“All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” – Walt Disney
While majority of people would agree that getting kicked in the teeth would hurt in the moment, sometimes it could be the greatest thing that happens to you. What do you think would make this a great moment? There are many scenarios. For example, I was playing first base in my second year of affiliated ball when I got a smoldering line drive shot hit to me by a Cincinnati Reds prospect. My reaction was to be aggressive since the ball was hit low and had topspin so I went for the short hop. Next thing I know, I am on the ground with nearly a hole in my lip and had to exit the game in case of a concussion and to stop the bleeding. It was a terrible situation, but it was an invaluable teaching moment. I have gotten plays like that after that time and because I got hit hard in the mouth by the baseball, I did not want that to happen again which meant I had to go about the play differently. Being at first base, I have more time to get the out at first so I use the drop step to create a long hop for myself in all similar situations.
We all face adversity as ballplayers, especially when it comes to hitting. Hitting is one of the hardest thing to do in all of sports and the best hitters have a 30-40% success rate. This can wear and tear on a hitter’s mind especially when they do not know how to deal with the difficulty of hitting. The same may be said for all aspects of baseball such as pitching or fielding. Like anything, this takes practice and the purpose of this article is to give some actionable tools to help you deal with any situation.
Here are 3 steps to dealing with adversity in any given situation:
1. Breathe
Your breath is extremely important when it comes to dealing with adversity. Taking deep breaths will allow you to stay calm and relaxed in any given situation. The more you are aware of this, the better you are able to slow the game down and prepare yourself for the next play.
2. Shift your Mindset From Past to Present
Not all types of adversity can be solved between plays or overnight. Slumps may take a while to get out of and every hitter goes though them. Trust me, it is no fun to be in one. I used to catch myself thinking of the periods I slump in and really live in the past which has negative effects on my mindset. One thing you can do is to shift your mindset to focus on your future instead of the past. All past at-bats mean nothing in the moment. It does not matter if you went 0 for 20 or 20 for 20, the next at-bat you take should not be dictated by your recent ones. It is important to treat each at-bat like a new at-bat. Look forward to stepping into the box instead of dreading it.
3. Take Action
Be proactive about your situation. If you are struggling, recognize it, take a deep breath, and ask yourself “what can I do to turn my situation around?” I have seen many players play victim to their situation and lose hope very quickly. They accept their failures and do nothing about it. This will ensure that they will stay a mediocre player, which no one wants. It may not be their fault since they may not know how to deal with adversity, but with the awareness and the knowledge, every single player has the ability to overcome any situation they face.
Remember, we all face adversity. We have complete control of how we respond to it. With the tips above, we will conquer every situation!
