Baseball Factory Four Point Check List – Part 2

Steve Sclafani: All Access Pass

What type of training am I doing over the summer to improve my game? It is time to take a self-inventory.

Last week we discussed point one of the Baseball Factory Four Point Monthly Check List: What am I doing to improve myself each month academically? Hopefully all of you picked one subject to improve upon this summer and are successfully moving towards your academic monthly goal.

This week I would like to discuss point two on our Check List: What am I doing to improve my baseball skills?

I will address game competition next week, but let’s spend some time this week discussing how to improve our individual skills. For more on the physical aspects of this topic you can check out Steve Bernhardt’s blog, “Building the Better Baseball Player.” I am going to focus more on the mental side of Player and Self Development.

One of the best ways to improve as a player is to take a self-inventory. How many times have you really sat down to assess what makes you tick as a person? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? I know you are probably thinking to yourself “What does this have to do with becoming a better ball player?” But, in my opinion, it means everything.

For example, if you are an anxious person by nature than just training your swing to become better mechanically will not necessarily result in you becoming a better hitter. You will need to work on relaxation and breathing techniques (yoga/meditation) so you can get your emotions under control and get the most out of your ability.

Stay with me now, I know what you’re thinking…I am a tough baseball player and this doesn’t sound like my cup of tea, but being open minded to new ways of approaching your skill and personal development is very important to your growth.

No doubt it is very important to work on skill specific deficiencies to improve your game, but many times pealing the onion and learning more about yourself will help you to improve quicker as a player and reach your true potential. Many players become disinterested in the game when their skills don’t translate into a game situation. They practice day after day, ground ball after ground ball, swing after swing, but never get to the root of the problem. The definition of burnout is when you feel you are putting in more than you are getting out of any one situation.

Let’s say you attended a Baseball Factory event or tryout and received an honest evaluation on what you needed to work on. Well, now you’re well on your way to becoming a better baseball player because knowing where you stand nationally and your strengths and weaknesses is half the battle.

Your next step will be to begin a rigorous program to improve your weaknesses. Many players we see across the country at our Under Armour National Tryouts go on to Baseball Factory Player Development events where both the mental and physical parts of the game are worked on in order to build the complete baseball player. Taking a step back and asking yourself the following questions will help you to re-focus so you can maximize your practice sessions:

1) Am I a better hitter/player in practice or game situations?
2) Is my work ethic helping or hurting my game?
3) Am I truly a good listener and coachable or do I go back to doing things “my way” during times of stress/crisis (slump)?
4) Do I really want to improve or am I just going through the motions?
5) How do I handle adversity? If I make an out do I throw the helmet or am I confident I will get a hit my next at-bat?

Rick Sofield, Baseball Factory Consultant and Instructor has designed a life skills questionnaire that takes this self-inventory check list to a whole new level. Click Here to check it out and take inventory of yourself.

Knowing who you are as a person and what makes you tick will make your skill specific training that much more valuable and allow you to flourish both on and off the field.
Before putting on your glove or picking up the bat, get your head on straight!

Next week we will discuss tournament competition.


Steve Sclafani is the CEO and Founder of Baseball Factory. Steve's ability to create new opportunities for baseball players nationwide and to develop exposure vehicles for players has revolutionized the player development and recruiting industry. His contacts and strategic partnerships have led the way to Baseball Factory being recognized as the top recruiting service by The National High School Baseball Coaches Association. Steve's scouting ability and penchant for matching players up to the right college baseball programs has lead to over 10,000 Baseball Factory and Team One players playing college baseball, $500 million in scholarships, and over 1,500 players selected in the MLB draft. Steve is a 1993 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where he played second base.