It Is Easy To Stand Out From The Crowd

Sometimes we wonder why so many players have good intentions but never get around to doing the things that will make them great. Last week it hit me. Who is setting the example for them?
This is a story of the world in which we live. Three weeks ago we asked a painter to give us an estimate on doing some things on our house. Time passed. The same day I asked a contractor to replace some gutters. This was the second contractor I called because the first never returned my calls. Time passed. Last week I shook hands on a deal to buy a brand new car. The dealer offered to add a tiny option I wanted. A week later they can’t get the job done or tell me when it will be ready. We counted up four other projects we wanted to do and had set aside the cash to pay for each. In every case the person doing the job was in no hurry to get started. Fortunately, we know all of them and know they will eventually get back to us but we don’t like doing business in that way.
The point is this. It is not hard to stand out from the crowd. All that is required is for you to do what you say you will do.
We often work with a pitcher and suggest that she needs better core strength, hip flexibility, or to strengthen her scaps. Two months later nothing significant has happened. She meant to get around to it but was just too busy. The kid who actually does the work blows right past her.
I worked with a kid who was so badly out of shape that she had to rest after a few pitches. I pulled her dad aside and told him that she needed his support to get on a program and lose some weight and build a more athletic body. “Yeah”, he said, “I have been thinking about doing something like that. Gotta get around to it sometime”. Hmmm.
A few months ago I met a young kid who needed a lot of work. She impressed me by writing down everything we discussed in great detail, making sure she grasped each concept. Every time she returned for a lesson she had accomplished everything I suggested in exactly the way I intended. One day I mentioned that she had some issues with strength and flexibility, and she immediately had our strength trainer develop a program just for her. She was faithful to the program and it showed. So, did this kid do anything exceptional? No she just did what she said she would do. Yet, that is exceptional in today’s world. Because of that, this little 13-year-old recently became the youngest student on my list to receive a softball scholarship offer from a great D1 college. She is carefully weighing her options.
Over the last couple of weeks several emails have rolled into our office from our kids who have received college scholarship offers to play softball. We are thrilled about each. Looking back, I see a common trait. They are exceptional because they simply did the things they said they would do. Because of that, they clearly stood out from the crowd.
*Note: Make plans to join Denny for events this fall in the areas of northern Virginia, Charlotte, New York, northern Delaware, and Atlanta. Email us for more information.