How to Communicate Effectively in the Outfield

By Steven Michael

Good communication in the outfield is mandatory. Communication is virtually all verbal in nature. And for good reason. When defensive players are running to catch the baseball, they don't have time to look at each other and give visual cues. Communication should also include returning or confirming a call made by a player. And communication is also meant to direct the next action by an outfielder.

Communication To Catch

"I got it -- I got it -- I GOT IT!" That's how an outfielder should state his intention to catch the ball. If there is any question in outfielder's minds who should make the play, communicate it three times and make it loud.

Crowd noise, wind whistling through the ears as they run, and same-time calling are all reasons to yell loudly and multiple times. In big stadiums, crown noise can be deafening. Even in smaller venues, a hundred people screaming can diffuse outfield communication.

Players who call for the ball at the same time is the most common problem. They each call for it once, at the same time, and neither player hears the other. Bam! -- a player collision. In addition to being loud, communication should be done in an authoritative voice. The ball is up for grabs and must be caught. Call for it with authority -- and remember the priority rules.

There is a wonderfully funny story about language as a barrier to good communication. In the 1950's the Phillies had a center fielder named Richie Ashburn. Richie was a great outfielder and was named Rookie of the Year in the National League. The Phillies shortstop was a Spanish player from the Caribbean, and he didn't know any English. On more than one occasion, Richie and the shortstop would be running to catch a pop-fly behind the infield. Richie would scream "I got it", but the shortstop didn't understand, and they had a couple near misses at colliding. A savvy old coach told Richie that the Spanish words for "I got it" are "Yo la tengo". Well, the next time a pop-fly happened, Richie was sprinting in to catch it screaming "Yo la tengo -- Yo la tengo". The shortstop immediately understood and stopped. Richie was then run over by his American-born left fielder.

Marco -- Polo!

Just like the youth game played in a swimming pool, where one child, with eyes closed, is calling "Marco", the other kids say "Polo" to audibly reveal their positions, outfielders need to respond. Outfielders must respond and clearly communicate with each other. This prevents any misunderstandings about who will make the play.

In situations where two players are calling for the ball, the player who backs off should communicate that fact. He should confirm that the other player has priority. How does he do this? By saying, "Take it -- Take it -- Take it".

When calling for the ball, it is assumed the outfielder is confident he can catch it. Don't call for the ball when you have zero chance of making the play. On the other hand, if an outfielder thinks he has a better chance than any other fielder, call for the ball. On some outfield plays, nobody calls for the ball. Where two outfielders are running for the ball, and neither thinks they have a chance to catch it, it's okay not to call for it. This usually means the outfielders are not close enough to risk a collision.

Communication To Assist

Outfield communication is not all about calling for the ball. There are times when an outfielder should help by being their teammate's eyes. Let's look at these situations.

Warn About the Fence

Outfielders should have a signal worked out between them about the wall. When one outfielder is running full stride toward the wall to make a catch, the adjoining outfielder should warn him when he is five strides away from it. The most prevalent method used is shouting the words, "Fence -- Fence -- Fence!". This lets the pursuing outfielder know in plenty of time that he has four to five strides before the fence.

The reason five running strides is the threshold is because it takes at least two strides for the receiving outfielder to recognize the communication. Things happen fast, so you want to alert your teammate in plenty of time.

Direct the Throw

When one outfielder is making a play on a batted ball, the adjoining outfielder should watch the play and tell the fielding outfielder where to throw the ball. This applies to all situations. The adjoining, or non-fielding, outfielder can see what base runners are doing, the depth of the ball, and the game situation. The fielding outfielder is watching the ball to catch it. If a ball is hit to the gap in right-center, and the right fielder will get to it first, the center fielder should be yelling at the right fielder to hit the cut-off man.

Runners on first and third bases, less than two outs, and a fly ball is hit to the left fielder. The center fielder should let the left fielder know where to throw the ball. If the ball is deep, he yells, "Two -- Two -- Two" to prevent the runner on first from advancing to second -- and scoring position. If the ball is not deep, the center fielder should yell, "Home -- Home -- Home", or "Four -- Four -- Four" to cut down the runner tagging from third base.

With less than two outs, a fly ball is hit to left-center field, and there is a runner on second base, the left fielder should be telling the center fielder that the base runner is tagging. He can yell "tagging" or "he's tagging", just make sure your are heard. This lets the center fielder know that he should position himself to make an urgent throw to third base -- through the cut-off man.

In a huge number of situations that can't be fully described here, a non-fielding outfielder should be communicating the things that the fielder can't see. Runners tagging, hit the cut-off, which base to throw to, are just the normal situations. It's always better to over-communicate than to say nothing at all. Help each other out.

Direct Traffic for Outfield-Infield Plays

When an outfielder and infielder are both pursuing a pop-up, in addition to the outfielder calling for the ball, the adjoining outfielder should also call the outfielder's name. This gives both pursuers of the ball a confirmation of who should catch it. Now you might say that three players yelling is too much static to hear anything definite. But you're wrong. The more communication that is used is always better.

How many times have you seen an infielder backpedaling to catch a pop-up, he hears the outfielder's steps, and stops. The outfielder slows down because the infielder looks like he's going to catch the ball -- and neither one catches it.

I just watched a game last night and that happened. What if the adjoining outfielder had screamed the outfielder's name? Do you think that would have helped or hindered the situation? Yeah, it would have helped considerably, in fact the ball would have been caught. By the way, three runs scored -- there were two outs and the base runners were off with the pitch. Ouch!

Steven E. Michael played seven years of professional baseball in the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. He played collegiately at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona earning All-Western Athletic Conference, All-College World Series, and Sporting News All-America honors.

His new book, "How To Play Baseball Outfield: Techniques, Tips, and Drills to Learn the Outfield Position" is available at http://www.stevenemichael.com

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Defensive Outfield Rules and Priorities

By Steven Michael
Defense in baseball is both an individual and team function. Being a good defensive outfielder requires correct fundamentals and focused practice. Playing good defense also requires that the players on the field work together. Each player must know the responsibilities of his position. They must back each other up and communicate clearly. And they must know the priorities to which each team member is subject.

When the ball is hit out to the field of play, each defensive position has responsibilities. The players must know where to position themselves. They must also anticipate the play and re-position themselves correctly.

As defensive teammates, each outfielder needs to "pick each other up" as the saying goes. Backing-up fellow outfielders and infielders is key. Covering for each other, and covering the field well, requires following assigned priorities. To do all of these things mandates clear and unambiguous communication.

The center fielder is the "field general" of the outfield. He is considered the best fielder in the outfield. He is most likely the fastest runner of the three outfielders too. Lastly, he is in the middle of the field and well-positioned to see all parts of the outfield better than the corner outfielders.

If the center fielder and a corner outfielder both go after a hit ball, the center fielder has priority to it. This rule assumes that both outfielders have an equal chance to field the ball! This qualification is important to note.

Unfortunately, I have seen two problems with stating this rule to players, or of not informing outfielders of the rule. The first problem usually happens in youth baseball. One of the corner outfielders takes this rule a little too seriously. This results in the corner outfielder not aggressively pursuing a hit ball because "you told me the center fielder should take everything". And the ball ends up very close to him without any attempt at catching it.

The second problem of not understanding, or even knowing, this rule is player collisions. Both the center fielder and a corner outfielder run after a hit ball and neither gives way to the other. Nothing good can come from this situation. The center fielder has priority to catch the ball when both he and a corner outfielder have a good chance at it. In these situations, both outfielders should communicate that they will catch it - they both "call" for the ball.

The center fielder should recognize that they have both called for the ball, and he should continue to call for it. When the corner outfielder hears the center fielder call for the ball, he should immediately veer off and back-up the center fielder. It is important that outfielders understand the nuances of this rule. It does not mean he center fielder should take every ball hit to the outfield. Further, it does not mean that if a corner outfielder calls for the ball first that he has a "right" to the ball. It means only this: if the center fielder calls for the ball, the corner outfielders should give way and back-up the play.

On fly balls, or pop-ups, behind an infielder, the outfielder has priority on the catch. This assumes that both the infielder and outfielder can reach the ball. How do they know if they can reach it? Both the infielder and outfielder should run to the fly ball, and not quit, until they hear the other player call for the ball. Infielders are taught, or they should be, to go after pop-flies until they hear an outfielder call them off. If they don't hear the outfielder, they continue to run and attempt to catch the ball.

Now outfielders have to be smart on these plays. Just because an outfielder has priority does not mean he must take the ball. There are many instances where the outfielder has to run full stride to make the catch. Meanwhile, the infielder is standing under the ball in perfect position. Why is this a defensive rule? It's because the outfielder is running forward and the infielder is running backward, or backpedaling. And remember, it's easier and faster to run forward for a catch than to run backward.

Another reason is back-spin, and/or side-back-spin of the ball. Pop-ups near the middle of the diamond have back-spin. This makes the ball move farther away from the infield as it descends. That means it is moving toward the outfielder and away from the infielder. Much easier play for the outfielder. Maybe you've seen a catcher try to catch a pop-up in foul ground behind the plate. Once in a while a youthful catcher will start to backpedal as the ball is descending. Did he misjudge it? Did he overrun the ball? Yes and yes. But this happened because back-spin is moving the ball toward fair territory. Experienced catchers know this and approach the catch from the infield side of the ball, not the backstop side.

When a pop-up is hit down either foul line, the ball has side-back-spin. This makes the ball move toward center field as it descends. This is a really tough play for first and third basemen. It's a little easier for shortstops and second basemen. And it's very easy for left and right fielders - if they can get to the catch target.

Steven E. Michael played seven years of professional baseball in the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Brewers organizations. He played collegiately at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona earning All-Western Athletic Conference, All-College World Series, and Sporting News All-America honors.

His new book, "How To Play Baseball Outfield: Techniques, Tips, and Drills to Learn the Outfield Position" is available at http://www.stevenemichael.com
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Common Mistakes of Youth Baseball Players

By Tim Willman

Many young athletes lack the fundamentals necessary to reach their full athletic potential and become great hitters.

When hitting, you must remember to use the fundamentals and have good technique. I see so many players try to develop their skills, and they actually end up getting worse. This is because they lack the essential fundamentals to reach their full athletic potential.

One of the most common mistakes I see in youth hitters is the grip. When you are learning the proper grip, you should try to align your door knocking knuckles. Many players wrap their hands around the baseball bat and this causes them to roll their wrists. It also makes them have less power. If you align your door knocking knuckles, this will allow you to have a nice level swing and most likely have a better batting average.

Another common mistake that youth hitters have is the load and stride. A lot of young athletes believe that the load is a big sway for power. This is actually false. The load is simply a timing mechanism. Think about it this way. You load when the pitcher loads. The stride is also a part of timing. When the pitcher pus his foot down, most of the time that is when you should take your stride. A lot of young players will also try to have a big stride. This is going to make you land on your heel in spin out. Try to take a load that is around four to 6 inches long. This way you will stay balanced.

The last big mistake that I see youth hitters make is swinging for the fences. Of course every kid wants to hit a homerun, but if you try to more times than not you will end up popping up or striking out. Try to make contact with the ball and hit hard ground balls and line drives.
If you have some time please check out the resource box below.

Tim Willman is a former professional baseball player, having helped hundreds of people to easy baseball success! He's recently developed a hitting system showing you step-by-step how you can hit like a pro! To learn how to become a better hitter, visit, http://www.dynamitehitting.com/

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Developing Muscle Memory and Built-in Mechanics

By Tim Willman
The first hitting secret that you need to learn in order to be a successful hitter is muscle memory and built-in mechanics. Imagine spending hours practicing your hitting and working your butt off only to realize you are doing a drill incorrectly the whole time.

Did you know that if you are using incorrect hitting mechanics, even just a little bit, you are reinforcing poor mechanics and making yourself an even worse hitter?

Obviously this is not what you are trying to do. The key is to perform drills that have proper mechanics already built in. That's right. Built-in mechanics and muscle memory.

You can actually perform specific drills that will force you to use the correct mechanics. During these drills, you will be able to receive feedback almost instantly if you are off... Even just a little bit.

One great thing that you can do is to practice all of your baseball swings with a wood bat. The only time an aluminum bat should be used is when you are actually playing a game.

Normally at first hitters will struggle with the transition from an aluminum bat to a wood bat. The secret is to try and do this as early as possible. Most little kids will even love to use wood bats because it's what the big-leaguers use!

With that said, it's never too early or late to start using wood. Using a wood bat teaches hitters many things including bat speed, hitting to all fields, keeping your hands inside the ball, and many more things.

If you have some time, please take a look at the resource box below.

Tim Willman is a former professional baseball player, having helped hundreds of people to easy baseball success! He's recently developed a hitting system showing you step-by-step how you can hit like a pro! To learn how to become a better hitter, visit, http://www.dynamitehitting.com.

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Baseball Drills Don't Have to Be Boring

By Chris Campbell
How many home runs have you hit lately? Probably not as many as the strikes that have been thrown against you. The pitcher definitely has a big advantage in baseball.

If you've been struggling with your batting average, rest assured, your not alone. Everyone (even the professional ball players) get into a slump at one time or another. Some players fell their not in a hitting slump, and that they've just never hit the ball as well as they could. Fortunately, it is a skill that can be improved.

Any batting practice, is better than sitting around watching TV, or playing video games. Shagging a few fly balls with some buddies while you each take a turn hitting, can sometimes be better than a formal batting practice session with your coach. Your relaxed, and thinking about having fun, rather than your swing technique. That said, it's not a formal substitute for regular team hitting practice under the coaches watchful eye.

If you don't feel your getting enough individual time from your baseball coach, then you may need to make other arrangements to improve your skills. There's nothing wrong with spending a few minutes after practice, asking the coach for specific things and you can work on. Then spend some time after practice to work on those drills.

Remember, that not all practice time needs to be fun. If your pressed for time when practicing, it's key to getting the most benefit out of the time you put in.

Not All Bats Fit All Hitters

Take a little extra time, to find the perfect bat for you. And when you find it, stick with it. Sometimes a low batting average, is simply the result of using the wrong sized bat for you. This is a simple problem to fix.

If your wondering what size bat you should be using, there's a simple test you can do to find out. Grab the handle end of the bat, point it straight out in any direction. If you can do that for 15 seconds or more without a shaky arm, you've found your bat.

Stand Proud As A Hitter

Don't assume, that everyone knows the best place to stand in the batters box. While it can vary from pitcher to pitcher, and batter to batter, there are some basics that should be understood. Consider strike zones, and your own swing when choosing.

It's good for both the pitcher, and the batter to have a target to aim for. So, always throw something down to be home plate. Even if you don't have an official home plate, try and mark the area with whatever you have at hand.

Be sure to visit the Baseball Coaching Drills website for some simple and effective baseball drills.
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Little League Baseball Drills

By Chris Campbell

If you've been lucky enough to have an opportunity to try and hit a fastball pitched by a professional, or semi-professional pitcher, then you know how hard it can be.

There have been a few crossover athletes, that move between baseball and other sports, that have tried their hand at doing just that. Micheal Jordan for instance was only able to bat around 200 when he played for a professional farm team. I don't think he ever performed that low on a basketball court for even 5 minutes.

While some drills can make you batting more effective, there's no substitute for quantity over quality in this scenario. It's simple, the more time junior can spend with a bat in his hand, the better. That means, hitting with mom, hitting, with dad, hitting with friends, or even older brothers / sisters. Have a bag of balls near that door, that makes it convenient to grab on the way out for a little practice time.

During a game of baseball, there's only one hitter at a time. And, during practice, there is also usually only one hitter at a time. So, if you do the math, it becomes pretty apparent, how little time your kids will get with a bat in hand during practice. Getting some practice time at home can make a huge difference in the early years.

Don't if your going to put in the time for extra hitting practice, there are a few things you can do to make practice more effective.

Get The Right Piece Of Wood

A bat that fits the player, is just as important as having baseball shoes that fit your feet. The weight of the bat is most important for good feed, as it can greatly influence the speed and timing of your swing.

There is a simple test for sizing a bat for your kids abilities. While standing, simply have them hold the bat out perpendicular to their body. If they can do that for at least 15 or 20 seconds, then the bat should be fine.

How A Batter Stands

While it may seem painfully obvious to most of us, make sure your kids have a solid understanding of where the strike zone is. it's fundamental to reaching all pitches, and is both a simple thing to do, and simple thing to forget to do.

It's pretty simple to ignore, but if your hitting a ball, you really should have a home plate to stand next to, and to pitch over. Even if it's just a rock, or an extra glove, make sure you use one whenever your having batting practice.

These Little League Baseball Practice, are meant to make practice fun. If your a coach looking for Fun Baseball Practice Drills, you've come to the right spot.
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T-Ball Coaching Tips For Game Day

By David Comora
So, you've survived the first practices, the parent meetings, the fund raisers and the uniform distribution, and now its game day. Many of the questions we receive from new coaches at our T-Ball University web site concern how to handle their team in a variety of game day situations. So, in this article, we'll be discussing some of the most common game day questions, including stretching, warm-ups, pep talks, tips for coaching the game and post-game activities.
What is the first thing you should do when the kids arrive for the game? When players arrive on the field, it's important to make sure their bodies are in the proper condition to play ball. We usually start our children with some simple warm up exercises, such as arm rotations and then a slow jog around the T-ball field. Once their muscles are warmed up, we'll transition to five minutes of simple arm and leg stretches.

Next, we have the players warm up by throwing to the coaches and parents before the game in the outfield on the side of our bench, (you'll need to check with your league rules, since many leagues require any adult who steps on the field to be "certified" by attending a training class). Typically, the home team bench is on the first base side and the visitor team bench is on the third base side. Ground balls from the coaches and parents are then taken in the infield on our benches side of the field. If time is available, we try to take infield and outfield practice with the players in their first inning positions. This usually consists of players fielding ground balls in the infield and throwing them to first base. As the players become proficient with this, I then have the players fielding ground balls in the infield and throwing them to second and first bases for a double play. It may be a long time before they actually turn a double play, but that's no reason not to get them in the habit of trying. Next we hit soft line drives to the outfield with the outfielders fielding the line drives on one or two hops. I have them throw to the appropriate cutoff man (shortstop or second baseman) and then to the appropriate player covering second base (second baseman or shortstop).

We will then have the players come in to the bench for a pre-game pep talk. We usually ask the team if they listened to their parents this week and then ask them if they listened to their teachers this week. If they say yes, which most of the time they do, we ask the parents if their children listened to them this week. This usually generates a look of horror from the players. We tell the team they can play because they listened to their teachers and parents the past week. We try to stress that each player needs to be a good student athlete.

The bench coach has a line-up card and it is their responsibility to have each child sit on the bench in the order they are hitting. Batting helmets are worn on the heads of the first few children, depending on the number of available helmets. Players returning from the field take a seat on the bench behind the players that have not yet batted. It is very important that the bench coach ensures that only one batter is in the on-deck circle taking his or her practice swings. You'll find that you are constantly telling children to "put down the bat", this is normal and it will alleviate two or more players from injuring themselves. You should check on your league rules for on-deck swings as some leagues ban all on-deck practice swings for safety.
Before each inning in the field, have the players gather around you on the tee-ball diamond to receive their position assignments. We try to have as many coaches on the field as possible to assist the players in finding their positions.

We suggest that you let every player know where the next play is going by mentioning the base and the player's name the ball is going to (e.g., Mikey, you're going to Kira at first base on a ground ball, etc). It sounds like a lot of instruction but you and your players will get used to it after a while. This repetition on each play will eventually be retained by each player, so as time goes by, you might not have to remind each player what they should do with the ball if it is hit to them.

You should also have each player call out the number of outs in each inning (e.g., call it out, one out, etc). Have each player raise one of their arms with their fingers pointing appropriately with the number of outs each inning. Prior to a batter swinging, make sure each player is prepped in the ready position to field the ball. An infielder should have knees slightly bent with their "alligator" position showing. An outfielder should have knees slightly bent with their glove and throwing hand resting comfortably on their knees.

If you feel that your players are getting bored and are losing their focus, or there is a lull in the action, yell to the whole team, "who wants the ball?" Each player raises his or her hands responding "me!" Its important for each child to want the tee-ball and be eager to make the play. Its important to work with them so they are not afraid to make a play.

For less accomplished players, we suggest that you have them make the ground ball play to first base. For more accomplished players, you can try to have them get the lead runner out. If a pitcher fields a hard hit ground ball, we try to have him throw to the lead base, whether it is first, second, or third base. We usually have the shortstop take the throw at second base for a potential double play at first base since his or her momentum is directed to first base. If a pitcher fields a softly hit ground ball and they have to charge off the mound to field the tee-ball, I have the pitcher throw the ball to first base only.

We also instruct the fielder covering a base to tag the runner upon receiving the ball, even if the runner is not forced on the play. Its important that you do not take any of the player's knowledge of the game for granted. We always assume that they do not know a thing about the game. We remind the children to tag the runner with the ball firmly held in the glove. Its common to see players attempt to tag the runner without the tee-ball in the glove.
After the inning in the field is over, we yell to them "Hustle in, we're burning daylight. Don't be the last one on the bench!" We belive that no one on the team should be walking during practices and games. Every team member should be hustling at all times.

Here's a safety tip that can reduce a few bruises. During the game, we like to warn the other manager and coaches when we have a good hitter up at the plate. We ask that the coach move his pitcher back in the pitching as much as possible, to prevent any potential injury. We've seen a few well accomplished players hit a parent or coach with a line drive back up the middle through the pitching circle. We've also seen a few instances where the pitcher took a line drive or ground ball in the face. A few steps back can make a big difference.

After the game is over, we stand on first or third base, whichever is closest to our bench, and ask each player to line up behind us. We ask them to extend their right arm and hand and the opposing team does likewise across the diamond. I tell the players to go and shake the hands of the other players and coaches who have participated in the game. We then ask each player to sit on the bench or gather their equipment and sit off to the side of the field, if another game is about to begin. We give the players a combination critique and pep talk. The critique is never really negative but constructive. It is never loud. We praise each player for the positives they performed during the game and reiterate what we need to work on as a team for the next game. The parents scheduled to bring the snacks and drinks distribute them. While they are partaking of their treat, the coaches decide who should get the game ball. We give the game ball on tee-ball level to the player that pays the most attention. We try to distribute the game balls for each game evenly amongst the players that a game ball is given to each and every player before the end of the season.

Here's to a successful Game Day! We hope these Game Day tips were helpful. For more information on coaching t-ball you can visit our t-ball coaches forum and watch sample video drills at our T-Ball University web site (www.tballu.com).

David ComoraT-Ball Universityhttp://www.tballu.com

David Comora has coached Tee Ball and Youth Baseball for over 10 years. He and his partners Steve Polansky, Brian Leuthner and David Kalb have developed the T-Ball University system of coaching to help new parent coaches learn to quickly master the skills of coaching. Their program includes video drills, coaching forms, practice plans, lesson notes and more. Free coaching videos are also available at our web site.

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Create the Culture

By Dana Cavalea
This article is being written due to some common trends I am seeing as I work with athletes at both the youth and professional levels. More often than not, especially in the game of baseball, athletes will spend all day working on their swing and fielding and developing arm strength, but when it comes to working on their bodies from a physical standpoint, the desire and work ethic is virtually non-existent.

It is at this point where you start to look beyond the athlete, and more towards the people he surrounds himself with, or is surrounded by. Work ethic and the desire for high achievement is often a product of the athletes environment and upbringing. This isn't saying that in order to have great work ethic your parents have had to work 15 hrs. per day during your upbringing, but what it does show is the type of environment and culture was created for you during your youth.

The premise behind this article is the fact that athletes need to be immersed in this type of no-nonsense, desire to be great atmosphere. Parents and coaches should create this atmosphere if they truly aspire for their athletes to reach the next level of competition both on and off the field.
This lack of work ethic isn't solely apparent in sport, but in the real world as well. There is a reason why there are so few entrepreneurs in our society; it takes work, diligence, and a burning desire for success.

When working with my athletes I often see that some of them are distracted or make excuses on why they can't workout, or put in a pre batting practice warm-up, but this is where the leader needs to step in and get inside their minds and teach them the importance, but most importantly show them the benefit to their career and long term goals by doing these little things. As we all know, life is a game of inches, and its each one of these little inches that creates the whole. Athletes and coaches alike need to start thinking in this regard, and watch those inches add up over time, which will create an amazing end result that was build upon progression and growth over time.

As a coach, if you are able to inspire your athlete for greatness and accept nothing less from them, you are doing your part in helping to Create the Culture. As a coach, it is up to you what you want your culture to be. This culture could be one of laziness, or of a burning desire to succeed and accept nothing less. Often times, athletes are a reflection on their previous coaching, so as a coach, if you think about this, your athletes are reflection of you.

From the athlete standpoint, it is imperative that you wake up each day and ask yourself what you could do today to get better. If your coach hasn't created the culture for you, a true champion will create it on his own, and inspire those around him.

When entering the business world, those that are able to work diligently, meet and exceed goals, and most importantly inspire other around them to achieve greatness often are blessed with many riches both from a positional standpoint and from a financial standpoint.

Work ethic is not entirely something you are born with, but rather a trait that is developed form within by your family, coaches, and environment. The cliché you are who your friends are is entirely true. If you surround yourself with bad, it is easier for your mind to move in that direction, but when you surround yourself with success, the end result is usually success.
From this point on, in whatever you are doing in life, you have 2 choices; Join the current Culture, or Create the Culture. The choice is yours. But just remember, should you choose to be a sculptor and create, the complacent and lazy never went anywhere fast!
Train Hard, Train Smart, Get Good.

Dana Cavalea is a Sports Performance Consultant specializing in baseball performance training. In addition he works with many professional sports teams, athletes, and colleges' educating on the importance of training, nutrition, and lifestyle for sport.In addition he is the owner of Major League Strength, http://www.mlstrength.com, a sports performance consulting company designed to educate and create awareness on advancements in the field of sports performance training for coaches and athletes.

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