LIFE LESSONS THROUGH BASEBALL

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1 LIFE LESSONS THROUGH BASEBALL Lessons that Transcend the Game

2 LIFE LESSONS THROUGH BASEBALL Lessons that Transcend the Game Go the Extra Mile But First Make Sure You re Pointed In the Right Direction! Prepare to Succeed If You Fail To Prepare You Are Preparing To Fail Teamwork Put the Team s Success Before Your Own T.E.A.M Together Everyone Achieves More Trust Your Teammates! More Importantly Trust in GOD! HIS Gameplan is Far Superior to Yours! Master the Fundamentals If you re gonna do something, do it right so you don t have to do it over. Nobody s Perfect Except for JESUS and HE s Moved Up to the Big Leagues! Life s Not Always Fair When it s not stand-up for what s right. Then, keep your chin up forgive forget and move on. If You Want to Get Better at Something You Have to Work at It 90% of life is just showing up...and working hard. Perseverance When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going Winners never quit and quitters never win. Focus on Improvement Not Wins, Losses or Stats Work on Improving Your Game Daily and the Wins and Stats Will Follow Encourage & Serve Others On & Off the Field Encouragement takes guts. That s why they stuck the word courage right in the middle of it!. Life s Too Short to be Miserable So Make it Fun! Baseball & Basketball are supposed to be Fun that s why they call it a GAME! Listen Twice As Much As You Talk That s Why GOD Gave You TWO Ears and Only ONE Mouth Do Your Best Give it All You Got! Play HARD Play SMART and Play with a FIRE in Your Belly Sportsmanship Play the Game to Honor GOD Not Yourself How Would Jesus Play? No doubt HE would lead the league in sacrifices & assists! Play the game in HIS name and feel HIS pleasure! Focus on the Present Don t Fret the Past or Worry About the Future Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a Gift that s why they call it the Present. Patience vs. Hustle: Winners Have Good Timing on Both Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. Abraham Lincoln

3 LIFE LESSONS THROUGH BASEBALL Lessons that Transcend the Game Go the Extra Mile But First, Make Sure You re Pointed in the Right Direction! : If your coach asks you to run a mile a day on your own run TWO miles! If the coach suggests you take 20 swings off the tee a day then take 30 swings a day Be the first one to arrive at practice and the last one to leave Hone your skills at home every chance you get throw to a pitch-back, hit socks off a tee in the garage. Push yourself further & further to continually improve your skills no pain no gain. Matthew 5: And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. John 13: 8-9 No, said Peter, you should never wash my feet. Jesus answered, Unless I wash you, you have no part with me. Then Lord, Simon Peter replied, not just my feet but may hands and my head as well. Luke 5:18-19 Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him down on his mat through the tiles in the middle of the crowd right in front of Jesus. Prepare to Succeed If You Fail To Prepare You Are Preparing To Fail : Practice, practice, and more practice is the best preparation for future success. Repetition is the mother of all learning. When you come to the ball park, have your shoes tied, your shirt tucked in, your batting gloves in your back pocket, your hat on your head and always always know where your glove is. Before a game, get there early to get prepared. Stretch out in unison with your teammates, take some practice swings, throw the ball around, evaluate your competition.get mentally & physically prepared to play the game of your life. Get in good fielding position before the ball is hit Ask yourself before every pitch What am I going to do with the ball if it s hit to me? Time the pitcher when you re on deck.

4 John 1:6-9 There comes a man who was sent from God, his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came as only a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. Luke 4:1-4. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for 40 days, he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during these days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, if you are the son of God, tell this stone to become bread. Jesus answered, It is written that man does not live on bread alone. Matthew 25:10-13 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later, the others also came. Sir! Sir!, they said. Open the door for us. But he replied, I tell you the truth, I don t know you. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 26:40-41 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour? He asked Peter Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. 1 Corinthians 2:9 However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. Teamwork Put the Team s Success Before Your Own T.E.A.M.Together Everyone Achieves More If your true love is playing 1 st base, but the team really needs you in centerfield.then play centerfield, and be thankful about it. Remember, just playing the game is a privilege regardless of what position you re playing. The game s close and you re up to bat with one out and runners on 2 nd & 3 rd. You want to hit away. You want to crush a line-drive to right-center and drive-in a couple of runs but the coach gives you the bunt sign. So what do you do? It s simple you lay down a beautiful bunt so the run can score. Yes, you may get thrown-out at 1 st, but you helped score a run for your team. That s why they call it a sacrifice bunt. You ve been struggling at the plate so the coach starts one of your teammates in your spot in leftfield. It s the last inning and your team is up by one run. There are two outs and the opposing team has runners on 2 nd and 3 rd. The hitter smacks a line drive to left. Your teammate bolts towards the ball and begins to dive for what would surely be a spectacular, game-saving catch. So.do you want him to make the catch, preserve the win for the team, and most likely earn him the starting job in left for the remainder of the season? Or are you hoping he will miss the ball, lose the game and give you a better shot at starting the next game? What would Jesus be hoping for if he were sittin on the bench in your place? When you win you win as a Team. When you lose you lose as a Team. John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

5 Romans 12: 4-6 Just as each of us has one body with many members and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12: 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Trust Your Teammates! More Importantly Trust the Lord! HIS Gameplan is Far Superior to Yours! You re playing shortstop with one out a runner on 1 st. A sharp ground ball is hit right at you. After you field it cleanly, don t get in a footrace with the runner and try to sprint over and tag 2 nd base to get the out yourself. Flip the ball over to the 2 nd baseman on the bag. Who knows, by trusting your teammate, you might just get a double play. You re playing centerfield, with runners on 1 st & 2 nd, and the ball s hit in the gap. When you get the ball, don t try to heave it all the way home. Hit your cut-off man. If the runner from 2 nd has already scored, the cut-off man might be able to keep the other runner from reaching 3 rd. Matthew 14:25-31 During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It s a ghost, they said and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: Take courage! It is I. Don t be afraid. Lord, if it is you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water. Come, he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, the was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord save me! Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. You of little faith, he said, why did you doubt? Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people, pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 125:1-2 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding. Master the Fundamentals If you re gonna do something, do it right so you don t have to do it over. Taking a 100 practice swings a day with poor fundamental technique does more harm than good. If you re going to spend time practicing, then practice good, fundamentally correct techniques. As a coach, concern yourself more with how the kid swings the bat vs. whether he hit the ball or not. Concern yourself more with how the kid catches the ball vs. whether he caught it or not.

6 A kid who takes a good cut at a strike and misses should be congratulated. A kid who takes a big, loopy swing at a pitch two feet over his head and hits a long fly ball to the outfield should be reprimanded, even if he gets lucky and gets a homer. Remind this kid, that when he gets older, he won t be able to touch that high fast ball. If he is lucky enough to make contact, he ll likely pop it up.and at the next level of ball, that pop-up will be an out not a home run. Repetition is the mother of all learning. Mastering the fundamentals takes lots and lots of repetitions. However, good repetition needs to be accompanied by sound, constructive instruction. Coaches must take the time and effort to recognize poor fundamentals and then work hard with players to correct any flaws in their techniques. Having a kid who s struggling to make contact with the ball take 15 minutes of batting practice without any instruction is a waste of everyone s time. Teach kids to master the fundamentals before they move on to more complex aspects of the game. It doesn t matter how well a kid can turn a double-play if he can t field a ground ball. Luke 6:47-48 I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Nobody s Perfect Except for Jesus and HE s Moved Up to the Big Leagues. Ted Williams, probably the best hitter in the history of baseball the last player in the majors to hit over 400 for the season got OUT six out of every ten times up to bat in his best season ever! We all make mistakes umpires, players, and even coaches. When you strikeout or boot a grounder at short, shake it off learn from it pick yourself back up and try again. You can t do anything about the ball you just missed but you can do something about the next ball that comes your way. Don t expect perfection from others. When someone else makes a mistake, don t make them feel worse than they already do. If you criticize a teammate for missing a ground ball, chances are the next one s gonna go right through your legs. Coaches when players make mistakes, they need constructive instruction and encouragement to improve their chances for success the next time around. They do not need to be ridiculed and belittled in front of their family and friends. 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 But Jesus said to me, my grace is sufficient for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ s sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

7 Matthew 7: 4-5 How can you say to your brother, Let me take the spec out of your eye, when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the spec from your brother s eye. John 8:7 If anyone of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her. Life s Not Always Fair When it s not stand-up for what s right. Then, keep your chin up forgive forget and move on. If you don t think you re getting enough playing time or you re not playing the right position, talk to your coach about it.respectfully! No need complaining to your teammates they don t make up the line-up. If your coach doesn t agree with you, then show him what you re made of. Work harder at practice, get even better and who knows, you might just change his mind and he might just change the line-up. Players should never argue with an umpire leave that up to your coach Coaches, if you disagree with an umpire s call, present your argument to the umpire firmly, calmly and with due respect. Remember, the kids are watching! Show them the art of disagreeing without being disagreeable Ecclesiastes 9: 11 The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all. Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as God s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Matthew 20:9-16 The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each of one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. These men who were hired last worked only one hour, they said, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day. But he answered one of them, Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last. Luke 19:20-26 Then another servant came and said, Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and you reap what you did not sow. His master replied, I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I would have collected it with interest? Then he said to those standing by, take his mina away from him and give it to the one who

8 has ten minas. Sir, they said, he already has ten! He replied, I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. If You Want to Get Better at Something You Have to Work at It 90% of life is just showing up.and working hard Cal Ripkin, who holds the major league record for consecutive games, said this when he was asked the secret of his success after he got his 3,000 hit I don t worry much about statistics. I just show up at the ballpark every day and work hard. The numbers just sorta take care of themselves. Whether the game is Math, Baseball, Piano or your Walk with the Lord progress requires hard work If you re struggling at the plate, playing All-Star 2000 on your Game Boy sure isn t going to improve your batting average. You need to get out on the field and work harder. Ask one of your coaches to throw you some extra pitches after practice is over. Hitting is all about technique, timing, strength and quickness. The only way to develop all four of these is to work at it day after day. Developing excellent baseball skills requires lots of repetitions. Practicing good fundamentals, over and over again, develops good habits. When it comes time to play a game, muscle memory will take over and all your hard work will payoff.. Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 1 Corinthians 9:24-26 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training, they do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. Acts 20:34-35 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed to give than receive. Perseverance When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going Winners never quit and quitters never win. When you re team s down by 10 runs don t quit. It ain t over till it s over. History is full of remarkable comebacks. It can happen. Sometimes you learn more from the losses than the wins Anybody can keep their head-up when they re batting 400 and their team is undefeated. But you really find out what you re made of when you re in a slump or when your team s getting whooped-up on. One of the best tests of a winner is how he loses.

9 Hebrews 12: 1-2 Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus Jeremiah 36:27-28 After the king buried the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll which Jehoiakim King of Judah burned up. So, Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim King of Judah had burned in the fire. James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled, and have often gone without sleep. I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food. I have been cold and naked. Matthew 27:28-31 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. Hail, king of the Jews!, they said. They spit on him and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they lead him away to crucify him. Luke 23:34, Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. Then he (the criminal) said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, I tell you the truth, today you will be with me and paradise. Focus on Improvement Not Wins, Losses or Stats Work on Improving Your Game Daily and the Wins and Stats Will Follow Remember baseball is a game where little things can make a difference in the game. Don t just work on hitting and fielding. You need to also work on the little things like bunting, baserunning, lead-offs, pickles, turning & running on fly balls, throw-downs, etc. Set specific improvement goals (i.e. Catchers if you allowed five passed balls today, shoot for only having three the next game. When you get it down to three a game, shoot for two.then one then NONE!)

10 Getting better as a player and as a team is far more important than the numbers on the scoreboard Coaches be sure and reward the effort, as well as the result (i.e. If your team plays their heart out and loses congratulate them. If they win by 10 runs in four innings, but played sloppy and didn t put forth much effort then get on em. They ll quickly get the message about what s important to you and, in turn, understand what should be important to them. Jeremiah 12:5 If you have raced with man on foot and they have worn you out, how can you race with horses? Encourage & Serve Others On & Off the Field Encouragement takes guts. That s why they stuck the word courage right in the middle of it!. When it s time to play catch with a teammate, don t always pick your best buddy. Pick the kid who doesn t catch well you know, the kid no one else wants to play catch with. You ll make him better. Better yet, you ll make his day. When a teammate strikes out and comes back to the dugout with his head down, give him some encouragement Nice try, Mark. Don t worry about it you ll get em next time. Remember the pitcher s next strike-out victim just might be you! When you re playing 2 nd base and your opponent hits a line-drive double to left center, walk over to the bag and say nice hit. Encourage your opponents as well as your teammates. If you re pitching, and you accidentally hit a batter, walk over to the batter and show some genuine concern apologize and make sure he s okay. After the game, win or lose, congratulate the other team 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up. Matthew 9:12-13 On hearing this, Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. John 13:12-16 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. Do you understand what I have done for you?, he asked them. You call me Teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Luke 6:27-28 But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. John 15:12 My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. 1 Corinthians 9: 19, Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the weak I become weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men, so that by all

11 possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel; that I may share in its blessings. Matthew 18:12-14 What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the 99 on the hills and go to look for the one who wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the 99 that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. Life s Too Short to be Miserable So Make it Fun! Baseball is supposed to be Fun that s why they call it a GAME! Baseball is a fun game. If it s not fun for you, then either MAKE it fun or find another game. Learn to laugh at yourself on the field. Learn to laugh with your teammates but not at them! It s okay to laugh and have fun at practice but don t be a goofball! Coaches.it s your responsibility to create and maintain a well-balanced environment full of fun, discipline and learning both at practices and games. Of course it s not easy! If it was, anybody could coach. Coaches, always remember the game is for the kids not you! You had your chance to be a kid now it s their turn. Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. Luke 9:46 An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, whoever welcomes this little child in my name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all he is the greatest. Listen Twice As Much As You Talk That s Why GOD Gave You TWO Ears and Only ONE Mouth Believe it or not your coach may actually know something you don t! Listen and you might actually learn something When a coach s mouth is open yours should be shut. Your ears don t work nearly as well when your mouth is open Listening is important. Hearing and understanding are even more important. If you don t understand something, speak up ask your coach some questions. Chances are many of your teammates probably have the same questions, they just don t have the courage to ask them. Listen to your teammates. If you re about to get up to bat for the first time in a game, listen to what your teammates who ve already batted are saying about the pitcher Talk to each other on the field. Tell your teammates how many outs there are. If you re covering 2 nd on a ball to the outfield, talk to the cut-off man and help him line himself up with the base.

12 James 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Do Your Best Give it All You Got! Play HARD Play SMART and Play with a FIRE in Your Belly When you re out on the field, give it everything you got. Lay it all on the line. When you run off the field after the game is over, don t leave anything behind. No regrets, no unexerted effort, no dives you wish you d made on a line drive in the gap. Play every game as if it were your last. You never know it might be. Run on and off the field Back-up your teammates on every hit & every throw When you get a hit, sprint to 1 st as if your life depended on it no matter what the score is or where the ball was hit. Don t admire the hit or even look to see if it s fair or foul just take off. Remember, it s a race to the base. John 21:7-9 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord! As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, It is the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped in to the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. Sportsmanship Play the Game to Honor GOD Not Yourself How Would Jesus Play? No doubt HE would lead the league in sacrifices! Play the game in HIS name and feel HIS pleasure! When you get a nice hit, or make a terrific play in the field be humble don t brag or boast. Do your talking on the field with your bat and your glove not your mouth. Rather than telling everyone about how much you ve done for the game, how about telling everyone how much GOD has done for you? Play fair winners don t cheat and cheaters don t win. Encourage your teammates (and your opponents) especially when they re down. Never Never throw your gear. It s poor sportsmanship and it shows your opponent that you re out of control. And if he s smart, that s when he ll lick his chops and put you away. Respect your opponent. Win or lose congratulate them on their effort after the game. Be a gracious winner and a gracious loser. Thank GOD for all your blessings and ask HIM to use your talents to carry out HIS will not yours.

13 John 1:26-27 I baptize with water, John replied, but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. Luke 14:8-11 When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, Give this man your seat. Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, Friend, move up to a better place. Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Jeremiah 9:23-24 Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight. 1 Peter 5:5-6 All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Focus on the Present Don t Fret the Past or Worry About the Future Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a Gift that s why they call it the Present. When your team loses a game, don t fret about it. It s over it s done with it s behind you. You can t change the outcome. What you can do is learn from the experience and figure out what you need to do differently in the next game to improve your team s performance. Take one game at a time. If you ve got a game tomorrow against the worst team in the league, and two days later you re scheduled to play the #1 team in the league concentrate on tomorrow s game first. If you don t, your opponent might just surprise you. Set specific goals for yourself and your team. Make sure those goals are challenging, measurable and attainable. While you shouldn t worry about the future, you certainly should be planning for it. Don t ever stop dreaming. You may have to adjust your dreams from time to time as reality sets in but don t ever stop dreaming and preparing for the future. For example, one of your dreams might be to play varsity baseball in the 10 th grade. Well, if you get cut from the team then change your dream. Maybe your new dream might be to become the best J.V. baseball player your school has ever seen. 1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Luke 12:22-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Consider the ravens: they do not sew or reap, they have no storerooms or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

14 Patience vs. Hustle: Winners Have Good Timing on Both Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle. Abraham Lincoln : A Time to Be Patient Infielders hard hit ground ball right at you. Be patient. Take the time to get in good fielding position. No need to charge the ball let it come to you. Pull the ball into your body softly; give with the ball like you would if you were catching a raw egg. Hitters wait for a strike. A huge part of hitting is waiting for the right pitch to hit. Pitchers will try to make you swing at junky pitches. Don t get suckered into playing their game. Make them throw you the pitch you want and then rip it! Pitchers.take your time on the mound. It s not a race to see how many pitches you can throw in a 2-minute time span. Make the hitter wait on you. You are in charge of the tempo of the game. : A Time to Hustle Fielders You ought to be moving on every hit and every throw; no matter what position you re playing. Don t sit back and wait for an overthrow and then move to the ball. If you re playing leftfield and you see the runner on 2 nd make a break to steal 3rd, hustle over to the line to back up the throw from the catcher. Hitters when you drill one down the line don t wait to see if the ball s going to land fair or foul. Take off like a bandit for 1 st base. If it s foul, you can always hustle back to the plate. If it s fair, you ve given yourself a great head start. If you stand there waiting to see where it lands, or slow down to admire your hit, you might cost yourself an extra base. Worse, you might cost your team the game. Base runners be alert on the bases. When you see a passed ball, BOOM!...You should be off to the next base in a heartbeat. Don t wait for the coach to tell you to run. Lamentations 3:26-27 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord James 1:22-24 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 1Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.