Anticipation

We have our first outdoor baseball practice tomorrow night.  It feels like Christmas Eve does for most people.

My son plays on a 14U travel team, his third year at the same level.  His skills have progressed a little, year by year, and I anticipate what he can do this season.  He's backing up some pretty strong talent.  He's good enough to hold his own among them.  It will be over before he wants it to end, by the first of June.  It's pretty intense until then.

I am excited for the upcoming season.  I was trying to get out of the dugout for this season and enjoy my children.  My hope was to administrate a travel softball program for my daughter's school, but the numbers were not there.  Lack of hands lead me back to the dugout for baseball.  I am so excited to see the improvement made just in the winter workouts.  I've got a group of boys who are already better ballplayers than they were when the ball dropped in Times Square.  Looking into their eyes, seeing them enjoy the game, and each other, makes the hours I spend agonizing over their play worth every minute.

I have never begged a player to work out.  At some point, it becomes the player's responsibility to work on their game, to ask for help, to try to improve.  I can tell you to do the sit-ups and push-ups, but I can't make you do them.  I will hit every ground ball and pop up you need to get ready, but I won't do them to someone who won't go field them.  I will sit on a bucket and catch every pitch you throw.  I can't will you to be better, it only comes from the sweat on your forehead, on your back, on your hands.

Northern climates are at a disadvantage for baseball.  Any player who has achieved the college level or above in an area where December, January and February are complete washouts shows a level of dedication Southern players can only dream about.  It's easy to play when it's 70 degrees and sunny: try it when it's 35 degrees and sleeting.  Sleet is better than snow.  You stay drier because the sleet bounces off; the snow melts and gets you wet.  How would I know that?

I've done it...on a golf course.  Seems I know something about getting to a higher level.

So...am I off base?