Now that we are a few days into September most of your high school and colleges are beginning their fall programming for baseball. I am so old now that when I was in high school there was no fall baseball. We had to wait until late February or March to get on the field. However, in college we got back on the field just as soon as we got back to campus. I do know that today's college baseball there are all kinds of limitations set up for players. For example, how many hours college student athletes can spend on their craft with his team and coaches. Shoot, colleges today all they do is practice and if they are lucky they get to play in some inter-squad games. Not in my day, we had a 30 game fall schedule and traveled all over to play...it was awesome we would play 25-30 games in the fall and then 45-55 games in the spring and I loved every minute of it. However, I do remember my first couple of days at baseball practice when was still seventeen and it was a bit scary being a little fish in a much bigger pond.
This is what I was thinking about this morning. Which of course has led me to tell you all about being on the field the first time as an incoming freshman. Whether you are going to school locally or some distance from home, the first time on the baseball field with your teammates can be a little humbling. When you are a seventeen or an eighteen year old high school senior you are the big bad man on a little campus. But when you are still that same seventeen or eighteen year old college freshman on a college campus it can be a little different. No matter how good you were in high school you are now surrounded with new teammates that were all the best players at their high school. The level of college doesn't matter either...JUCO, NAIA, NCAA I, II or III. All of your new teammates are really good, and they wouldn't be there if they weren't.
There are two things that I would want to tell all of these college rookies - First, you are there because you are good enough. Your new coaches vetted you long before you got there. They are excited you are on their campus. Do not let fear creep into your brain or your game. Doubt could be your downfall. If you start doubting your ability to play it will show in your performance. Remember your skill set that got you there. Be the best you can be and whatever happens, happens. Keep reminding yourself that you have earned the right to be there, now prove it. Be on time, be ready to compete for a position, earn your spot on that roster, be that player that the coach knows will help him win. If. you can help your college coach win games then you are going to make the roster!!!
Secondly, stay humble. This is a fine line. I have told countless players that I have coached over the years to be humble. The players that seem to be the most successful are the ones that kept their heads down and their mouths shut. Do all of your talking on the field or at the plate. When I say "talking on the field" I don't mean with your mouth. I am referring to the way you play. Let your game and the way you play be your words. Remember, pride comes before the fall...so keep your mouth shut and compete your guts out. Besides nobody likes a guy that shoots his mouth off about how good he was in high school...nobody in college cares how good you were, only in how good you can be!
Probably should have posted this one back in August but this just creeped into my head this morning so I thought I would write it down. Good luck to all the incoming freshman in both high school and college...make it your best year yet.
Coach Bale
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