Trying Too Hard Can Work Against You

Here is one of our older blog posts that we think deserves another look. 

As a college baseball prospect, a lot of pressure falls on your shoulders to play well. Players who can’t handle pressure can end up getting crossed off recruiters’ lists. Coaches can tell when a player is pressing, or trying too hard. They can see right away when a guy is trying to do something he isn’t skilled enough to do,  like a little scrapper trying to hit bombs in BP, it just isn’t his game and it won’t show his skills. 

Coaches want a guy who works hard, trusts his training, and can handle the moment. They look for what one coach called “relaxed confidence.” When you are relaxed and playing  your  game, you will be able to show your skills at their best because you won’t be trying to do too much. Of course, relaxing in these situations is easier said than done. In order to relax, you have to mentally check in with yourself constantly throughout the game.

Players should mentally refocus on a  pitch-by-pitch  basis. A college-level player knows that every pitch has a new plan and a new purpose. It takes a lot of mental effort, but it’s the only way to keep yourself under control when all the outside factors tell you that you should be doing too much. 

Relaxing does not mean you shouldn’t work hard! Working hard is a prerequisite of playing college baseball. But working hard does not mean  coming unglued every swing or trying to do too much.  It means confidently playing to  your  strengths and putting max effort into everything you do on the field. It means you  will need to sprint your 90’s, dive at balls you may not be able to get to, make the smart plays, take  the extra base, and do what you need to get noticed for the right reasons!  

Coaches and recruiters will want to see your skills but they recognize that you might make mistakes. Coaches have told us they are looking for “great team guys who play the game hard” and players who are “going to hustle and compete” every time they are out on the field. That means that staying positive and putting in max effort go a long way even when luck or bad hops work against you. 

All high school players will want the recruiters to put their names on the top of their lists, but you won’t be able to force it. Instead of pressing and trying too hard, the best way to impress a college coach is to trust yourself, trust the work you’ve put into preparing for the game, play relaxed, play confident, and play hard.