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, and none on your hands?
Do you let your swagger speak louder than your play?
Do you enjoy getting 3 hits when your team loses?
Are you selfish?
Do you not realize that your selfishness hurts your team?
Does 90 feet seem so far to you?
Are you entitled to play everyday?
Do you think your scholarship guarantees you playing time?
Do people stop working when the results are not immediate?
Would I trust that you have my best interest at heart?
Did you stop believing in yourself?
Does it take hate and negative talk to motivate you?
Did you let others steal your confidence?
Did you stop playing in the 7th inning of a 9 inning game?
Do you always look at the negative?

How…
Do you work harder than anyone all the time?
Do you not stop trying to get better?
Are you so driven?
Do you stay so positive?
Does it not bother you that you went 0-4?
Do you push others do be better?
Do you have so much energy to give?
Do you have so much energy to share with others?
Did you get to the point where failure doesn’t scare you?
Do you know the right things to say at the right time?
Do you always believe you can win?
Do you make 90 feet look so short?
Do you not let the hate slow you down?

My hope is other people are asking you the question in the How section and not the Why Section.

If you are surrounded by people you always have to ask the Why questions to, you are headed for trouble, but if you have a group of people you can ask the How questions to, you have a serious chance to achieve greatness.

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?
Not let others dictate your work ethic?
Put it all on the line, when it really matters?
Respectfully call out a teammate when they need it? That is what leaders do.
Go to all your classes?
Study as hard as you practice?
Show up early?
Stay Late?
Work on the basic fundamentals for hours on end?
Miss the party?
Run even when it is raining? You are going to sweat anyway.
Take Responsibility for your actions? Not just the good ones.
Sacrifice for the team?
Play the role you are given?
Try to improve, and change your roll?
Catch every ball with two hands?
Run hard to 1st base every time?
Run out every fly ball?
Back up the plays you are supposed to?

What you are willing to do, will tell you what your goals truly are.

So if I ask you, “if you want to play college baseball” and you can’t answer yes to these questions, you might want to reconsider what you want to do.

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 baseball camp at (insert any school) it means they got a form letter that 1,000 other kids received. (Sorry to all my college coaching buddies for giving out your secret)

You should not lie about how far you made it because GOOGLE will always tell the truth.

Do not tell me you were the starting SS at school if you wereen’t, because again, GOOGLE will tell the truth.

Most kids do not truly understand what it takes to play collegiate baseball, especially at D I or D II.

Most hitting conversations are a waste of time because they are either between two people who agree and are saying the same thing, or they are between two people who have different views, and neither is willing to change. Either way, it is a complete waste of time, and nothing is learned.

Jogging to first base just proves you are a lazy cry baby.

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 some projects were simply not able to be completed. A few of them even mentioned not having enough funding to purchase the supplies the curriculum called for, let alone any extra materials. This got me thinking, and made me want to help, although I didn’t realize I had the potential to help just yet, it was just over the horizon. One day my wife (Erin) came home with a copy of the book ” Start Something That Matters”, it is the story of TOMS shoes. After reading that book, and then reading Seth Godins’ Blog, I began to realize all I had to do to make a difference was, SOMETHING.

At this point in time, I began thinking of many ways to help, and the original idea was created in the apartment of Tim and Ali Frankhouse on Front Street in Traverse City, Michigan. Ali, is a fashion designer who is working on her Masters in Merchandising and Marketing. Ali, doesn’t always say something is a bad idea, but here face sure does.

So what was the bad idea? It was an apparel company focused around long sleeve shirts with wristbandd sewn onto the sleeve with the logo on the wristband. Why? Because I thought the wristband would stand out. Ali, said I was onto something, which was a nice way of saying, try a different direction. Well, obviously I did, and thank goodness, because I think the other idea was great in concept but the market for the shirts was small…very small.

So over the course of the next few weeks, with the help of Erin, I settled on M.A.S. M.A.S. stands for Motivate and Support, this is our mission and we do it “Everyday, All Day” the support comes from the supplies we give, the Motivation comes in many different forms, but it is usually direct contact with the youth. We motivate through coaching, baseball lessons, weight lifting sessions, but mostly through positive interactions with the kids we come in contact with on a regular basis, through the indoor baseball facility. The goal is to make them understand anything is possible, and they should dream and dream big, but then put the work into their dream in order for it to become a reality. We talk about failure, and that it is always an option, but that should never scare you away from going after something.

After the concept was finished, I worked closely with a few players I used to coach at Davenport University. Derek Gentile did the design work, and Ty Beatty helped with design concepts, and getting the word out. Also, I would be an awful son if I didn’t say to this day, My mother has been the most successful salesperson and word spreader of anyone involved, and my Aunt Pat has chipped in a ton as well. So as you can see, I have a very strong team. Now that we have a team, we need a product, the only problem was, there was exactly ZERO dollars to order and print shirts. I needed help, but I didn’t want an actual loan, so I created a power point presentation and then reached out to few contacts to help me set up a meeting with a guy who had the means to get me what I needed. What did I need? 100 shirts ordered and printed with no upfront cost and 4 month terms. The meeting was set, and I presented my idea. The response was, “I think you have a lot of energy and passion for this mission, I don’t think selling shirts and a book are going to make you any money, but I believe in you, so I will give you 100 shirts with the terms you need”. He added, “You are crazy to give $5 from each shirt sale away, that is too much”. Funny thing is I still think it isn’t enough, but I simply cannot give anymore away.

VICTORY…well not yet, now I had to get the shirts, sell them, make the drops, spread the word, sell more shirts, find more classrooms, sell more books, make enough money to pay back my debt, order more shirts, sell more shirts, drop more supplies, hopefully build a website, sell more shirts. Why do I have to sell so many shirts? Because I am not going to put any money into the company, I am going to let this grow slowly and surely. I need to build a brand that people believe in, and so far I think it is working. The key is trust and honesty. People have to trust me to do what I say I am going to do with the money, and I have to be honest about where the money is going, and then deliver the supplies. So far so good, and I believe this mission is worth the time and effort, I hope you do to.
So that is the story so far, I hope it gets longer and longer, with your support.

With your support, the first order has been paid off, two classrooms were given supplies they needed and there is still money left over for more classrooms to receive help. Also, some people have sent in more money than they owe, and any extra money sent in goes to school supplies, and I mean 100% of it.

I published “Let The Kids Play” on my own, and I simply send it out via email for $5. I started the apparel company with $0 dollars, simply because I didn’t have any money to put into it. I used my resources and created it based solely on terms of payment.

M.A.S. is a for profit business that gives a portion of each sale (Not Profits) of each sale away to school supplies. The supplies are then purchased by myself, close friends, or other M.A.S. ambassadors that I trust with the money. The supplies are also delivered by us personally as well.

In case you are wondering the concept is simple, make money and give back. My goal is to eventually make a living doing something meaningful and something that truly makes a difference.

For every book sold I give $2.50 to school supplies

For every shirt purchased I give $5 to school supplies

If someone purchases a shirt and a book I give 100% of the book purchase to school supplies. That means a $30 purchase raises $10 for school supplies.

How can you get a copy of “Let The Kids Play” or buy a shirt, or better yet, both? Send me an email at:
samflamont@yahoo.com

I can’t wait to hear from you

A 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.

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 less athletic

Pitchers can catch fly balls, I have witnessed it with my own eyes

Do not yell at a pitcher for walking a hitter, Pitchers do not yell at a fielder for making an error, from a distance you both look stupid

Your teammates know if you want to be part of the team, or if you want to be the one who stands out

A good change up is the second best pitch in baseball, the best is a perfectly located fastball

The curve ball is a power pitch, or at least it should be, throw it hard

Your kid didn’t do anything wrong, he just swung and missed…so be quiet

Stop yelling “Don’t drop your back shoulder”…Why? because you sound dumb

Coaching from behind the fence usually does the exact opposite of your intended purpose

Your kids want you to watch their game…watching does not include yelling out tips, that are almost always wrong

The umpire is not blind, he is doing his best and your angle from 3rd base probably isn’t the best

The butt slap is great on the field, off the field, it can create an awkward situation, but hey that might be cool too

The Fist Bump or rocking it or pounding it, looks stupid on the field, but it is even worse to watch two middle aged men do it, in the middle of an office, on the street, insert any other location here

I love when one person wants the fist bump, the other goes for the hand shake, and then last second they both switch and you end up shaking someones fist. More reason to never use the fist bump……

More thoughts coming.

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

Buying plane tickets 2 weeks before a spring trip is a bad idea, and will result in half your team riding a bus one way, the other half flying round trip, and everyone will know you are unorganized, lazy, and over your head

Sign all the autographs people ask you to sign, because one day you will want to sign autographs and nobody will be asking

People bought a ticket to watch you play so play hard and play the whole game

Firing your best coach is never a recipe for success

The swing does not go down on the baseball

You do drop your back shoulder, its called Tilt

You do not throw your hands

90 feet isn’t that far to run, so do it

You can win with hustle

You can win with Character

Throwing equipment doesn’t mean you care, it means you are not mature enough to handle failure

If you get hit by a pitch, either charge the mound or go to first, don’t stand there and act tough

You will be faster if you remove a few of your wristbands, necklaces, and other crap

The more you talk, the more I know you either aren’t that good, or only care about yourself

Teams win championships, so you are either all in or all out, but you have to choose

You can do things your own way, but you can’t do things your own way and be part of a team

Swag is insecurity and a waste of money, if you are good, I will see you, and probably still think you are an individual, and if you stink, I will notice more, because you look like should be good. Either way, you lose.

You should catch the ball with two hands

Girls don’t like baseball players, they like good looking baseball players, and it helps if you are actually on the field.

The clubhouse is a great place to hang out…get there early.

Don’t act like your glove will be ruined if someone else puts their hand in it…it’s annoying

You didn’t strike out because a pitcher picked your bat up, and if you think you did, then you are a mental midget (mental small person)

Your last at bat doesn’t matter

1-7 with the game winning RBI is a great day because you won.

Worrying about your average will almost always make it go down.

Coaching can win games, it can also lose them

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 officer on the VA. Tech Campus

It is time to stop acting like other people do not matter, and it is time we stop sweeping our problems under the rug. Not sure I have an exact answer yet, but I know the first step is to acknowledge we need to change the way we do things, and change the way we treat people.

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 some people in the beginning, but in the long run you will be figured out, so if you want people to think of you as a genuine individual who truly cares about others, you will have to align your actions with your words.

It is a pretty simply concept, and once you are determined to be a fraud you will have little chance to earn peoples respect, because you will have lost their attention.

On the other hand, if you do not care about their opinions and you are just here to take what you can get and then get out, with no regard to positive interactions or friendships, then none of this matters anyway.

By the way, this isn’t just about people,friends, and business, this goes out to inspiring athletes. Coaches form opinions of you every time they recruit. You never get to talk to a coach when he is evaluating you, so your actions are the only thing they have to judge you on. I hope they thing you are who you think you are, but in the end you are who they say you are, and word travels fast…especially these days.

You are who they say you are, what are they saying about you?

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 are you where you are because society said it was the norm.

Graduate, go to college, get a job, a dog, a wife, or husband, have some kids, and settle into the burbs, have weekends off, and spend more time at the office then you do with your family. Buy a car, maybe a boat, work overtime to pay for it, and live life chasing a dollar but not a dream.

Or….

This is where you fill in the blank, I cannot tell you what your future looks like, unless you choose the first option.