammate first.