February 17, 2009
Full Squad Workout, First Day
By Chad Durbin, Showcase U Co-founder
What a great time of the year, especially this year, in this Spring Training Camp. We're defending a World Series Championship! And, what an honor!
I try to tie baseball recruiting, or any sport's recruiting process, from a personal standpoint--into my career and my daily routines. I think about winning a World Series and ask, "How did we do it?" The answer isn't simple, nor is it complex. The answer? ONE DAY AT A TIME. As a player, you get up early during Spring Training and workout, run, throw, work on your strengths, and it is also one of the best times to work on your weaknesses.
For many high school athletes, there's an enormous sense of urgency (rightfully so) to get to the next level. On and off the field there's work to be done. On the field, it is structured by your coaches and you work with your team. It's great and a wonderful time when you reflect back on it years from now. Off the field, there are so many variables to touch upon. I'm going to stick to a couple for the sake of this blog.
Off the field, in regards to marketing yourself to colleges, is a "one day at a time" process. Having a vision of where you want to be, creating a gameplan, and sticking to that gameplan is essential. If your grades need some fine tuning, get in those classrooms and talk to your teachers--they care and will do what they can to steer you right. If you haven't put a video up yet, on ShowcaseU.com, talk to your coach or your parents to see when the next available time might be to knock that out.
For instance, today I'm throwing my 2nd side session, or bullpen, of Spring Training. I know what I want to feel like on the mound come April 5th, but I have a specific plan for each day coming. Today I'm going to command my fastball below the catcher's mitt, down in the zone. It's a simple plan today, but keeping the ball down is a difficult process to repeat mechanically. So, I'll concentrate on staying over the rubber as long as I can and maintaining my athletic posture down the slope of the mound. After our workout, I'll take down some key notes and try to improve next time on the mound. I'll also work on those specifics when I play catch the next day, because it is important to stay focused on throwing the baseball correctly every time you play catch or throw. It's more fun to do it right.
I'm going to try to write a blog five times a week. Some weeks I'll come up short, some weeks there will be an extra blog or two. Hopefully, I'll make some sense and keep everyone up to speed on how my baseball life relates to Athletic Recruiting and Showcasing Yourself. Talk to you soon