So today I was asked to give a talk to a baseball team about what winning means to me.
The problem is, this was the young kids' first exposure to BALL, and the manager was new to coaching young kids. Oh, and they have a record of 2-6 and are probably out of the league's playoff picture, even if they win the rest of their games.
The time to condition the kids to the ups and downs of the season should be the preseason. That way, you can manage expectations as the season unfolds.
Success is the peace of mind in knowing you did your best sounds good, but when your team is in the middle of a losing season, sometimes those words ring hollow to the kids...and the parents.
So the conclusion I came to was to repeat something one of my coaches taught me - namely, keep your focus. You are only as good as your next play. And as long as the batter is still in the box, you've still got a shot at success.
This fits perfectly into Wooden's task-based approach to coaching. Focus on the task at-hand, and let the rest take care of itself.
And that flows into another logical Wooden Maxim...Make each day your masterpiece. Then, as we say in marketing and sales, break it down to the ridiculous.
Make each day your masterpiece.
Make each game your masterpiece.
Make each inning your masterpiece.
Make each play your masterpiece.
Make each pitch your masterpiece.
And if the ball still doesn't bounce your way, then focus on the next pitch. What's done is...well...done.
As Wooden says: Don't let what you can't do dictate what you can do.
You're only as good as your next play...
Ted
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