The Baseball Observer - March/ April 2017
Baseball has been recognized as many things, over the years. For instance, baseball has been considered as being the national pastime as well as a profession for elite performers. Furthermore, baseball is known as a game of failure.
In addition to these views, an increasing important perspective about baseball , especially for players, is that it is a game of risk: Without doubt, baseball challenges the capacity of the player to cope with circumstances and situations, on and off the baseball diamond, that place him at peril for unwanted consequences.
How players respond to risks, actual and potential, can have far reaching effects for their baseball careers as well as for other aspects of their lives. This is the case for players at all levels of competitive play, from high school, to college, to the professional ranks.
What do I mean by risk? A risk represents the possibility of some kind of loss, injury, or problem for the individual player. Related to risk is some kind of factor--- a risk factor--- which, if engaged in or if left unaddressed, creates a hazard for the player. This hazard, then, makes the player quite susceptible to negative or undesirable consequences, both for themselves and others.
How players respond to risks, actual and potential, can have far reaching effects for their baseball careers as well as for other aspects of their lives. This is the case for players at all levels of competitive play, from high school, to college, to the professional ranks.
What do I mean by risk? A risk represents the possibility of some kind of loss, injury, or
problem for the individual player. Related to risk is some kind of factor--- a risk factor--- which, if engaged in or if left unaddressed, creates a hazard for the player. This hazard, then, makes the player quite susceptible to negative or undesirable consequences, both for themselves and others.
Risk factors are ever present in the lives of baseball players, although often unnoticed by them. These factors influence how players prepare and compete; how they manage their thoughts and emotions; and how they deal with people, places, and things that can drag them down.
By not paying attention to a risk factor and effectively coping with it, there is an increased likelihood that any particular player may experience unwanted consequences. These consequences may be ones such as unexpected physical injury, emotional distress, financial problems, suspension from the team, family strife, run-ins with legal authorities, or other negative consequences.
In this article, I will discuss the important, but oftentimes neglected matter of coping effectively with risk in baseball. More specifically, I will identify a number of mental and emotional factors that, if left unchecked, will place players at risk for the development of their games, for the progression of their careers, and for other aspects of their lives. Next, I will provide perspectives and guidelines about how to deal with risks, ones which players and their coaches have found to be useful over the years.
Finally, I will provide a Baseball Player Risk Prevention Checklist which I developed in my work with major and minor league players. This checklist is a means for players, no matter what their level of competitive play, to cope effectively with the risks that they might encounter, on and off the baseball diamond.
32