The Baseball Observer - Mental Skills Issue
As an elite teenage athlete, at the peak of a promising career, listening to a neurosurgeon say, “You have a rare spinal condition that will prevent you from ever playing another down on the football field again,” was a moment where the impossible and unthinkable turned into a reality...
This was shocking news not only for my teammates, family members, scouts, and coaches; but this was also disturbing news for myself. From domination to contemplation in one sentence. At that very instant, I was being handed the worst news that a highly competitive athlete can possibly receive, while correspondingly being faced with one of the biggest decisions that the average 14-year-old should never have to make.
Adversity
by Diamyn Hall
After weeks of weighing a restricted number of options, I came to the conclusion that I would pursue the game of baseball, a sport in which I had never played competitively. In comparison to the competition in my age group, I was well aware of how far behind I was. I was told by multiple coaches that I wouldn’t be able to play college baseball because my lack of baseball skills. I didn’t believe them. I knew in my mind, that if I out-worked my peers every day, I could get even further than college baseball. So I set my goals high on one day becoming a major-league baseball player. I consistently pounded away at my craft day after day. But that still wasn’t quite enough. I was the most athletic baseball player on the field at all times, yet I wasn’t getting the results that my peers were.
At 14 years old, this was an extremely humbling transition for me. Since then I’ve learned that all types of adversity are essential for growth. Not only in life, but in sports as well. Especially baseball. Adversity is the foundation of success. It is the main piece to the puzzle on the journey of unlocking one’s full potential.
As baseball players, we must understand that we are in a constant state of learning. If you’re not within the midst of struggle, then you cannot possibly be getting stronger. If you’re not learning from struggles, then you’re not making progress. If you’re not making progress, then you’re getting worse.
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