Mental Toughness

Reb’s baseball season was scheduled to start last Monday but was postponed due to rain.  The game was been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2013 but was rained out again after only 2 complete innings.  The game will be rescheduled.

This will be the first major test for Reb and the Morgantown Angels.  We expect to be strong this year in our pitching and defense.  Still remains to be seen if we can score runs.  However, we can have our share of defensive difficulties.  We go through periods of mental lapses that result in errors and to make matters worse it is contagious. 

The two innings of action against Edinburgh showed we still have a lot of work to do.  Much of it has to do with mental toughness.  We have a lot of talent though still very raw in many cases.  Still yet, we are not a very mentally tough team.

Teaching 11 and 12 year old boys to be mentally tough is not a major focus in modern America.  This is the fault of parents who have become so overprotective.

Today there are kids wearing face masks both in batting and fielding.  While I see the potential benefits of it at the 4-6 age range it becomes detrimental real quick.  These kids end up lacking toughness and confidence, yet possess fear and play timid.

Professional ballplayer and founder of Pro Baseball Insider, Doug Bernier, said concerning mental toughness:

“It’s never too early to start working on your mental toughness in baseball.  This is something I wish I would have made a priority when I signed my first professional contract in 2002.  Even though the Colorado Rockies had a mental skills coach, I didn’t give it the same attention I gave to hitting, fielding, or throwing.  This is another aspect of your game that is just as important as everything you do to physically prepare.”

The problem is that many people think they can just start working on it at any given time.  He states that he should have began working on it in 2002.  The problem is that he did not just starting working on his throwing, fielding, or batting in 2002.  He has been working on these things his whole life.  Mental toughness is the same way.  Sure, we can increase our mental toughness at later stages of life but it is part of life and the game of baseball that takes knowledge and practice.

Basketball coach Bob Knight has said, ““Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one.”

Mental preparation must become an emphasis among our youth for life and sports.  This is the reason the Marine Corps places such an emphasis on it.  They know that they can take mediocre talent and produce winners.

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind…” -1 Peter 1:13

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7

“And be renewed in the spirit of your mind...” -Ephesians 4:23

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” -1 Corinthians 16:13