By Garrett Wolforth –
With the summer season quickly upon us and many athletes returning to competition after a short break following their spring seasons, I think it is an important time to focus on a mainstay at The Ranch: the mindset of “Start Again.” This concept can serve as a very useful tool no matter what side of the fence you’re on because, no matter what, we all start from the same place: an opportunity to start fresh.
The concept of “Start Again” came to The Ranch through our study of the New Zealand All Blacks, the national rugby team. The All Blacks use this process to keep their minds in a state of constant, never-ending improvement. Like most things at The Ranch, we have adopted it and put our own spin on it to better serve the athletes we work with.
For us, “Start Again” is a constant reminder to reset after every day, no matter the results. Best player on the field today? Start Again! Worst player on the field today? Start Again! Each day is a brand-new opportunity to address our weaknesses and continually build upon our strengths. With this mindset, we give ourselves the power to change our circumstances rather than letting them dictate our attitude and effort.
Skill acquisition in baseball is no different. Changing a movement pattern is no different. Gaining velocity is no different. Every aspect of baseball can use this same logic.
While this may seem like a simple task, it can be very challenging. When we are in the middle of the struggle or the success, it is difficult for us to look around and gain a clear perspective on how things are going. I’m sure you have heard this before, but oftentimes, the way we view the problem is the problem.
When things are going well, many athletes worry about making any changes because it might throw off their mojo. The goal of “Start Again” is not to change what we’re doing, but rather to change the mindset with which we start each day.
Similarly, people often struggle to evaluate themselves accurately when they are struggling because they think in generalities rather than pinpointing exactly what went wrong. This type of thinking can lead to the “Awesome/Sucks” mentality. This is a trap athletes fall into, where the day’s performance is viewed as either “awesome” or “sucks.”
For example, consider a pitcher who throws seven innings and gives up no runs, but his defense makes 12 diving plays behind him. The result was great that day, but the odds of the exact same thing happening the following week — and him giving up five runs because the defense couldn’t quite make the same plays — are very high.
On the other side, a pitcher may throw two innings and give up three runs on four infield hits, a sacrifice bunt, and a couple of sacrifice flies. The odds of all of those events going against him next time are very low. These two pitchers could have easily had opposite days, yet one believes he threw awesome, while the other believes his outing sucked.
This summer, I urge you to avoid the mistakes most athletes make and refuse to get stuck inside the “Awesome/Sucks” spiral. Instead, evaluate yourself fairly each day and build on both the successes and failures of the day before.
Utilize “Start Again” and set yourself up for a productive, successful summer!
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Important TBR Updates
- Our summer events are underway! Join us for an upcoming Elite Pitchers Boot Camps
June 19-21 (Fri-Sun) – Spots LIMITED
July 3-5 (Fri-Sun)
July 31-August 2 (Fri-Sun)
September 5-7 (Sat-Mon)
To register or learn more CLICK HERE
- Have you been considering attending one of our 3-Day Elite Pitchers Bootcamp but are still on the fence? To help, we have a detailed information package entitled “What Makes This Boot Camp Different”. If you’d like to receive this package and start making plans for the summer, email Jill@TexasBaseballRanch.com and request a copy.
- Our “Summer Intensive Development Program” is in full swing! It will run through August 6 so you can still join us for 2-9 weeks this summer! For more information on this one-of-a-kind Summer Training experience and for a registration form visit https://www.
texasbaseballranch.com/events/ tbr-summer-program/ or call our office at (936) 588-6762 and speak with Anna.
- Would you like to participate in the Ranch Summer Program but can’t find 2+ weeks in your schedule? We have an option for you! Attend one of our 3-Day EPBC’s and add the summer program week after. It’s seven days of training and is a great option for those players with an extremely busy summer schedule. Give us a call and we can provide you with more details – (936) 588-6762.
- Coach Wolforth is hosting a special 90 minute webinar – “The Velocity Code: 3 Secrets to Improving Velocity and Staying Healthy” on Thursdays at 7pm CST. If you’d like to attend the next webinar, CLICK HERE to register.
