Over the last 14 years, the Hard 90 Baseball Organization has participated in over 2,500 tournaments. Through this time we have gained a ton of experience in tournament ball - but also what it takes for a player (and his family) to be successful in tournament ball. Parents play a huge role in that success.
After tournament, here are some of the common reactions we have seen:
Elite Player - player never came off the field, hit in the heart of the order. Pitched one of the games.
-Good weekend - nice job! Let's keep working hard.
-Bad weekend - that was a rough weekend. Assess what went wrong. Let's work harder this week.
-Training regimen: Hit 4-5 days per week. 1-2 private hitting lessons per week. Catch 4-5 days per week. Fielding practice 2-3 days per week. Strength and conditioning 2-3 days per week.
Average Player - player plays most of the time, hits at the lower middle to bottom of the order. In the lineup in elimination games. Some time pitching.
-Good weekend - nice job! Stay the course. Hopefully the coach notices and moves you up in the order.
-Bad weekend - that was a bummer. Not your fault - defense should have been better behind you. Umpire wasn't great. The coach made some bad decisions.
-Training regimen: Hit 2-3 days per week. Some private lessons, but not consistent. Catch at practice. Fielding at practice. No strength and conditioning.
Below Average Player - player plays minimal time and rotates often, hits at the bottom of the order. Not in the lineup in elimination games. No time pitching.
-Good weekend - awesome job! Stay the course. That coach better notice what a great job you did!
-Bad weekend - that sucked. The coach is not good, the rest of the team is not good, the umpires were bad. We should really start looking for another team.
-Training regimen: Hit at practice. Catch at practice. Fielding at practice. Practice attendance spotty. No private lessons. No strength and conditioning.
While we wish there was some magic pixie dust that we could sprinkle and make every player that walked through our doors elite - that is simply not the case. The common attribute of the elite player is attitude and effort. Elite players outwork everyone else.
Elite players take responsibility for their play. Assessment starts with the player - all training plans are designed for achievement of specific goals.
Want to be an elite player - start today. Get an honest assessment, set specific and measurable goals and work like crazy to achieve them. Do not expect overnight success!