Everybody loves a good game plan.  Put all our ducks in a row and just knock em down one at a time.   Make the youth team, make the all-star team, make the freshman/JV team, make varsity, get a scholarship, get drafted in the first round, spend a couple days in the minor leagues, get called up, dominate in the big leagues, become an all-star, then the hall of fame.  Sounds simple enough…right?

Planning your baseball career is like planning the weather.   You can do a little forecasting and try to predict but it’s better to prepare for what comes your way.  Most baseball players end up with a story that could not have been predicted or planned.  We all have a common goal in mind but the path to get there is different,  but the same in its unpredictability.   The fact is, we can only control so much in this great game.  We can control how hard we work and what we choose to work on.  Other than that, we are at the mercy of other people making decisions for us.  Whether its coaches, umpires, scorekeepers, scouts, front office, parents, teammates, etc….we simply cant control their decisions.   Some call it politics, some call it baseball.  Either way, it is what it is.  The best we can do is be consistent with our goals and work hard to reach them.  Baseball has a funny way of weeding out players that don’t stick to their goals and lack work ethic.  It also has a way of weeding out parents that focus on the “politics.”

Here are some facts about competitiveness and succeeding in baseball.

Fact #1 –  Everyone wants to win (games,starting positions, scholarships, recognition, etc…).

Fact #2 – You wont win when you think you should (It is what it is).

Fact #3 – How you handle Fact #2 will determine how Fact #1 goes.

My best advice for planning your baseball future is to first decide how hard you’re willing to work.  Once you’ve decided that, then commit to it regardless of your current situation.  Hard work WILL pay off and every level you climb, recommit.