KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL

Originally, I went into college as a two way player (pitcher/third baseman) but because I couldn’t seem to get people out at the college level, I was “forced” to just play in the field. This focus on “hitting only” helped me tremendously to become a career .400 collegiate hitter and had one season as high as .425. I believe if I continued to do both, I would never have hit as well as I did because I was never able to get focused on one thing. What we learn from baseball that can really translate into day to day life and help us be more successful in whatever we are doing. I fondly remember the counsel my college baseball coach gave me, he was a remarkable man who always seemed to say the right thing at the right time to me. While I was in a slump in my sophomore season I became so frustrated and would go back to the dugout and think about ... My feet; are they moving too much? My hips; am I rotating my hips? My hands; are they staying inside the ball? Follow through; am I getting extension? I was beating myself up ... What in the world is going on? At that time my coach put his hand on my shoulder and said (in a way that only he could) “Fallon, get a pitch to hit and don't miss it ... see damn the ball.” I laughed – then paused and realized I had overlooked the obvious and put so much pressure on all the things that were really insignificant and didn’t pay attention to what really matters most.

I was doing everything but getting a good pitch to hit and keeping my eye on the ball. I know I’m not alone and I see it happen all the time in baseball, in schools, in sports, and in life. Distractions cause us to lose our focus. We allow the trivial to get in the way of the meaningful. We fret about the past, worry about the future and take our focus off of the present. Bombarded by information and distractions we forget what is truly important. We focus on the outcome instead of the process and wonder why we miss our targets. We focus on everything else except the ball. Today I want to encourage you to keep your eye on the ball. Get back to the basics. Focus on the fundamentals. Remember what really matters. Identify the simple principles and actions that are crucial to your success at school and at home and keep your “eye on the ball.” Simplify, Focus, Execute – and have a great day!

When you take this philosophy to college recruiting, most people never keep their eye on the ball because they usually don’t even know where the ball is or even what the ball is? Do you need help identifying what schools are realistic? Do you need help contacting those schools and saying the right things? Do you wonder why college coaches are not contacting you?

If you need help, that is what I do. I’d be happy to help you get focused on the “ball”. I will be at the following locations on the dates listed, if you’d like to block out your hour, please email me at jefffallon12@gmail.com or you can schedule yourself in on our website at www.fallonsports.org