I was drafted in 1996 (yes I’m old) and my first manager was Sandy Alomar Sr. I graduated HS that year and three days after graduation I found myself on a plane to rookie ball. At the time I had no idea I was about to embark on a period of my life that would take me and my family all over the country and world. It gave me 14 years as a player and over 1,500 innings pitched. I’ll forever be grateful for not only the baseball experience but the men and leaders the game put in front of me.

The culture I found myself in was about development EVERY SINGLE DAY. The teaching was relentless. From team fundamentals, to PFP’s, to learning new routines to the mental side of the game. Now that I look back on it, I have no doubt it’s the main reason behind my beliefs and direction as a teacher and coach.

That first year of Rookie Ball I experienced a level of development I honestly haven’t seen since. Position players were taught the game and left to play. They put on their own hit and runs, own stolen bases and own sac bunts. They called their own 1st & 3rd defense and bunt plays. As for us pitchers and catchers, it was on us. We would discuss game plan and approach before the game/series and then work together in game and between innings. Of course they were there as coaches to give feedback and teach as the games went on and looking back on it, what an amazing way to teach the game. So fun!!

Now this wasn’t the approach of every coach I had in pro ball but from a pitcher and catcher standpoint, running the game was our job every game at every level. Building game awareness, game IQ and self confidence was the goal.

As the years went on, and our competition got better, so did we. We had to if we wanted to last. We had to find ways to get the upper hand. The mental and strategic side of the game was the easiest way to be different since at that level EVERYONE has the physical abilities.

I’m a believer in teaching the game, letting them play, learning from the game, letting them play (yes I meant to write that again!) and being the teacher and leader they need.

Chris Gissell (171 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.

Let’s talk leadership for a few minutes. What is it? What does it mean?? What does it look like??? Why is it so important????

In my words…

Leadership is the act of leading others. Someone who others look to for direction, advice, guidance, encouragement, support and an example of how to behave, work, focus and relate to others. Leadership is the foundation a group is built around. The quality of leadership will be seen in those around it.

The best leaders we will ever come across take their opportunity seriously. They understand the impact they can have. They know when to be loose and when it’s time to be serious. They carry themselves in a way that garners respect and trust. Their moral integrity is unbreakable, they are firm in their beliefs, they can’t be bought, they don’t get caught up in nonsense and they stay the course.

Think of any adjective used to describe someone who is highly respected and you will see a list of words that show why they make such a difference. This will lead to those looking to them start to emulate their behaviors. A team, organization, town, city, state, country, world full of people of integrity with an innate ability to lead we will see people come together, work together and fight evil together.

Leadership IS the difference maker. It’s why when teams, businesses, cities, states and countries start to fall apart and can’t seem to recover you see leadership changes. Many try hard to be good leaders but not everyone is meant to do it well. Weaknesses within lead to poor judgement, poor choices and consistent mistakes they can’t seem to recover from.

Leadership starts at home. This is where many attributes in a person start. From there we come across “leaders” in many areas of our lives. Our character is formed as we grow and experience life. Beliefs may change as the years go on but leadership is leadership. It’s a vital piece to unity.

Chris Gissell (171 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.

I am 45 years old. Grew up in Concord, CA until I was about 14 years old. We moved to Vancouver, WA the summer before my freshman year of high school and moved to Tyler, TX about 2 years ago.

Let me give you a little history…

My parents recently did the parent thing and broke out old video to enjoy some laughs and some memories. There was a lot of amazing video that was great to see. But one thing I realized was that I didn’t remember any of it. Video from when I was 11/12 years old to video of me playing ball in HS. I remember the people of course, but the moments…Well the memories are few and far between.

One video showed me acting like a complete fool towards my sister. In a teasing manner but when I see my actions, it’s quite embarrassing. In another video, I watched myself pitch in a Freshman HS game. Though I was tall and had a decent arm, my delivery left a lot to be desired compared with what I know now.

Through HS, I wasn’t the best son or student. Especially those first couple years. When I look back, this was right after we moved. The biggest reasoning for this was who I chose to spend my time with. My grades were awful. I spent most of my time around unmotivated people and I constantly disrespected those who had provided the most for me my whole life, my parents.

Blame it on puberty, blame it on moving, blame it on whatever. All I know is that I was going down the wrong path.

Through all this, my parents had faith. Things started to turn around and it all revolved around Baseball. The possibility of being able to play beyond HS started to become a reality but I had to make some big adjustments and improvements, starting with my school work. It was a big uphill battle but I was able to make enough changes to sign a scholarship to a major college.

I was drafted out of HS and chose to go that route. Three days after graduating, I was off. I had to learn how to take care of myself in a hurry.

Seven years into my career, our first child was born. He is now almost 20 years old and looking back, that was the moment in my life that everything changed. All of a sudden I had someone else to provide for and take care of. I realized that there was more to life than myself and baseball.

We were blessed with seven more years of traveling and playing baseball. During those years, we had two more beautiful children. We spent a lot of time apart but we also traveled the country and even overseas together. During all those years, I’m always surprised at what I remember most. Not the games I pitched or the championships we won but the ups and downs of being parents.

After my playing days were done, we found ourselves still fortunate to travel the US but now it was because of coaching. We did that for three years until we decided to step away from the pro game and focus on teaching, guiding and mentoring our local ball players and their families.

During those years as a player and coach, all the traveling, being around so many different people with so many different upbringings and experiences while raising a family in the process… Let’s just say it has all taught me so much.

13 things life has taught me…

1) Relationships are first and foremost. With your family, spouse, friends, students or players.

2) As adults, we most likely won’t remember many of the details of our youth, but all the moments along the way molded us. Think of it like this, in youth Baseball, it’s not the games and the outcomes that a child will remember, it’s the little things like someone showing faith in them when they fail or someone belittling them and pushing them to the side when they make mistakes that will develop their self esteem and teach them how to trust or not trust.

3) Puberty can be hard on anyone. It hits everyone different. My parents persevered. Realizing what I put them through has helped me as a parent of now three teenagers.

4) Baseball is a game. A game that should be fun and played to win. But the life lessons it can teach you, 1000% outweigh one’s physical ability, how many trophies or rings they win, how many homers they hit, how many guys they strike out, how hard they throw or where the game takes them.

5) Character > Athleticism

6) Playing the game is tough. Coaching the game is tough. Parenting is tough. Growing up is tough. Play it the best you can. Teach it the best you can. Raise them the best you can. Learn as much as you can.

7) You can’t teach experience but experience doesn’t always mean better. It means you may have more to share from but not everyone is a teacher. Playing and coaching are two very different things.

8) Knowledge is power. Gain as much information on the subject as you can before you start making choices and decisions.

9) We are a product of what we surround ourselves with. Do the things we choose to have in our life provide positive and encouraging thoughts or do they breed negativity and put us in a place of constant bitterness to what is happening around us? I suggest filling your head with as much motivation as you can. Life is tough enough!

10) Everyone has different opinions. Different feelings on topics. Different ideas and different approaches. IT’S OK! We don’t all have to see eye to eye on everything.

11) There are two kinds of coaches. Transactional and Transformational. Learn the difference between the two. Personally I strive to be Transformational and breathe to help others become this type of mentor.

12) Too many adults often forget how hard it was growing up and how hard this game is. Many have lost perspective that the number one goal is raising people. Developing quality people. They get so caught up in, and become obsessed with, the outcome of a game, that they become blinded to the children that are standing before them learning how to live.

13) FAMILY IS EVERYTHING!!

The game is called “Life.” In our world, Baseball is an amazing tool we get to use to teach with. The lessons that it teaches are endless. It’s not for everyone and very few in this world understand the passion we all have for it, but I recommend we all learn to use it for goodness and not greed.

What the game of Life has taught me.

Chris Gissell (171 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.

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 (171 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.