Vision Training

Ted Williams was arguably one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He is the last man to hit .400 over an entire baseball season and is a measuring stick for all great hitters. Baseball legends report that his eyesight was so crisp he could see the seams on the baseball as it was thrown from the pitcher. Whether that was true or not, he still had extraordinary vision which is key for success in baseball.

This type of vision doesn't come naturally for everyone. When I was in college, our baseball team went through vision training drills. We would set up a room in the offseason where each player would go through exercises specifically trained to increase peripheral vision and reaction time. These also included agility and balance drills while focusing on improving eyesight. The theory was that training a player's vision would improve their performance.

We had no real time data to determine if this made baseball players better, but the principle of vision training applies to other parts of our life. We function as parents because of what we have seen our parents do (or not do.) We lead others because of how we have seen other people lead. Our life experiences shape the way we view things. These are all a current part of our vision, but they don't have to be the permanent way we we look at things. I believe we have the choice to train ourselves to look at people, circumstances, and our environment differently. We have the power to decide the old way of looking at things is not satisfactory and to do something different. It may not be easy to retrain our vision, but it is possible if we decide it matters enough to us.

Pumped Up

Tonight is the beginning of the World Series with my beloved New York Mets coming back to the grand stage for the first time in 15 years. We cranked into this round with a pretty thorough beat down of the Chicago Cubs. Our young pitching staff did a great job of shutting down a great lineup and were able to channel their excitement into quality production. Pitching coach Dan Warthen talked about the management skills of the pitchers and said, “Adrenaline is like fire. It’s a valuable servant, but a dangerous master."

Excitement and adrenaline can be very helpful tools. The thrill of a new challenge or the tension of a stressful moment can increase our focus and even cause us to perform above our normal capabilities. If we are unable execute with precision however, this adrenaline can become a hindrance. This can be applied to our physical workouts, fulfilling personal vision, engaging stressful work situations, or deftly maneuvering through relationship difficulties. The difference in precise success and sloppy mediocrity is in whether we control our adrenaline or it controls us.

Walk Off Story

I've written many times about my love of a good story. I love to hear how details work together to create unique moments. I want to see tales of triumph, compassion, and genuine human emotion. This is one of the reasons I love sports. It's not just to see great athletic feats and the power of a team coming together, but also to witness the stories that flow from competition, sacrifice, and loyalty.

This week my beloved NY Mets were active in trade talks as we are positioned to make a playoff run for the first time in several years. One of our players, Wilmer Flores, was part of a trade which was reported to be completed on Wednesday night. With social media leading the charge the fans in the stands of the game knew about it before the players on the field. As word quickly spread to the dugout of Wilmer's impending trade, he became emotional as he realized he was leaving the only team he had been part of during his professional career. His tears were captured by the cameras and quickly became a focal point of sports shows that evening. All of this soon changed however as the trade fell through and he remained a Met.

Two days later Wilmer received a standing ovation from the Mets fans when he came to bat. They were showing their appreciation for an athlete who clearly loved playing for his home team. While everyone was enjoying the feel-good moment for a homegrown player, no one could have anticipated the conclusion to these three days. Locked in a tie ballgame against the first place team, the Mets won when Wilmer hit a walk-off home run in extra innings. While writers and journalists tried to capture the emotion of the moment there is no real way to encapsulate the range of emotions this young man felt over three days. His joy and sorrow were as palpable and genuine as the obvious love shared between teammates and fans.

This is a great reminder of the power of a story and how sometimes life is better than anything we could come up with on our own. These are found in places all around us if we're willing to look for them.

Be Real

Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame Yankees catcher, turned 90 years old yesterday. He is famous for his "Yogi-isms", his affable nature, and his incredible playing career. He is the owner of 10 World Series rings and was also named Most Valuable Player three different times in his career. Yogi is regarded as one of the best catchers to ever play the game and also had a solid managerial career. He is an individual that is loved by many people and is still respected today.

I have always been an admirer of Yogi and appreciate his contribution to the game, but that isn't the best part of who he is. I heard a sports journalist share yesterday that Yogi Berra is an American treasure because he is exactly who he appears to be. There is no pretense, falsehood, or self aggrandizement in his nature. He is genuinely kind, gentle, humorous, and personable.

I don't share this to overestimate him, but to point out how attractive the quality of authenticity is. I think that we struggle with that concept in our own lives, but also in seeing it in other people. We tend to believe that "he can't be for real" because we aren't used to seeing authenticity in others. It's attractive because we actually desire it and seek it even if we aren't used to it.

Being real is what we should aspire to in our own lives.

Start Strong

I am enjoying the fact that my beloved New York Mets have now won 11 games in a row and have the best record in the league. I am not a brand new fan however and am not fooled into thinking this will necessarily guarantee our success for the rest of the year. Our record in April does not automatically mean that we will be in the playoffs (as much as I wish that were true.) I just keep telling people that I am going to enjoy a run of good baseball for as long as it lasts.

There are a lot of leadership principles to take from that example: starting off strong leads to long term success, a good beginning sets you up for a good ending, staying focused at the start of a long journey helps you stay focused on your destination, and probably several others. Perhaps the lesson I need to see most out of this is much more simple: enjoy the ride while it lasts.

Marathon

Baseball season has begun and my New York Mets won their first game last night. It wasn't necessarily a pretty win, but we are undefeated on the season at 1-0. At this pace we will win 162 games and be the first undefeated baseball team in the history of the game.

Naturally, I don't expect this to be a reality. In fact, my Mets have the best winning percentage on opening day of any major league team since 1962 and yet that hasn't always translated into winning seasons. A baseball season is often described as a marathon and not a sprint. While winning games early in the season is preferable to losing them, it doesn't automatically guarantee championships. You've got to be consistent over the long haul to win.

This is even more true in our personal relationships. Good parenting isn't defined by a random moment of life investment. Success with one leadership decision doesn't cement a positive, lasting legacy. A solitary tender moment between husband and wife won't create a loving relationship that endures. The relationships in our life are meant to thrive in a marathon environment with consistent attention and effort. Anything less might be temporarily appealing, but the lack of sustainability will derail any positive credibility.

In Denial

Injuries are part of life in the amateur and professional athletic world. Almost all athletes will deal with an acute or chronic injury at some point. Even though it may be a fact of life for the skilled athlete it doesn't mean they always handle it well. My own athletic training experience reminds me of the psychological difficulties associated with physical injuries.


Last week I read an article in USA Today talking about off-season injuries that affect athletes. One of the pitchers interviewed, Jeff Samardzija of the Chicago White Sox, said of these injuries, "In this game, you deny until you die." I took it to mean you don't talk about how you sustained an injury away from baseball, but I think it also applies to the mentality surrounding injuries overall. If you are in complete denial you can pretend they don't exist.

There are two different ways to view this: it's about denying responsibility for our actions and also trying to deny the truth about the severity of our injury. The first motive is a protective mechanism to keep the truth away from others and even ourselves. The latter is an effort to pretend nothing is wrong so that we can keep the lifestyle we have grown accustomed to. Neither approach is healthy (obviously) and represent a deep desire for us to cling to a part of life we are unwilling to part with even if it's time for it to pass.

What we desperately need to make it through this phase is a health dose of honesty. While that may not make a shoulder repair itself any faster, it will set our emotional, mental, and spiritual lives on the right path for healing.

At Bat

I saw online this morning that my beloved NY Mets are changing hitting coaches once again. They
fired the first coach about halfway through this season and promoted the guy they let go yesterday. When you compare the team's batting results under both coaches they are very similar.

These parallel statistics could point to the ineffectiveness of both men to identify problems and communicate solutions. It could also be very revealing about the players they are attempting to improve. Perhaps the issue isn't with the coaching philosophy, but the talent and focus of the players they are working to help. If they continue to bring in hitting coaches and see the same results it might hint of a problem that isn't related to leadership or instruction.

At some point, a leader is doing the best they can with what they have. The results may not be at the level that is hoped for, but changing the leader may not elevate the level of performance either.

A Class Act

While most of the baseball world was focused on the retirement of Derek Jeter yesterday, he was not the only player to retire. Bobby Abreu, an 18 year veteran, also hung up his cleats as a player. He is more well known as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, but retired as a New York Met who had signed him to a one year contract. Once Bobby made his intentions known the Mets brought him back up to the major league level and let him start his final game. After he got a hit in the fifth inning, manager Terry Collins had a pinch-runner come into the game for him which allowed Bobby to receive a standing ovation from the home crowd. It was a respectful moment and gave Bobby a chance to be celebrated even though his retirement may have been overshadowed by a more well known player.

Terry Collins' actions showed great respect for Bobby and his years of service. It's a perfect example of how great leaders take the opportunity to recognize others for their contributions. Celebrating employment anniversaries and special occasions lets other people know that they are valued. Leaders should look for these moments to turn the spotlight on others as often as possible. It engenders loyalty, creates a team mentality that can't truly be forged without it, and reveals the true heart of the leader.

Playing Small Ball

I love baseball. I am a sports fanatic in the truest sense if the word, but I truly love the game of baseball.

There is something about the history, the pace of the game, the potential for exciting things with every pitch, and the threat of a comeback that makes it special. One of the most exciting things in baseball is the home run. It is fascinating to watch a feat of strength and timing that sends a ball hurtling hundreds of feet through the air to land beyond reach. It can quickly change the momentum of a game and is exciting for fans to anticipate.

Because the home run is so exciting, I think we try to perfect the same science in other areas of our life. We want to have the maximum impact with every decision that we make without realizing that this isn't always the best course of action nor is it always possible. While there will be opportunities when we can make a big decision that brings immediate changes of vast impact the reality is that life is usually made of up small consistent decisions adding together over time to create change. Above average, consistent baseball hitters know when the time is right to swing for the fences and when it's better to contribute in smaller ways for greater overall momentum. 

Are we content with occasionally getting the big hit or do we want to be more consistent with our efforts? Our mindset and daily discipline will help us do little things that add up to bigger results in the long run if we are patient enough to stay focused in the process.

Not So Good

I am an avid New York Mets fan. People often ask me how I could possibly follow the Mets since I grew up in Daytona Beach and have no family connections to New York. It's actually a result of us getting the old TV station that played the Mets games out of New York on our television. I started watching in the mid-80's when they were bringing up some great young talent and I haven't abandoned them since. Sadly, there have been many more disappointing seasons than successful ones, but I still follow my team. I have some collectibles in my office and the only sports gear that I wear are Mets hats and t-shirts. Through all the years of poor draft choices, terrible free agent signings, and bad management, I have maintained my allegiance.

I don't know what this says about me as a person, but I think it speaks to my desire to be loyal. I actually believe that we all want to experience loyalty. We want to know that people will stick by us even when we aren't at our best. We want to know that if we are willing to endure rough patches they will do the same in return. It's an affirming principle that strengthens our relationships and reminds us that things get better when we stick together. My loyalty hasn't resulted in better play from my favorite baseball team, but it has helped me in the rest of my relationships.

Changing Speeds

Our staff was treated to a day at the Atlanta Braves baseball game today by Christian Financial Resources. It was a way for them to show their appreciation to church staffs as we continue to work together. As a life-long, devoted fan of the New York Mets I wasn't invested one way or the other in the outcome of the game with the Royals. I do love a good baseball game though & a day at the ballpark is never a bad thing.

There was a lot of talent on the field today on both sides. There are some good young hitters and pitchers and the game ended with KC winning 1-0 after their closer struck out the side in the 9th inning. There were a few pitchers who were throwing in the upper 90's--pretty impressive. Honestly, there are a lot of good fastball pitchers who can throw heat. What elevates the better pitchers to another level is the ability to change speeds. If you only throw hard heat the batter will eventually get his timing down and crush it.

The same could be said of our lives in relationship to our daily devotion, our relationship with our family, our physical activity, and our commitment to our jobs. If we only operate at one speed we will tire more quickly and find that we are losing interest. To be the most effective you've got to change the tempo and your approach to relationships now and then to keep things moving forward in a positive fashion. Organizations that fail to do this eventually lose influence and buy-in. Relationships that fail to do this become stagnant and allow outside factors to infiltrate and disrupt their rhythm. We've got to learn to change speeds now and then to generate momentum and not fall into the trap of treating every life circumstance the same.