By Jonathan Massey –
I remember this conversation like it was yesterday.
I was 22 years old and had just transferred to Sam Houston State University to train full time and chase my dream of playing professional baseball. On the way home from dinner one night, my dad turned to me and asked, “Jonathan, what are your plans for when you’re done with baseball?”
“I don’t have a plan B, Dad. I’m going to play pro ball,” I responded rather quickly.
“Okay son, but baseball ends for everybody at some point — for some it’s 18 and for others it’s 40. So again, what are your plans for when baseball is over with?”
Now, at this point I was getting a little perturbed. I knew he was just trying to be my dad and get me to think about my future, but I wasn’t at that point in my life. I was consumed with playing pro ball and didn’t want to think about if baseball didn’t work out. But since I knew he wasn’t trying to be nefarious, I calmly responded, “Dad, right now I am solely focused on playing pro ball. If baseball doesn’t work out, I’ll figure out what I’m doing next at that point.” I could tell by the look on his face that he was taken aback so I followed up, “Dad, whatever I do next I am going to be successful. I know nothing else.”
“How do you know, Jonathan?” He asked me.
“Because Dad, I will work at whatever I do until I am successful. That’s my mindset. I will work until I get there.”
When people ask me if they should attend the Summer Program, I tell them that story because to me, that’s what makes the Summer Program special. Don’t get me wrong, the workouts are tough, but the energy is electric, and the culture is unlike any other place in the world! But what makes the Summer Program truly special are the daily mindset presentations we receive. Seeing a young man wrestle with no arms or legs taught me that I am capable of more than what people think or say about me. Watching Susan Boyle and Paul Potts absolutely kill it on Britain’s Got Talent taught me the value of being so good that I force people to take notice. I could honestly go on and on about the different mindset presentations and how they’ve shaped me into the man I am today. I know I am biased, but if you are thinking about possibly coming down this summer… do it. You’ll become a better pitcher, but you’ll also leave a better man.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Important TBR Updates
- One of the things we do exceptionally well with our Extended Stay Summer Program at The Texas Baseball Ranch is to help young men map out a plan for progress and help them to stay on track. If you or someone you know would like to join us at The Ranch this summer, please check out the program at www.TexasBaseballRanch.com/events.
- Dates for our Elite Pitchers Bootcamps for the summer are available. Our Memorial Day Bootcamp is already sold out but space is still available for our other dates! Watch your email or check our website https://www.texasbaseballranch.com/events/
- Athletes continue to be excited our “Ranch Remote” training. It’s a program for people that would still like to get access to, and ongoing instruction from, the TBR staff but prefer to avoid travel due to the virus or other limitations. Click here to get more information on this NEW, hyper-personalized training option. Space is limited in this program and we only have a few spots open currently so if you’re interested, don’t delay.
for more details or to sign up for any of these options.
