By Warren Morris
How do you win at the game of baseball? That’s a question I spent a good amount of my time working to answer growing up and into my early adulthood.
There are timeless clichés like ‘practice makes perfect’ and ‘there is no I in team’. Both are absolutely true. The best teams hone their craft and learn to play well together. When everyone is on the same page and doing their all to help the team, great things can happen. Details matter, too … my LSU coach Skip Bertman always said, “if you take care of the little things, the wins and losses will take care of themselves.” That’s what personal excellence is all about … giving your best in big and small ways so that you can achieve greater things.
But that’s not the end of it … by being the best you, the team benefits as well.
I love the fact that, although baseball is a team sport, there is an individual factor to the game, also. Unlike other team sports like football where teammates can block for you or in basketball where they can set a screen to keep away the defender, in baseball, the showdown between the pitcher and the batter is completely one-on-one. There’s no one there to bat or pitch for you. When it’s your turn, you have to use your own confidence and ability to come through not just for yourself, but also for the good of the team.
I think life is a lot like that. While we are all a part of a team … at home, at work, at church, in organizations, and clubs … at some point, it comes down to our own personal ability to get the job done. When it’s your turn at bat, you want to be confident and prepared to come through. But the great thing about a team is you never have to feel you are on an island with no help. In fact, one of the top boosts to your own personal growth is surrounding yourself with the best people. Lean on the support groups you have around you in your community. Get involved in your area and take pride in building it into a winner! Commit to being the best teammate you can be!
Together we all make a great team!
