Taking Sports Beyond the Intellect

Here is the short reply.

There are more players who have not signed professionally but have the capability to compete head-to-head with the 700 or so now playing.

More people than not would consider this a foolish, if not a ridiculous, statement. Our intellect tells us that’s impossible, and our common sense is derived from the beliefs we have.

Great teams don’t use their intellect alone. There are many factors at work when finally making a decision to sign a player or bring someone up to perform in the Big Leagues, but, ultimately, it comes down to a hunch that this player will prove to be what was expected.

The reason a player never makes it to the Big Leagues is the same reason a major leaguer hitting .200 isn't hitting .300 or .340.

This conversation is about breaking out of the limiting way of thinking that owners and scouts have with regard to finding talent. I assert that in the next few years a number of teams will understand more fully the effect our emotions have on the net results a player and team has over the course of its existence.

The organization and its players reflect one another. The results are the mirror in which you can see the reflection.

So there is still hope for everyone.

Athletes have long known (at least intellectually) that emotions precede thoughts and thoughts precede actions and actions precede results. However, it is an intellectually-based knowing and this way of understanding, for the most part, is not of much value.

For instance, everyone agrees that “thinking positive” is important.  Don’t you tell your sons and daughters to go out and be positive, to not be negative, and you’ll do better in the game? But why is that? Think about that for a minute.  Do you know what is taking place?  Why thinking positive might be of value?

You will get a hit or not in your next at bat. If you think being positive has an effect, why? Are you saying there is some better vibration occurring? Saying you think positive is distinctly different than being in a certain way that we call positive.

How far back can you remember the talk of getting yourself “psyched up," or “getting centered," "quieting the chatter," "getting in the zone," or "staying focused," prior to your next swing or pitch, drive, putt, shot?

Staying focused? On what?

In my blog, In Baseball, Focus Matters, But On What?, this entire subject matter is made available to its readers and is dedicated to advancing the understanding of the proper focus of attention for success in the world of baseball. High school athletes are in the best position to benefit from this, as they are young enough and open enough to ponder these abstractions.