1. CARRY YOUR OWN STUFF - It's VERY important as a step to personal responsibility. Too many parents carry their child's equipment to and from the ballpark; and while these parents are probably trying to help their kids, they're really doing them a disservice. It's your stuff, so you need to take care of it. You need to clean it if it's dirty, dry it if it's wet, know where it is when you need it and carry it when you’re going to and from practice and games. Baseball players are not golfers so we don't have caddies that carry our equipment around for us. If you need it then you should carry it!

2. THE HARDER IT IS TO DO, THE BETTER YOU BECOME WHEN YOU DO IT - Hard work matters because it is "hard" and that means not everyone can do it! It means if you work hard enough and are then able to do something that's considered "hard" then you're special. Work harder to do things that are hard instead of saying "that's hard" and then quitting. The easiest path won't get you anywhere - it's not about getting the best bat or the most expensive glove or the coolest shoes if your swing stinks, you can't catch anything and you're out of shape and slow. Too many players want the easiest way to get something and if anything involves hard work then there's an excuse why it can't happen. The harder something is to do, the better you are when you do it. Playing college baseball is hard and coaches are looking for players that thrive when things get hard, they aren't looking for players that say "that's too hard" and quit.

3. MAKE PLAYS, NOT EXCUSES - The excuses usually come first from the parent and then from the player. The parent is quick to point out why the kid couldn't practice this whole week, and why he wasn't able to pitch well in the last game and why he isn't getting good grades…..meanwhile they carry all the players equipment to and from the parking lot before rushing off to the snack bar to buy the player a drink. Helping your child is one thing, but making excuses for them only teaches them to make excuses for themselves. Sports aren't about excuses, they're about results. So practice making results instead of excuses.

4. STOP TALKING AND START PLAYING – No coach wants to hear why you couldn't practice; they want to see that you did practice. They don't want to hear why you couldn't' throw strikes because the umpire wasn't calling anything outside, they want to see that you were able to recognize the strike zone and immediately shift your pitch just enough to get the strike called. Talk less and play more!

5. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY - Own up for your actions no matter what the outcome. If you made the pitch whether it's good or bad, own it. Work harder to own your actions and skills and quit putting your efforts into excuses about why you couldn't or didn't succeed. Everyone knows you weren't out there trying to blow it. If you struck out with the bases loaded everyone knows you weren't trying to do that, so quit making excuses about why you did. Instead, work harder to figure out what you learned from the situation and how you'll use that knowledge to succeed the next chance you get; because you will get another chance! Remember that if you own it when things go good you've got to own it when things don't go so well!

6. SAY PLEASE AND THANK YOU – Be polite to your parents, to your coaches and to your teammates. Being nice to each other matters! Be humble and grateful.

7. REMEMBER THAT THE GAME DOESN’T KNOW - The game doesn't know which team is favored. It doesn't know which team is the underdog, which team won yesterday, which team has never won, which team plays in warm weather and which team never gets outside until mid-April. The game only knows what you're doing right now so you must play as hard and as smart as possible right now because the game doesn't know your team is supposed to win; it only knows that the other team worked harder and won! So play "in the moment baseball" because the game doesn't know.

8. BE READY - Be prepared when your name is called, when the ball is hit to you, when you're called on to get the bunt down, when your team needs you to strike out a batter, when your team needs your leadership. Whatever it is, be ready! Instead of sitting on the bench complaining that you don't get to play as much as you think you should, or as much as your parents think you should, be ready when you do get to play. Put your practice in, pay attention during games and be ready so when you do get to go in you'll be so good that they'll never take you out! Be ready, be positive instead of being negative!

9. PAY ATTENTION – Watch. Look at things that matter. Look to see if their infield is playing back, if their pitcher is always throwing the first pitch for a strike, if the runner before you got on and you'll probably need to bunt. Pay attention to anything that might matter and help you play better and help your team win! Cheering is ok, but don't miss seeing the important stuff because you were doing a cheer. You don't get extra runs for cheering better than the other teams so watch while you cheer.

10. REMEMBER THAT YOU’RE A TEAMMATE, NOT THE TEAM - There is no ‘I’ in team, but there is in WIN.

Hey Mom; It is meant for serious travel, HS & college players...

Hey Mom; It is meant for serious travel, HS & college players...