• You may find this applies to more than just baseball, or sports in general.  If you don’t then I missed by a longshot.

Mental Game

By Sam Flamont

Inspired by Andy McKay

Prepare yourself for success:  Mental preparation is a key factor in the success of athletic performance, and if a player fully understands how to prepare mentally they will be better.  The strongest thought a player can have is “I am great”.  If a player truly believes he is great and has put the work in to be great, then the thought process is valid.  Only the player himself truly knows whether or not his thought process is valid because he is the one that is putting the work in.  If you believe you are great and you have worked hard to be great, you should be prepared to face the challenge in front of you and be able to live with the outcome. 

The hardest part for any athlete is living with a negative outcome when they have put hours, days, weeks, months or years into the process.  The mentally prepared athlete understands two things; one they have worked hard and have prepared themselves for success and two, their opponent has done the exact same thing.  The athlete that recognizes the fact their opponent wants to win as much as they do is an athlete who is prepared to compete.  The thought process must be “let’s go, I am prepared and ready to play and you are going to have to beat me today.  I am going to play the entire game and leave everything on the field.  I will play until the last out is recorded and I will live with whatever comes my way.  I am ready to go, so let’s go”.  Being able to live with the results is a tough task for many athletes because they view a loss as failure, when instead a loss should be viewed as a chance to learn and assess the process.  If the process is good and the athlete is prepared then they were simply beaten that day.  Getting beat is acceptable, it is not fun or even enjoyable, but it is acceptable because the athlete gave everything they had, it just so happened that on this day someone else came out on top.  If the athlete has the ability to understand this and go back to work and stick to the process they will be better in the long run. 

Due to its success rate, baseball is a game that will make you question yourself and your ability on a regular basis.  It is because of the low success rate, a strong mental game is extremely important in keeping one’s head up.  Baseball is a game in which good hitters get a hit three out of ten times, which means they get out seventy percent of the time they go to the plate.  The simple thought of the success to failure ratio is enough to make some people quit, but the mentally tough athlete and the competitive athlete look that challenge square in the face and say; “here I am, you are going to have to stop me”.  Although the athlete knows the odds are against him, he is ready, willing and looking forward to the challenge of beating the odds, because he knows one thing; he is prepared.  Being prepared is half the battle, as we discussed above being able to handle the results is a completely different issue.  The player who takes this mind set into each at bat is one that is dangerous because he does not care about the odds or percentages; all he cares about is the challenge that is looking him right in the eyes.  This athlete has the special ability to separate each at bat, ground ball, stolen base, etc. from the others.  This ability means he never carries one bad result to the next; therefore he is always focused on the task that lies directly in front of him. 

Random preparation creates random performance:  If an athlete wants to be great they have to put the time in.  If you take five ground balls a day you will not be prepared when game time comes around because you have not worked on your craft.  One of the most important things an athlete can do is create a process.  We talked about sticking to, and believing in the process above, but what is a process? And how does an athlete go about creating a process? 

            A process is something an athlete does to prepare themselves for competition.  For example a pitcher may throw long Monday and Tuesday, throw a bull pen on Wednesday, throw a set distance on Thursday and pitch in a game on Friday.  Immediately after their outing they go on a thirty minute run, and then do a flush routine the following day.  Also, this process may include weight training sessions, conditioning, and mental preparation through scouting reports and conversations with the pitching coach.  Whatever an athlete does to prepare for competition is the process, and a random process does not exist because a process is something that is strict and regimented.  A process will completely erase the chance of randomness.  And if you erase random from your preparation you will greatly decrease the chance of random from your performance.  An athlete, who fully understands competition, understands that some days will be better than others for reasons we would all love to be able to understand and explain.  This particular athlete knows they were prepared and things did not go their way, and this particular athlete simply gets back to their routine and sticks to the process, because it is a process that has been successful over the course of time, not just one performance here and there.  Sticking to the process means you get back to work, you do not reinvent your routine when you lose, or slack when you win, you prepare yourself the exact same way all the time. 

            How does an athlete create a process?  This is different for all athletes depending on their experience, the coaching they have had, and their personality.  Some athletes are given their routine by a coach.  The coach says here is how we do things and this is how you as a part of this team will prepare.  Some coaches have a regimented throwing and conditioning routine, but allow players to put their own personality into the routine, meaning they will allow the player flexibility of when the process takes place or even what order it takes place in, but all the bases must be covered.  All teams have a regimented batting practice routine, but some hitters have some specific drills they work on off the tee before batting practice starts.  This is how a coach’s routine and a player’s routine mesh and create a process.  Some players over the course of time have eliminated certain aspects of their routine for different reasons; be it the conditioning is becoming too taxing as they are getting older, or the throwing routine was not enough, so they added more distance in order to create more arm strength.  A routine and a process are interchangeable terms and the only reason a routine would ever change is if something was added to make the player better or something was taken out to give the player more rest.  It is important to understand that changing a process is a big deal and is not something that should be done on a regular basis.  The whole idea of a process or a routine means you cannot change it all the time, and by doing so you eliminate the process and create random.  Figure out how to prepare yourself, put together your process and stick to it, doing this will give you the best results in the long run.

Get to vs. Have to

            The “get to” mentality is one that will make you happy to be where you are at, and it shows you have an appreciation for your situation.  The “have to” mentality is a weakness and it shows you do not love what you are doing, and you would actually prefer to be doing something else.  I get to go to the ball game tonight or, I have to go to work. 

            The athlete with the “get to” mentality looks at each opportunity to practice as a blessing.  This athlete is excited to work out, condition, take ground balls, throw a bull pen, clean up the field after a game; and they are excited because they understand that other people would love to have the opportunity to do those things but they do not get to.  When you understand that you get to go to practice, you get to run sprints with your team, and you get to rake home plate after the game, you have become an athlete that fully appreciates what they have and one that will not let a day go by without getting better.  Teams win with players like this, and coaches are always looking for this particular player.  The get to athlete is an athlete that will succeed in the classroom as well as on the field because they understand there are two parts to being a student athlete and they are not going to cheat themselves at either.  It sounds cheesy and it may seem stupid to some, but simply changing how you approach a situation mentally can completely change the experience you have in that situation.  Everything you do whether it be play a sport, go to work, pay a bill, pump gas, you must understand you “get to “do those things.  If you have to go practice you will not truly make the most of your opportunity because you are viewing it as something that is getting in the way of another thing you want to do.  Remember, there are millions of kids who would love the opportunity to “get to” go to practice but for some reason or another they “have to” do something else.  Look at your situation as a positive and make the most out of everything you do by understanding you “get to” be here for another day. 

Four Questions You Need to Answer

            Below are four questions that every athlete should ask themselves on a regular basis.  The answers to these questions may determine how bad you really want to win, or how bad you really want to play.  Also, the answers will make you more aware of your current situation and give you a better since of urgency and appreciation the opportunity you have.  Take some time and really think about these questions and once you have thought about them put your answers down on paper so you will have a constant reminder of why you play so hard. 

            The last question asks did you make it personal today?  This question relates directly to your opponent, and it wants to know what edge you gave yourself on this particular day.  Maybe it is a huge rival, but maybe it is a game that means very little in the standings.  The rivalry game has many reasons to be personal and you will not have to search very hard for motivation, but when the game means very little it is tougher to get up for it, so you have to find a way to make it personal between you and your opponent; Did you do that today?

What have you sacrificed to be here?

Do you have anything to be afraid of?

What are you going to miss the most when you are done playing?

Did you make it personal today?

Mental Game

Prepare yourself for success:  Mental preparation is a key factor in the success of athletic performance, and if a player fully understands how to prepare mentally they will be better.  The strongest thought a player can have is “I am great”.  If a player truly believes he is great and has put the work in to be great, then the thought process is valid.  Only the player himself truly knows whether or not his thought process is valid because he is the one that is putting the work in.  If you believe you are great and you have worked hard to be great, you should be prepared to face the challenge in front of you and be able to live with the outcome. 

The hardest part for any athlete is living with a negative outcome when they have put hours, days, weeks, months or years into the process.  The mentally prepared athlete understands two things; one they have worked hard and have prepared themselves for success and two, their opponent has done the exact same thing.  The athlete that recognizes the fact their opponent wants to win as much as they do is an athlete who is prepared to compete.  The thought process must be “let’s go, I am prepared and ready to play and you are going to have to beat me today.  I am going to play the entire game and leave everything on the field.  I will play until the last out is recorded and I will live with whatever comes my way.  I am ready to go, so let’s go”.  Being able to live with the results is a tough task for many athletes because they view a loss as failure, when instead a loss should be viewed as a chance to learn and assess the process.  If the process is good and the athlete is prepared then they were simply beaten that day.  Getting beat is acceptable, it is not fun or even enjoyable, but it is acceptable because the athlete gave everything they had, it just so happened that on this day someone else came out on top.  If the athlete has the ability to understand this and go back to work and stick to the process they will be better in the long run. 

Due to its success rate baseball is a game that will make you question yourself and your ability on a regular basis.  It is because of the low success rate a strong mental game is extremely important in keeping one’s head up.  Baseball is a game in which good hitters get a hit three out of ten times, which means they get out seventy percent of the time they go to the plate.  The simple thought of the success to failure ratio is enough to make some people quit, but the mentally tough athlete and the competitive athlete look that challenge square in the face and say; “here I am, you are going to have to stop me”.  Although the athlete knows the odds are against him, he is ready, willing and looking forward to the challenge of beating the odds, because he knows one thing; he is prepared.  Being prepared is half the battle, as we discussed above being able to handle the results is a completely different issue.  The player who takes this mind set into each at bat is one that is dangerous because he does not care about the odds or percentages; all he cares about is the challenge that is looking him right in the eyes.  This athlete has the special ability to separate each at bat, ground ball, stolen base, etc. from the others.  This ability means he never carries one bad result to the next; therefore he is always focused on the task that lies directly in front of him. 

Random preparation creates random performance:  If an athlete wants to be great they have to put the time in.  If you take five ground balls a day you will not be prepared when game time comes around because you have not worked on your craft.  One of the most important things an athlete can do is create a process.  We talked about sticking to, and believing in the process above, but what is a process? And how does an athlete go about creating a process? 

            A process is something an athlete does to prepare themselves for competition.  For example a pitcher may throw long Monday and Tuesday, throw a bull pen on Wednesday, throw a set distance on Thursday and pitch in a game on Friday.  Immediately after their outing they go on a thirty minute run, and then do a flush routine the following day.  Also, this process may include weight training sessions, conditioning, and mental preparation through scouting reports and conversations with the pitching coach.  Whatever an athlete does to prepare for competition is the process, and a random process does not exist because a process is something that is strict and regimented.  A process will completely erase the chance of randomness.  And if you erase random from your preparation you will greatly decrease the chance of random from your performance.  An athlete, who fully understands competition, understands that some days will be better than others for reason we would all love to be able to understand and explain.  This particular athlete knows they were prepared and things did not go their way, and this particular athlete simply gets back to their routine and sticks to the process, because it is a process that has been successful over the course of time, not just one performance here and there.  Sticking to the process means you get back to work, you do not reinvent your routine when you lose, or slack when you win, you prepare yourself the exact same way all the time. 

            How does an athlete create a process?  This is different for all athletes depending on their experience, the coaching they have had, and their personality.  Some athletes are given their routine by a coach.  The coach says here is how we do things and this is how you as a part of this team will prepare.  Some coaches have a regimented throwing and conditioning routine, but allow players to put their own personality into the routine, meaning they will allow the player flexibility of when the process takes place or even what order it takes place in, but all the bases must be covered.  All teams have a regimented batting practice routine, but some hitters have some specific drills they work on off the tee before batting practice starts.  This is how a coach’s routine and a player’s routine mesh and create a process.  Some players over the course of time have eliminated certain aspects of their routine for different reasons; be it the conditioning is becoming too taxing as they are getting older, or the throwing routine was not enough so they added more distance in order to create more arm strength.  A routine and a process are interchangeable terms and the only reason a routine would ever change is if something was added to make the player better or something was taken out to give the player more rest.  It is important to understand that changing a process is a big deal and is not something that should be done on a regular basis.  The whole idea of a process or a routine means you cannot change it all the time, and by doing so you eliminate the process and create random.  Figure out how to prepare yourself, put together your process and stick to it, doing this will give you the best results in the long run.

Get to vs. Have to

            The “get to” mentality is one that will make you happy to be where you are at, and it shows you have an appreciation for your situation.  The “have to” mentality is a weakness and it shows you do not love what you are doing, and you would actually prefer to be doing something else. 

            The athlete with the “get to” mentality looks at each opportunity to practice as a blessing.  This athlete is excited to work out, condition, take ground balls, throw a bull pen, clean up the field after a game; and they are excited because they understand that other people would love to have the opportunity to do those things but they do not get to.  When you understand that you get to go to practice, you get to run sprints with your team, and you get to rake home plate after the game you have become an athlete that fully appreciates what they have and one that will not let a day go by without getting better.  Teams win with players like this, and coaches are always looking for this particular player.  The get to athlete is an athlete that will succeed in the classroom as well as on the field because they understand there are two parts to being a student athlete and they are not going to cheat themselves at either.  It sounds cheesy and it may seem stupid to some, but simply changing how you approach a situation mentally can completely change the experience you have in that situation.  Everything you do whether it be play a sport, go to work, pay a bill, pump gas, you must understand you “get to “do those things.  If you have to go practice you will not truly make the most of your opportunity because you are viewing it as something that is getting in the way of another thing you want to do.  Remember, there are millions of kids who would love the opportunity to “get to” go to practice but for some reason or another they “have to” do something else.  Look at your situation as a positive and make the most out of everything you do by understanding you “get to” be here for another day. 

Four Questions You Need to Answer

            Below are four questions that every athlete should ask themselves on a regular basis.  The answers to these questions may determine how bad you really want to win, or how bad you really want to play.  Also, the answers will make you more aware of your current situation and give you a better since of urgency and appreciation the opportunity you have.  Take some time and really think about these questions and once you have thought about them put your answers down on paper so you will have a constant reminder of why you play so hard. 

            The last question asks did you make it personal today.  This question relates directly to your opponent, and it wants do know what edge you gave yourself on this particular day.  Maybe it is a huge rival, but maybe it is a game that means very little in the standings.  The rivalry game has many reasons to be personal and you will not have to search very hard for motivation, but when the game means very little it is tougher to get up for it, so you have to find a way to make it personal between you and your opponent; Did you do that today?

What have you sacrificed to be here?

Do you have anything to be afraid of?

What are you going to miss the most when you are done playing?

Did you make it personal today?

I would like to cite Andy McKay from Sacramento City College, he was a major influence on this post, and the last four questions are directly from a presentation he gave.  If you do not know who he is you should Google him.  I have never actually met him but he has influenced me as a coach.