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.

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 quality individuals who want to graduate and do something productive with their lives.  All too often academics are sacrificed for the opportunity to get really good players.  When this happens, not only do the baseball program and the athlete suffer when he is ineligible, the school also loses if the kid decides he is not going to graduate.  Lip service is often given to the term student athlete, but it needs to become a priority because it is a complete disservice to the players we coach if we allow them to fail or finish their eligibility and not graduate. 

The only person that benefits from the above situation is the head coach, because he has used this player to get him some wins and help boost his stock as a coach, but he forgot the commitment he made to the player when he offered him the opportunity to further his education while playing baseball.

As a coach I am looking for kids who have character, work ethic, and talent, and I am looking for those attributes in that order.  When you get kids like this, they will give everything they have to the team, and you will not have to worry about them failing classes because they are people who have goals and want to grow up to be something.  These players understand the importance of hard work and education, and will only learn more about their importance over the four year period they will be with my staff and I. 

Championships are won with players like this, and programs are built to last when a team has players that fit this mold.  I will never sacrifice character and work ethic for talent because there is only a small possibility for short term success and strong possibility for short term and long term failure.