This is a five part series about how I was able to play at the Division one level after sitting on the bench in Junior College for three years.
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
In the previous post I gave a brief account of my experiences while sitting on the bench for three years. The first point that I made in regards to how I was able to eventually become a starting player after lack of playing time was that I was fairly persistent and was driven by a vision not necessarily to succeed but to simply continue on playing despite my present circumstances.
Another factor that played an important role in me being able to turn around my baseball career was my ability to be humble.
In the previous post, I made it clear that I had for the most part, confidence in my ability and that in many ways I felt that I was better than some of the starters. This belief however didn’t come from a sense of entitlement. I felt I deserved to play everyday because I had earned it. I was a hard worker. Fortunately, I learned at an early age that similar to life, baseball is not always fair. It was a hard lesson to learn which supported it’s existence with a few set-backs, but during this time I read a quote in high-school that I had truly provided the most unique and valuable perspective that I could have had at that time.
Baseball will give you every opportunity to succeed, then the next day will put every ounce of pressure on you to prove that you don’t have what it takes. It will never ease up on the pressure, and will never take away the opportunity.
I realized that baseball didn’t owe me anything, and that if nothing else, I was the one indebted. Being able to put on a uniform on in good health was a privilege in it’s self. I had plenty to be thankful for despite my seemingly dismal baseball situation and this concept alone allowed me to be humbled. This allowed me to continue to work hard, keep my head held high and focus on what I wanted and off of what I didn’t.
4 replies to "How to earn playing time when sitting on the bench-Part 2"
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There was a lot of second guessing going on actually. Many lonely nights feeling frustrated. In many ways I knew that I was in the wrong place. The environment was simply not the best one for players to prepare themselves for the next level. Despite this, I don’t have any regrets because I was still able to play at the next level even though the learning curve was much more intense from the lack of experience and playing time.
If your son is ever in a situation where you think your son has developed but is not getting the playing time he needs, consider playing somewhere else. Gathering experience is absolutely essential in developing skill.
@google-d1c43ad01d89609b65ce7a50e270e81e:disqus email me an address, I want to send you something that really helped me through college.
Great posts. That’s a tremendous amount of determination that you had. Did you ever second guess yourself about whether you were in the right place? Once you made up your mind to never quit, did you wonder if maybe a different program might have noticed your talent earlier?