February 2012
2 posts
4 tags
Just in case you need motivation
I know everyone is busy, but spend 7:33 watching this video and you will be happy you did.
http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/good-sports/201202/still-scarred-two-wars-american-hero-daniel-rodriquez-chases-his-football-dr
5 tags
Baseball Camps
If you are a High School or Junior College baseball player, or even a parent to a child who fits that category you should check out www.michiganprospectheadquarters.com
Michigan Prospect Headquarters puts athletes in front of college coaches, to showcase their ability and work directly with the coaches that could eventually be recruiting them.
January 2012
11 posts
4 tags
Never be lucky, be prepared
I always here people say “I would rather be lucky than good”, and I always thought those were people who do not like to compete, but instead have things handed to them.
Luck is not a chance happening, as the saying goes “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. The big difference between the two is the latter acknowledges the fact that you have to put...
I have lost, but...
I was always prepared.
my mental game was always sharp.
I gave myself the best possible chance to win.
I played every out of every game.
I was up when it mattered, and I failed.
my failure only motivated me to be better.
nobody ever worked harder than me.
If you can say all of the above, you will always be able to hold your head high. These characteristics create champions. ...
2 tags
Common Excuses
I’m tired
I can’t reach
My arm hurts
I sprained my thumb (Ronnie Lott once had a finger amputated to play in a game)
I don’t have time
My body hurts
I’m to old
I can’t wake up that early (you actually just don’t want to)
I don’t have time after work (But you have time to watch 3 hours of T.V.)
I don’t have enough money (last time I...
2 tags
Wake up and Workout: Day 1
6:00am- Wake up and get dressed (workout clothes)
6:02am- Head to the kitchen for a pre workout snack)
6:05am- Warm up for five minutes (bike or slow jog)
6:10am- Stretch your now warm muscles
6:15am- Begin your fast paced iron pumping program
*set of lunges 20 steps
*Lateral raises set of 12
*Repeat super set 3 times
*Leg Lifts
6:20am
*One leg body squat (Weight optional-set of 12-20)...
3 tags
Why do you do what you do? Is it to...
Make a million dollars?
Become well known?
Become an Icon?
Make friends?
Be the boss?
Own your own business?
Give back?
Help your community?
Make money and help at the same time?
Become a Rockstar CEO
Here is the thing, it doesn’t matter what your motives are, as long as you are honest with yourself, and most importantly, the people you are trying to connect with. If...
3 tags
"I Can't", should almost always be, "I don't want...
When people say they can’t do something, it is almost guaranteed they simply don’t want to do it. They are physically capable, they are simply not willing.
If I asked you to be a vegetarian for a year, you would say I can’t go without meat for a whole year. I would then ask,
“How do you know, have you tried it?”
You probably have not, you just are not...
3 tags
Did You.....
Go as hard as you could?
Play with passion?
Respect the game?
Respect your teammates?
Get the job done to the best of your ability?
let somebody know, good enough never really is?
Learn from a mistake?
Let one at bat be one at bat?
Play for your teammates?
Not worry about your personal numbers?
Pick up your teammate after he made an error, instead of using it as a reason you...
3 tags
Who are you? Who do your teammates think you are?
The guy who hits a line drive and gets really mad when someone catches it?
The guy who strikes out after a ten pitch at bat, and gains confidence?
The guy who quits when his team is down by 5 in the eighth?
The guy who knows he will win even when they are down 4 in the ninth?
The guy your teammates can’t stand to be around?
The guy your teammates are always trying to hang out...
3 tags
Why and How...
Why…
Not give it your best every time?
Do you make an excuse after every failure?
Has Qdoba made their burritos smaller but raised their prices?
Do people feel it is OK to give you unsolicited advice?
Do you not want to be up when the game is on the line?
Does failure scare you so bad?
Do you not realize your fears are paralyzing you?
Do you have batting gloves in your back pocket,...
3 tags
Are you willing to....
Workout when nobody is looking?
Workout when your friends are all hanging out?
Go to football or basketball practice, and get your swings, bull pen, ground balls in after?
Do one more set when you can barely walk?
Push through the pain, and pitch in the big game?
Push through the pain and pitch in a game that might end up being a big game?
Go to the cage when you would rather be sleeping?...
3 tags
I'm Just Saying...
If someone tells you they played Semi-Pro, that means they played on a summer team.
If someone says “you are Semi-Pro” they are saying, you stink.
When a kid’s Mom or Dad tells you he throws 88 it means he throws 82, it just looks faster because the people in his small town can’t catch up to that noise.
When a kid’s Mom or Dad tells you they were invited to a...
December 2011
10 posts
4 tags
School Supply Drops and the story behind them
So far M.A.S. has been able to support 2 different classrooms in two different states. How? With a book I wrote titled “Let The Kids Play” and M.A.S. Apparel.
The mission started when friends of mine were talking about all the money they spend out of pocket for their classrooms each year. Also, some mentioned they couldn’t afford to purchase certain supplies, therefore...
3 tags
WatchA young player I work with executing a really good load, and landing. He has created a ton of torque and the rotation of the body powers the swing.
One thing we will work on next week is Tilt. As you can see the shoulders are a little flat, and that hurts his swing path. All in all he has a very powerful, aggressive, and fundamentally sound swing. We will continue working.
More Thoughts
Parents are often too involved
Kids need to learn how to fail, it will make them learn how to succeed
Chewing is disgusting, so is smoking, and often people who do one complain about the other
Picking your nose is fine
Left handed pitchers are, and always will be the weirdest dudes alive, followed by the other pitchers
Pitchers are athletes, but coaches make rules that make them look...
4 tags
A collection of thoughts that were running through...
Your players see right through you, so be yourself
You have to care about your players, not how many wins they can get you.
Your swing is not level, it is on plane with the ball
You match the plane of the ball with the plane of the swing (meaning a higher pitch will have a more level swing)
Being organized removes a lot of problems you encounter
The smallest details are important
...
4 tags
When will it stop?
Its not a black thing, its not a white thing, it is a society thing, and the more we act like we do not have any problems the more problems we will have.
1 year old boy dies after being shot at the making of a rap video in Oakland, CA
A guy walks down the middle of a street in Hollywood firing at people while yelling “Kill Me”
22 year old Deans List student shoots a police...
2 tags
You are who they say you are.
The only thing that matters is how much you care about what they say. Make no mistake if everyone thinks you are a jerk, then you are. It doesn’t matter what you think, or what you say about yourself, because, you are who they say you are.
Your actions speak louder than words, so your image is perceived by others by how they see you act, not what they hear you say. Sure you can fool...
Own your dreams
I’ve set my life on an exact direction that I’ve chosen. my success, or possible failure is in my hands. Do you own your success or failure?
-Me
It’s easy to read that quote and skip right to the next, and the fact that it asks you to look introspectively makes it even easier. Step back, look at your life; are you where you are because you wanted so badly to be there? Or...
3 tags
For all you coaches
Coach with your heart, recruit character over talent, and work hard everyday to earn your players respect.
That is a recipe for success.
2 tags
Tomorrow is never the best time to start
Currently I have as much interest in writing this post as I do letting you kick me in the face…Zero.
I was going to skip it and just say who cares, I’ll write tomorrow, but then maybe I don’t and next thing you know it has been a week, month, 2 months, etc.
Point is, when you feel like sitting on your couch you are missing the best time to workout, take swings, shoot...
First list
Today I received my first wish list from a teacher. I plan on fulfilling the list this weekend and deliver the supplies next week.
This is the culmination of the mission. Buying supplies is a major reason I started M.A.S. and now I am fulfilling the mission. I am not finished as my goal is to purchase supplies for teachers all over Michigan, and then all over the country.
Thanks to all of...
November 2011
9 posts
4 tags
4 tags
Live your mission and you will never fail
Recently I have received phone calls and emails from former players, and they made me realize I had accomplished what I set out to accomplish as a coach. I wanted to make a difference, I wanted to help the kids I coached become better people. I once said in an interview for a coaching job that I would rather be .500 with a bunch of players who were good people and wanted to do something with...
3 tags
You played pro ball? Who cares?
As a coach, it is great that you played pro ball, or is it? Well that depends on many different factors, but the first factor is, how you handle it.
If you think playing pro ball means everything you say is 100% right, then you are destined to fail. If you think people should just follow you blindly, and then you get upset when they don’t, you have no chance.
Playing pro ball is a...
3 tags
Can You Walk the Walk?
You can look at a swing and see that something looks wrong, you may be able to say what exactly is wrong, you know that a 1-2 count is a good running count, you know that when the game is tied and there is a man on second with nobody out, and you are the home team you should bunt with your 8 hole hitter, you can argue your point about why the 1st pitch is the best pitch to squeeze. You know all...
5 tags
Swagger vs Swag
Jordan Bigger; a former player of mine, called me out on my post about Swag and how I am sick of it. At first I thought, how stupid, doesn’t he get it. Then my coaching instincts kicked in, and I realized that it was my fault.
It was my fault, because I failed to clearly explain what I was saying. This happens a lot with coaches, but most coaches just say the same thing again, simply...
Swag doesn't win games
I’m sick and tired of hearing about Swag.
Swag is for personal style, off the field, it has no place on the field. All it does is show how much of an individual you are.
People tape their wrist (which provides zero support), put three wrist bands on, or have batting gloves in their back pocket while they hit. Selfish people care about this crap, and if that is you, I am sorry for your...
2 tags
I'm Going To The Gym!!!
This is how people should say it, but all to often they ask,
“Do you want to go to the gym”?
When the response comes back “No” or not right now, people often just sit around and end up not going. This is what happens if you lack self motivation. Instead of asking your friend first, just say
“I’m going to the gym, you want to go” or better yet...
5 tags
Goals or Results?
Are you setting goals or setting results? Not sure?
Results are number oriented such as I want to hit .380. Hitting .380 is a result and if you just say I want to hit .380 you might as well just start making all sorts of claims and see if they happen.
Goals, are what get you to the result. What are you going to do to hit .380 is the goal? When you set goals like this, you will be able...
3 tags
All in or all out, i'm not a salesman
I hear a lot of coaches talking about their players buying in, or getting their players to buy in to a system. I am not a big fan of this phrase, because it means they are trying to get kids on board with something and they have to really sell the kids. If a coach, or manager, is able to connect with their players and make a few tough decisions they will have no problem getting their players...
October 2011
34 posts
Were you prepared?
That is what matters. Did you give yourself a chance to win or did you set yourself up for the loss by doing nothing to prepare?
I am a firm believer in the fact that you can never have too much information, it just comes down to how you use it.
If you go the extra mile to prepare, when game day comes you will have a plan, and now how well you execute that plan will determine whether or not...
They have to like you, they really do
The old saying in coaching goes, I don’t care if my players like me, as long as they respect me. That was great when everyone respected authority or their elders simply because they were authority or their elders. You can make any judgment on society you want, but today people want to know why, and they have to like you and the answer before they will give you any respect. They also have...
3 tags
But we are winning every game
The first part of the conversation goes like this: I’m like 2 for my last 20. This is selfish, this is inexcusable, and if a player ever gripes about how bad they are doing, I would remove them, and say thanks for reminding me.
If you are not getting credit, or not performing up to your standards but the team or the organization is winning, Shut Up. When you are part of a team or an...
2 tags
I motivate me
Do you motivate you, or do you need someone else to do it? What are you doing when the Stadium is empty, when the weight room is dark and you are the only one there? What are you doing when everyone else is sleeping, playing video games, hanging out with their friends eating junk food and gossiping?
Are you right there with them? or are you taking advantage of the opportunity to get better,...
3 tags
Three types of people and only one matters
When it comes to your idea, business, or service, there are three types of people you will encounter, and the good part is only 1 type matters.
People who do not like your idea (Non-Customers)
People who think it is a good idea but will not use it (Non-Customers)
People who like it, will use it, and will pay for it (and their friends who haven’t heard yet) (Customers)
A lot of...
4 tags
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What an awful interview question. This is the question I dread whenever I am in an interview, and one I will never ask when I am the interviewer. I dread this question because I have to lie, or spin something into something it isn’t, so in one interview I decided I had had enough, and I was going to tell the truth.
“Sam, what are your weaknesses”? Boom, there it is, I knew...
3 tags
Backing up bases and your business
Too often when you watch a baseball game, if you really pay attention like I do you see that most players never back up a base. The thing about backing up a base is that nobody notices until there is an over throw and you are standing in right field blowing kisses to your girlfriend.
Backing up a base is a thankless job, it is boring, repetitive, and most of the time unnecessary except it is...
4 tags
Ask Yourself Why
Why are you doing what you are doing? This is a very simple question to answer, and only you know the true answer.
Are you doing what you are doing to make money, raise money, because you are passionate about a cause, you love the work you do, it gives your life meaning, or any other reason you can come up with?
Here is the deal, any of those answers are acceptable, as long as you are being...
Go Make a Difference
that is my message for today, so instead of writing a long post that will take up your time, today I am simply asking you to:
go make a difference.
I don’t know how you plan on doing it, or what is the best fit for you, or even your first step, but I bet if you just start doing something you truly care about, you will find out all of the above.
go make a difference, if you do we will...
2 tags
When are you successful?
This is a question that can only be answered by your expectations. Some people are successful as soon as they get drafted. These people get drafted, get the big contract and they consider themselves successful. Others are successful, when they get the big check, rent out the VIP and throw the party. Then again some people are successful after a good year. You set goals, you reached all of...
It is a new day, are you ready?
If you have occupied a position for a long time or came up through the system with the old school
philosophies, you may find it is difficult to apply those same practices you are used to using on your new, younger employees or players.
This is because times and people have changed. Although there my be a few new employees or players with the old school frame of mind, you may be finding that...
4 tags
Try something different
Lets say you have an idea, and you want to get your idea out but you do not know how. Or worse yet, you know how, but can’t figure out who to get your idea out to. All you want to do is ship, and you feel stranded.
The good thing is, in today’s world that is no longer an issue. If you want to ship, you can. There are way too many avenues, and way too much information on every...
3 tags
Be the cleanup hitter for your business
There are times in every business when it really has to send home a project, they have to nail a presentation, or have you to run a meeting that moves flawlessly. Who do they turn to when that happens? If its you, then are your businesses cleanup hitter. The cleanup hitter is the one who drives in the runs, they are the one you hope is up when you need to knock it out of the park.
You...
8 tags
Character, work ethic, talent: Long Term Thinking
These qualities go way beyond a baseball field or athletic venue, and may just help you pick the right people for your business.
My buddy Mike Spiegel always says “Play your best 9, not your 9 Best” It took me a while to understand that but I get it, Do you?
As a coach my job is to win baseball games, but as a person I feel it is equally, if not more important to win ball games with...
Hustle and Mindset
The expectation of each member of the team is absolute hustle. Hustle is something everyone is capable of and it is the minimum requirement for every single member of the team. To hustle means you sprint out every ground ball, you touch second base on every fly ball, and you sprint on and off the field between innings. As a team we will be better due to hustle. This will be...
2 tags
Quality at bat a learning experience
Anatomy of a Quality At Bat
Why keep track of quality at bats?
We keep track of quality at bats because they are a better predictor of performance than batting average. Quality at bats are at bats that do not always result in hits, but instead are at bats that will result in positive outcomes for the team and the individual in the long run.
What do quality at bats mean?
Quality at bats mean...
3 tags
If nobody said thank you would you...
never hold a door open, never give to charity, never help an old person across the street, never volunteer, never give someone a ride, never give your seat up to a pregnant lady on a bus, would you quit helping people?
If you answered yes, then you are helping for the wrong reasons.
If you answered yes, you are doing it for you, for the thanks, for the recognition, so people know you helped...
2 tags
What if...
The jobs that we are losing never come back? What if they do come back but the pay is much less? What if, when you tried to pick yourself up by the bootstraps, they broke?
What if, is quickly becoming, what is, and people everywhere need a job, need money, need food, and need clothes.
What if we all helped each other?
Not Utopia, not a world where everything is great, not socialism, communism...