Beating the D1 Odds

Let me break it down for you. If a 19 year old college Sophomore who just got done having a stellar Freshman year at his D2 school wants to transfer up to the Division 1 school you’re thinking about committing to - do you think the Head Coach of that D1 program is more inclined to take the older and ALREADY proven player? With a year under his belt, an understanding of college life, and how the NCAA baseball thing works? Or the 17-18 year old High School kid who has never had any real slumps, has never been homesick before and who wears an entire stick of eye black for night games and rocks 2-3 different colors of arm sleeves depending on what the vibe is?

Please keep in mind. That the head coach of the program you are considering feeds his family based off of wins and losses - and nothing else.

Confidence isn’t something that you are born with, it’s a skill or trait that you develop. Over time, some people have confidence and some people don’t. The ones that develop that trait do so through trial and error, and doing hard shit. The ones that don’t oftentimes remain comfortable, complacent and cool just going through the motions and letting life happen to them.

You’ve chosen to play a game where if you fail 7 times out of 10 for the rest of your lives - at EVERY single level you compete at, FOREVER - you will be able to do and have everything you’ve ever wanted. Period. If anyone tells you differently, that’s because they weren’t capable or able to achieve that success. The ONLY way you’re going to be able to consistently fail 70% of the time and continue to PUSH forward is by having confidence. Confidence isn’t something you’re born with.

I got to play in a Cubs vs. White Sox game - IN Wrigley - and there wasn't 1 fan in the stands.. Wild.

Confidence is something you develop - like a swing, or a pitching motion.

-Facing adversity head on, and not running away
-Burning the ships, and going all in
-Focus on the things that are within your control
-Concentrate on what matters
-Accept the things outside of your control
-Go to battle with what you have

^ Those are the repetitions that need to be implemented, repeated, and practiced day in and day out in order to build confidence. Every single one of those bullets up above is hard. That’s what doing hard shit means. In order to develop a great swing, you need to get in the cage, on the field, break down video, go to work, build and strip it down, build it back up - and repeat. The same is said for a pitching motion. Through trial and error, and consistent dedication - you’ll be able to refine a swing or a motion that brings success.

The difference between those that are good, and those that are great.. is confidence. **Period. Being able to fail 7 times out of 10, and still have the confidence to walk to the plate, or the mound for that 11th appearance.

That’s what separates the men from the boys. The winners from the losers. The good from the great. It took me 27 years to figure that out in the game of baseball.**

Just in time.

If you aren’t where you’d like to be, or you aren’t achieving the things you know you’re supposed to be achieving either on the field OR off the field - why is that?

Confidence. Your inner voice is telling you why you can’t do this - or can’t achieve that, and because you LACK CONFIDENCE, you listen to that voice.

Stop listening to that voice. Do hard shit. Struggle. Overcome, persevere. And KEEP GOING. Whatever it is that you’re going through, or struggling to get beat - you’ll have the opportunity in 3-5 years to look back and giggle at the easiness of the problem at hand. But you can only do that if you develop confidence. A belief in yourself, a belief in your game, a belief in the work you put in.

Thanks for being here,

IM