Eventually I Will be Fired and I’m O.K. with It I’ve come to grips with the fact that at some point in my professional career I’ll either be fired or forced to resign. It is a freeing feeling to come to this conclusion and accept it. Please let me explain. In the coaching profession, there are a […]
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“Crossed Off My List” Understanding Monsters and Angels
My thoughts are cluttered from a trend on Twitter. Coaches are getting tons of likes and retweets by bashing kids’ behaviors. “Crossing kids off the list” has been the go-to phrase. Had to cross a player off my list. He slammed his helmet after he struck out. I don’t want him in my program. Saw […]
Embrace all the Emotions
Our baseball season came to an end last week. We lost the regional final game 2-0 to the #1 team in the country. One win away from the College World Series….so close but so far away. It’s hard to describe the ending of a season. You are going 1000 miles an hour and then it […]
Michael’s Home! An Unspoken Tip From My Late Father
I recently watched ESPN anchor, Scott Van Pelt, do an amazing tribute to his father. Scott’s dad passed away in 1988; 31 years later he still feels the pain. SVP inspired me to share a brief story about my father. My dad passed away over 10 years ago in 2008. He never met our four […]
A Unified Front
My memory stinks. I do, however, have a few vivid memories that I’ll never forget. My first pregame coaching staff meeting comes to mind. I walked into this meeting completely unprepared. Just three years removed from college, I was still a player at heart. I thought, “how hard could this be?” Brian Brewer, who was in his […]
Don’t Let Work Be Your Identity
I wanted to share two videos that that have impacted me greatly. Both short clips center around the idea that we can’t let what we do for a living be our identity. The first video is a heartwarming story about a nine year-old boy’s letter to Baltimore Orioles player, Chris Davis. Davis was marred in the worst slump in […]
Leadership Can Be Lonely
We had two big bounce back wins yesterday. While I am proud of the way our team responded, I still had a restless night of sleep. Here’s what was on my mind: Sadness for the players who didn’t travel. Disappointment for letting my ego get the best of me (from the disappointing losses). Guilt for […]
Finding Your Sweet Spot
Professional baseball players use wood bats typically 33-35 inches long. Wood bats have a “sweet spot” or “sweet zone” about 2 inches wide on the barrel. If contact is not made on the sweet spot a rattle is felt that stings the hands. However, when contact is made on the sweet spot, the hitter feels nothing. The ball […]
Tough Decisions, Silk Pajamas, and Doing Hard Things
Good Monday morning! I have three short shares this week. If you have the opportunity, send me a quick note and let me know how you are doing. To Suspend or Not Suspend: Former teammates and Tampa Bay Buccaneers greats John Lynch, Derrick Brooks, and Warren Sapp joined the Rich Eisen Show for a […]
A Willingness to Share
I heard an uplifting story this spring. The setting was a major league baseball training facility. A young prospect was in big league camp vying for a roster spot. This player is talented and thought to be the centerfielder of the future. The team had a veteran in that position who was expected to be the starter when […]