The Application of Knowledge is Power

With the start of the high school season I’ve had the opportunity to get out and watch some of my athletes in game situations. The more games I attend and the more I speak with my athletes I’ve found that rarely to they use many of the mental skills we work on during our sessions. Frustrated by this I’ve thought a lot about why an athlete wouldn’t consciously decide to use the physical and mental skills we work on? Why, when it’s left up to them do they just assume that success will just magically happen? They almost have this idea that success on the field is left up to chance. They go into each game with the intention and hope of performing well but when it’s game time they don’t take the steps necessary to allow themselves to produce the results they desire. The more I thought about this the more I began to realize that the reason that they aren’t able to translate the knowledge they learn in our sessions is that they are stuck in their old way of thinking. It’s easy for them to see the improvements that they’re making but once it’s game time they have a difficult time thinking like the new player that they’ve become.

You see, before a player is introduced to proper hitting or pitching mechanics their entire game is left up to chance. They have flaws in their fundamentals so there are certain things they can’t do and they don’t have the knowledge of what steps they need to take in order to become successful. Once they are exposed to the knowledge they need to be successful they are still stuck in the old way of thinking and as a result have a tendency to believe that the knowledge they have obtained and the work that they’ve put in is enough to translate this knowledge out on the field and magically create the level of performance that they desire to create. But what they don’t realize is success is a process. Success is not something that just happens but is a result of steps you take and the application of the knowledge you’ve gained.

Too often players get into a game and become reactionary. They “see ball, hit ball” and react to whatever comes their way which puts the athlete in a constant state of feeling defensive. When in this defensive state they feel unsure, they lack confidence, and become tense. This tension prevents the athlete from executing the new mechanics they’ve been working on. It’s important that athletes realize that success is not created by chance, fate, or good luck. Success isn’t created by “natural talent” or some kind of God given ability. Success is a creation of physical and mental processes. In order for an athlete to achieve the level of performance that they desire they must be able to detach themselves from their reaction mentality. They must not allow the stress of the moment to cloud their thinking and stay focused on going through the process that leads to success step by step. Athletes must begin to apply the knowledge that they gain in their lessons and practices if they ever hope to achieve success. They must focus on what they need to do to create the success they desire and avoid hoping that they’ll succeed. When an athlete begins to become process oriented and apply the knowledge they’ve learned their performance will skyrocket and become much more consistent. If you find yourself in a game hoping that you will be successful take a step back. Remember what you’ve worked on and begin to apply this knowledge to your game. Don’t get so caught up in the moment that you forget what you’ve learned and just leave your success up to chance. Remember, success is a process and you have the ability to choose to take the steps necessary to succeed.