A few weeks ago, I was on a plane headed to Ohio to work with some youth athletes. During the flight, I picked up a new book by Clint Hurdle, a former big league manager and baseball lifer. Hurdle-isms takes a dive into the lessons he learned at the highest level of baseball, as well as the life lessons that come with a career in the game.
In the book, he mentioned several things that he likes to mention to youth ballplayers whenever he has the chance to. His three words of advice were:
Have fun by just playing the game.
Be a good teammate by celebrating your teammates when they have success.
Don’t lose your stuff. Leave with what you came with. This will make your parents happy even if you don’t get any hits.
It’s easy to forget that baseball is supposed to be fun, especially when you’re struggling on the mound or can’t seem to get a hit. But Clint’s reminder to enjoy the game—not just when you’re succeeding, but just in the act of playing itself—is a mindset shift that I believe more kids (and parents) need to embrace.
As for being a good teammate—how often do we find ourselves secretly hoping our teammates mess up so we can look better? We need to do a better job of genuinely celebrating our teammates’ successes. After all, if they win, we win. I’ve seen players who’d be happy to see a teammate make a few errors if it meant getting a shot at their position or moving up the lineup.
“Don’t lose your stuff” is another simple yet impactful piece of advice. As a youth athlete, how many times did you forget your glove, bat, or—worst of all—your cleats? There’s nothing worse than realizing you left something behind while on the way to the field. Even if you didn’t have the best game, at least you were accountable and didn’t leave anything behind in the dugout.
These lessons come from a man with decades of experience in the big leagues, yet they’re simple. Baseball, at its core, is simple. It’s the little things—the attitude, the mindset, and the accountability—that make all the difference. So, are you having fun, being a good teammate, and staying accountable?
Social Media: @billythebatboy
