By Ethan Guevin
Have you caught yourself wondering what your coach thinks of you? Do you worry that your coach likes someone else at your position or is doing what he can to keep you out of the line-up? If you are distracted by thoughts like these, you are headed for trouble. In this article, we share 5 reasons why this kind of thinking will only make things worse.
Reason #1—Worrying about something you have no control over will not change anything.
You have no direct control over your coach’s thoughts and beliefs, but you can give him plenty of reasons to think positively about you. Place all your energy into what you can control—your effort, your knowledge of the game, and your attitude.
Reason #2— Being distracted can affect your performance.
Baseball is a game that requires a lot of focus and attention to detail. If your head is elsewhere (like worrying about what your coach thinks), it will be hard to stay a step ahead of the game and maintain the focus required to get better at practice. Practicing with your thoughts elsewhere is not going to help you improve on your weaknesses and will probably lead to mental mistakes.
Reason #3—Negativity breeds failure.
Baseball is a difficult game. Experts have shown that positive thinking is a major contributor to success. On the other hand, negative thinking limits your ability to see solutions to problems that come up. If you focus on your disappointment that your coach seems to want you on the bench, your attention is not on learning what you need to do to win a spot in the line-up, and there is a good chance you will end up on the bench.
Reason #4—Blaming others for problems makes it harder for you to take control.
If you decide to blame your coach for your lack of playing time, you are giving up on yourself. What dictates playing time most of all is talent. What are you already good at? What skills do you need to improve? Take control of your improvement. Work hard until you know that you can help your team to win. That’s the best way to get more playing time.
Reason #5—Blaming is a bad way to deal with conflict.
When you disagree with someone on something that is important (i.e. playing time), it is a natural response to get mad at that person, at least at first. But you don’t want your emotions to control you. If you lose your temper and say things you’ll regret, you will only make your coach feel certain that you shouldn’t be playing. Take a little time and think about what is the best way to get the information you need. Don’t pout, go talk to your coach about what you need to do to get more playing time.
If you end up on the bench, blaming your coach or deciding that he’s against you will not get you back on the field. Show everyone on the team that you can take responsibility for yourself and that you can handle conflict in a positive way. If you want more playing time, you can never go wrong focusing on self-improvement, effort, and your thought process. It’s up to you to show your coach just what kind of player you are.
