All dirt fields, mismatched uniforms (if they had them), hand me down cleats, bats and gloves (if they had them), old ratty baseballs and some stories of quitting school as teenagers to support their families.

I was drafted in 1996. Three days after graduating HS, I was on a plane across the country where I would soon find myself sharing a clubhouse and dugout with young men from all over America, to Australia, to the Dominican Republic, to Venezuela, to Mexico. I had no idea that the next 17 years of my life would not only be an experience of a lifetime as an athlete but an experience that would help mold my perspective on the game, development, what it takes and getting to know men all over the country/world, their life, upbringing and what their path was like which led to us being teammates.

Many have seen the video of Mariano Rivera talking about, and showing, how he would use a piece of cardboard to make a glove. This Dude is arguably the best closer of all time yet he didn’t grow up with the shiny stuff.

The energy our latino teammates brought was awesome! Getting to know them, their culture and what life was like for them as kids is something I will never forget. Many of them literally came from nothing yet here they were considered some of the best athletes in the world. Many would send money home from their already small paychecks (as minor leaguers) but they would show up everyday grateful for their opportunity.

Looking back on this experience and playing with these men day in and day out I am certain of one major thing that gets lost in our youth game…

It’s not the team, the uniforms, the bat, the glove, the batting gloves, the cleats, the sunglasses, the name of the tournament, the coach, the instructor or the school that makes the athlete. It’s the ability they were born with, their attitude, their work ethic/desire to be great, their grit, their aptitude and their ability to keep going when things get tough.

Perspective is formed from our personal experiences. Because we all have different experiences through our lives many of us tend to see things a little different. This is a bit of mine.

Chris Gissell (168 Posts)

Founder of Baseball Dudes. Blessed with three beautiful children and an amazing wife. Baseball is my life, after my family, and I love sharing what I have learned from it. Thanks for taking the time to view what we offer here at Baseball Dudes.

The game has been a part of me since I was 5 which means for the last 41 years it’s been a constant process of learning. I played until I was 32 and have been teaching full time ever since. Here are a few things I’ve learned throughout this process that are necessary, needed and missing…

1. No matter their age, even those big kids we get to watch on TV, they need to believe in themselves. Their level of confidence will determine the quality of their performance. We as coaches (and adults in their lives) are there to help them with this. Mechanical adjustments can help especially when they see a positive change in their ability but helping them get their mind right, teaching them approach, visualization, how to handle adversity, etc. WILL give them the best chance at consistency.

2. Communicate!! The best coaches I’ve been around are great communicators. They explain well, are great with eye contact, they follow through with their words, if they tell a player one thing but plans change they take time to explain. Without communication minds are left to wonder and we all know what happens when that happens.

3. Organization is key. Practice plans should be made well in advance of showing up to practice. Line-ups should be written before you get to the park. We need to be mentally prepared for an audible at any moment but scrambling to make a plan will always lead to mistakes and often confusion.

4. The Player:Coach ratio is vital when it comes to player development. For the younger I’ve found the ratio is best around 4:1 and as they get older 5/6:1 works well. The smaller the ratio the more eyes on reps, the more touches they get, the smoother practices can run. The goal is little to no standing around during practice.

5. We want great competitors out there. Players who play fearless, aggressive, have awareness, know their jobs and have great baseball IQ. So we need to teach them what that means. Some need more help at it than others but that’s why we are out there. We need to teach them the game. Situational baseball. Give them the freedom to be aggressive knowing mistakes will be made. If we want them to have feel for the game we need to teach them and then let THEM play it. When we hold their hands, tell them what to do and when to do ALL THE TIME, we are not giving them those chances to develop that feel.

6. We preach confidence, believe in yourself, focus on what you can control. The best way to help them with this is to live it. Be that voice for them. Be that example for them. We have to be ultra aware though of how many of our actions go completely against this. Our body language when they make a mistake. Our belittling tone when they make an error. How we respond when we think the umpires are making the wrong calls. Speaking positivity one moment but then going against it in the next is an US issue. BE THE EXAMPLE!

7. Get them to talk. See what they are thinking. Athletes are used to always being talked to, I’ve found talking WITH them helps them be more aware and more engaged and we know better what we are working with when we get to hear how they are processing things. It doesn’t matter how much we know as coaches, when we give them TMI we can’t get upset with them when they simply aren’t ready for it all yet. We need to be aware of our audience.

8. We never know what’s going on at home or on that car ride home. We have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives. Some may see it differently but there are many times when coaching baseball becomes much more than teaching a game. That PERSON may just need one person in their life to show them kindness, understanding, someone to trust or even on the flip side, someone to hold them accountable, call them out and teach them that’s now how we do things.

9. Everyone is a hitting coach!! Where are all the pitching coaches?? As a former pitcher I’m blown away at how few teams/programs out there make preparing pitchers a priority. Every arm on a team that has a chance at pitching in games should be getting weekly time on a mound to practice. Just like hitters take batting practice, fielders take ground balls, outfielders work on catching fly balls. If we can’t throw strikes consistently, we will give away too many runs.

10. Coaches, how often are you working your catchers out? How often do they work on blocking? How often do they work on throw downs? How often do they work on catching high pop foul balls? How often do they work on leadership? Our performance as a team weighs mightily on our pitchers and catchers. Too many coaches are missing this.

11. Fear just may be the hardest thing to help players work through. It’s a powerful emotion that grips many young players. Fear of not doing well. Fear of getting hurt (aka, being hit by the ball). Fear of embarrassment or fear of who is watching and what they might say or how they will react. It requires patience and consistency from us adults to help them work through it.

12. Mechanical adjustments are not always, you could even say rarely, the answer to what’s causing a slump. Sure giving them some attention may help a little and act as a distraction but more often than not that slump is happening because of what’s going on, or not going on, between our ears. Lack of approach. Negative self talk. Poor visualization and/or giving too much attention to the un-controllable’s. Coaches, help them get, and keep, their mind right.

13. The game and what we know about it, how to perform better at it, has really evolved since us in our 30’s, 40’s and over 50’s were growing up in it. We know so much more now. There is a lot of great information out there, we just have to intentionally look for it. We need to be just as coachable as coaches as we want our players to be. None of us know it all.

14. We are their leader out there. They feed off our energy, emotions and actions. If we are complaining about the umpire, so will they. If we talk about focusing on the controllable’s, so will they. The culture and attitude within our group (parent’s included) is a reflection of our attitude, the standards we set, the example we give and the actions we allow.

15. For most of the players we get to teach, the game will not be their lives. They won’t get to play it for long in comparison to how long they will live. The lessons we can use from the game to help them with life are endless. You can find something everyday to relate. In the end they MIGHT remember a few of the moments they had playing the game but we have the opportunity to help them develop as a person which honestly is more important than any outcome of any game.

“Baseball is life but there’s more to life than Baseball.”

Chris Gissell (168 Posts)

Founder of Baseball Dudes. Blessed with three beautiful children and an amazing wife. Baseball is my life, after my family, and I love sharing what I have learned from it. Thanks for taking the time to view what we offer here at Baseball Dudes.

It just doesn’t matter. There is a GREAT chance they will never remember. It’s NEVER as bad as we think it is…The wins, the losses, being on a losing team, playing with what we believe to be talent below our child’s ability. It just doesn’t matter!!

I’ve been there. Blessed with the opportunity most will only get to dream of. Played with guys who came from NOTHING. Played on the worst team in the league. Played on the team that walked away with the ring. Had middle infielders behind me who led the league in errors and fielders who ended up being big league all stars. I played Little League, Babe Ruth and American Legion ball. Played no more than 2 to 3 dozen games in a season as a youth. Had coaches who were over the top. Had coaches who genuinely cared. Played for coaches who had no sense being in the position they were in. Played for coaches who didn’t teach. You name it, there is a good chance I’ve been through it personally or have seen and worked with others who have gone through it.

We have this obsession with playing on THE BEST team. We think being on a sub .500 team is a travesty. We think playing with and against average, or below average, talent will stunt our players growth. We think…

We think a little too much at times. We try to control everything a little too much at times. WE need to chill out!

I’m going to be honest and I know a lot won’t want to hear or admit this, but this is an adult issue. We get frustrated watching sloppy baseball. We lack patience for all of it. We drink the kool-aid and are sold on “this is what you should do” instead of taking the time to educate ourselves. SLOW DOWN!

That poor baseball, those L’s, those W’s…They just don’t matter. What does matter…Passion for the game, determination to get better, using the lessons, being a great teammate, raising leaders, how we behave as parents, how we behave as coaches, the example we give, what we talk about at home with our kids, how we help them deal with failure, how we help them handle success…What does matter is the people we are raising.

Adults, we must check ourselves. Stop making the GAME bigger than what it is. Stop making the game about OUR feelings and emotions. Help them get the most out of the ability they were born with. If they truly love the game, you will see it in their eyes. You will see it in how they work. You will see it when they are on a losing team just as you would if they were on a wining team, BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE GAME.

It’s a game and we are always out there to come out on top but remember this, those wins, losses, trophies, seeding, ranking…Nope, they just don’t matter in the big picture. Mom, Dad, Coach, Grandpa, Grandma, your mindset matters. Your leadership matters. Their Character matters. Baseball is temporary, but the lessons are forever. Use the GAME to prepare them for LIFE. That’s what matters.

Chris Gissell (168 Posts)

Founder of Baseball Dudes. Blessed with three beautiful children and an amazing wife. Baseball is my life, after my family, and I love sharing what I have learned from it. Thanks for taking the time to view what we offer here at Baseball Dudes.

What’s the main objective? What’s the ultimate goal? What does this all lead to? Is it fame? Is it fortune? Is it success? Is it about us? Is it about them? What is it??

Let me give you a bit of my personal highs and lows in the game and as a person. But while I list them out, understand that these achievements and failures are not listed to say look at what I have done, they do not define me as a person, coach or athlete, but to show you the ups and downs I have experienced as a player and person and how they all played a part in who I am today.

– Played majors in LL as a 9 year old.
– Was a LL all star.
– Played LL as a 13 & 14 year old.
– Pitched from 46′ at 12 years old and then jumped to the big field as a 13 year old and didn’t start learning HS rules until then (have to mention this as so many these days think if you wait until this age you have no chance).
– Also played basketball and football as a youth.
– Moved to a new state before freshman year of HS.
– Had to convince HS coach to give me an opportunity as a freshman as to them I was just a new kid and they already had their starters picked out.
– Was NOT a four year varsity player (2 years).
– Was NOT a good student as a freshman and sophomore.
– Had a very rough patch as a person/son as a sophomore.
– Chose the wrong group of friends during those years.
– Did not get good SAT scores.
– Signed to attend a major college.
– Was drafted in the 4th round after being led to believe it would be the 1st.
– Had an up and down first half of my professional career.
– 1st child born in 7th year of career, 2nd in 9th year and 3rd during the 12th year.
– Was released twice before ever pitching in the big leagues.
– Right timing, right coach or a combination of the two, I started to finally figure it out as a 25 year old.
– Had multiple seasons where my performance was deserving of a call up to the big leagues that never came.
– Finished with 14 years pitched with roughly 1500 innings pitched, over 1200 strikeouts, 500+ walks allowed, 130+ HR’s allowed in my minor league career, lost many and won many with my fondest memory being giving up #160 to Pujols that went nearly 500 ft!
– Had plenty of days I was great and plenty of days where I was flat out awful. In the end, the days I was bad are why I was able to achieve what I did.
– Was a part owner of a failed indoor facility.
– Coached in the minor leagues with the Angels for 3 years, left on my own terms.
– Have been blessed to mentor and work with many young athletes and their families over the last 10ish years.

Again, this list is to give you a better understanding of what I have personally experienced, gone through as an athlete, person and coach and to hopefully really help you understand that when I my thoughts on if this matters or that matters, it’s not just smoke. Not just something I have read about in a book. Not just something out of a story someone told me, it’s ALL from personal experience, from working with others and helping/teaching them how to grow and maneuver this crazy sports world.

So now let’s talk about this a bit. What matters most? Is it being an all star? Is it playing with and against the best talent? Is it playing for the so called “best” organization? Is it traveling all over the country to play? Is it committing to a D1 school? Is it being drafted? Is it playing in the big leagues?

All tremendous achievements and all goals attained BUT what if none of these things happen for you or your child? Be it because of not developing early, not being able to afford the travel and fees associated with the “best” program or not having the talent to play college baseball or reach the big leagues. Does that mean you are a failure? If you are so consumed with the thought that these are the only definitions of success, then yes, in YOUR mind you are a failure. If you let these ideas define you, you will behave like a failure.

Coming from someone who was blessed to accomplish what most will not, please take my word for this, IT’S NOT WHAT MATTERS MOST!

Who you become as a person, MATTERS MOST. The people you raise as a parent, MATTERS MOST. The people you help along your way, MATTERS MOST. The difference you make in the lives of others, MATTERS MOST…The energy you put out there, MATTER MOST. PERIOD!!

**The PROCESS that each success and failure requires, the lessons you have learned and will learn, how you grow as a person and the characteristic traits you will develop, the toughness and compassion, the determination and will, the grit and perseverance, the me attitude that transforms into a you attitude, IS WHAT MATTERS MOST.

Achievements are goals attained. We all have our own talents, our own goals, our own dreams. As you work towards each and every one of them, pay attention to the PROCESS. The work ethic you are acquiring, the lessons you are learning, the person you are becoming, the type of leader you are growing into because…THIS IS WHAT MATTERS MOST.

Chris Gissell (168 Posts)

Founder of Baseball Dudes. Blessed with three beautiful children and an amazing wife. Baseball is my life, after my family, and I love sharing what I have learned from it. Thanks for taking the time to view what we offer here at Baseball Dudes.