As a high school
baseball coach, I believe every player can be an “impact player”.
You may be thinking how can that be? Not everyone is an all-star.
Not everyone is an ace pitcher or a homerun hitter. That’s true.
But every player has a role. Every player contributes in some way.
Every player should have an “impact” on the team.
But
what about the “junk” players?
I know for a fact that even the weakest baseball player on the team
can positively affect teammates. While they may never get the game
winning hit or the crucial last out, they still contribute to the
team’s success. How is that? Most times their contribution
is hard work and a positive attitude. Wouldn’t you agree that
back-up players that work hard in practice push the starters in
front of them? They keep starters on their toes and keep them performing
at an optimal level. Starters can get discouraged during a game.
A positive attitude on the bench helps them bounce back faster and
get back on track mentally. A starting line-up can get deflated
and stay that way without a bench to support them and pick them
back up. That’s why I believe that every player is essential.
Everyone’s role is important and vital to the success of the
team, no matter how big or how small.
Where
do I start?
First, figure out what it is that you contribute to the team. It
doesn’t always have to be an “on the field” thing.
But before you can go any further you need to identify one way you
contribute most to your team. Once you do that, set out to be the
best on your team at that one thing. This doesn’t mean that
you slack in other areas, but make it a point to be the “team
leader” in at least this one area.
Start small
if you have to. It can be as simple as being the best in attendance
or being the best at showing up on time every day. Or you can challenge
yourself and decide you’re going to have the least strikeouts
on the team or the best on-base average. Choose something and make
it a focus when you train. Again, don’t let down in other
areas, but train to be the best at something. Then feel free to
add to it, revise it, or modify it as the season goes on. You may
find that you’re more of an “impact” player than
you thought. You may not always get your name in the paper. You
many not have DI schools knocking on your door, but your team wouldn’t
be the same without you.
Your
Choice
Just like anything else in life, you have a choice. You can choose
to be an impact player and make a difference on your team. Or you
can be the “weak link” on the team that everyone else
has to “make up” for. The choice is yours. Choose to
be an impact player.
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