Baseball AcademicsPHYSICAL CONDITIONING
BY RICHARD PACE
In order to be in the best possible physical condition to play winning ball, a player must maintain good habits. These habits may change slightly as he matures, requiring less sleep, changes in diet and as he is able, gradually assume responsibility for his own health. No one can prevent a player from forming good habits, and from keeping them, but himself.
I have played semi-pro baseball with players who were 10 years younger than I was. You would first assume the younger ball player is in better physical condition. Not true. Age does not limit your ability to maintain good physical health, what limits good physical condition is complacency. On those days when we played a double header in 100 degree temperatures, it was very evident who was neglecting their work outs. The inverse also can occur. Often a player hurts his chances of making a career of organized ball by getting too carried away while training. A good baseball player cannot be muscle bound, and too much weight lifting will do just that. It is necessary though, to develop and maintain a strong but flexible upper body, core and legs. Proper conditioning will accomplish this.
DEDICATION
A dedicated practiced player is a good player. There’s much truth in that old saying, “practice makes perfect.” Repetition of drills coupled with concentration will give you that edge in the game. One will never become a perfect player, never making an error. That is too much to expect of any human being- but amazingly, I know some pitchers who would disagree with that……..But a player’s degree of proficiency will increase the more he or she practices. Subsequently confidence and competency builds. Without having confidence in yourself all your great physical ability and talent becomes severely compromised. The package is not complete. The great ball players of our time have that mental toughness. It is the key ingredient of the exceptional ball player. Perseverance and poise further define the good ball player. A player who recognizes his weakness, does not worry about it, but practices until he has corrected it, is one who will succeed. Poise is a quiet confidence in one’s ability, and it comes with experience and time.
THE TEAM PLAYER
Baseball is a team game, and it takes cooperation and selflessness to win ball games. This does not mean team play only, but cooperation between player and management also. The player must have a desire to learn and be able to take instruction from his coach- no matter what the age group of baseball. I have coached for 18 years. During that time period I have coached Little League, High school, Jr. College, Semi Pro and Men’s Senior Baseball and umpired as well. And consistently there are always those few players who always know better then the coach. When ever a player feels that he knows all there is to know about this game of baseball, he is in trouble. A self approving attitude is destructive not constructive to a ball club. Your ability may be exceptional but if you do not assume some responsibility for your teammates and coach you end up as a player with a bad reputation and one who bounces from one team to the next. It’s not a good sign when you have a seemingly endless supply of a variety of uniforms in your closet. Cooperation and loyalty are important traits of a team player. Fortunately the percentage of uncooperative players on any team is small. I made the observation that typically at the end of the season or the following season those “bad seeds’ revealed their true identity. The old saying goes “Familiarity breeds Contempt”. This is true for ball players of poor character. I have noticed that the balance of the team typically steps up and convinces the disruptive ball player to “get in line.” It would be wise for the coach not to ask the problem ball player back for the next season. If he does he has only himself to blame.
FOCUS AND CONTROL
The improving player is not satisfied with his current ability. I personally still am not. I worked constantly on improving my game from Little League to High School to College to Semi Pro to Men’s Senior Baseball. When you have achieved in making a difference on a team, you are on your way. Some players are very fortunate and have great natural talent. Their skills are naturally sharpened with out much effort. Unfortunately that is not the norm. I sought to always improve my game and keep my place in the line up. You always want to become more skillful in the various skills of the game; hitting , fielding, bunting, sliding, stealing, making the double play, getting the jump on fly balls, knowing the strike zone, hitting to the opposite field, and so on. By focusing on improvement and not settling for mediocrity you will always achieve a level of success to build upon.
The desire to improve upon your game denotes a good competitor but you must also be able to take victory and defeat in stride. Some players become unruly when the game is not going well. They allow their emotions to take control. Don’t allow this to happen. Stay cool under fire, stay in control and remain focused. Becoming emotional profits no one. Your opponent is the only one who gains from your lack of control. They will take advantage of this if they are smart. This goes for coaches as well. Have you ever seen Joe Torre former Manager of the Yankees and now for the Dodgers lose control?
SUMMARY OF PLAYER ATTRIBUTES
The following are important attributes of a successful baseball player: aggressiveness, alertness, ambition, attitude, courage, cooperation, loyalty, desire to win, good habits, hustle, knowledge of the game, perseverance and poise. Underlying these characteristics is confidence in your self.
