Chapter 1-The Essential Six Precepts

THE GAME AS VALUE

The joy derived from baseball usually speaks for itself, but simply on the basis of being a fun game, it is not necessarily important enough to devote endless amounts of effort and energy. However, baseball (and all sport) can be important and valuable in society with the correct perspective. The importance is in its value as a learning product. That reason alone is why it is worth the work and sweat and the intense experience of a wide range of feelings and emotions.

In short, baseball forces the athlete to learn to deal with adversity and success, to make quick physical and mental adjustments, to eliminate distractions, to focus on the present, and to wrestle with new emotions never before experienced. And that’s just on the field.

Baseball also teaches lessons in social dynamics, from dealing with teammates, coaches and umpires, as well as relations with people outside the realm of the baseball world.

These lessons are why both failure and success in baseball are valuable results, as long as they are always leading to growth and improvement. In turn, you will not only be a success, but you will consistently win, although winning is not the sole focus, but merely a byproduct of learning hard lessons and reaching your potential. This is true because winning is a skill like any other, one which needs to be cultivated and learned. In short, if a player continually grows and improves, he will be reaching his potential which is all that can be expected of a person.

The Essential Six Precepts

Under the premise that baseball has value as a learning tool, there are certain building blocks which are fundamental in this quest to learn to one’s potential. It is essential to follow these concise guidelines for the game to be a valuable learning experience.

Players must:

1) Do the right thing

This general notion applies to most all of the dynamics of a baseball player’s conduct. It is a simple concept, as most everyone knows what constitutes the right and wrong thing. It incorporates all the proper societal standards of being a student, athlete, community member, and representative of a school.

2) Have energy

Players must bring an energy to the team, the field, the locker room, the game. Energy is a vague, wide-encompassing term which is short hand for enthusiasm, care, kindness and the will to improve. All players demonstrate energy differently, some loudly, some quietly, but it is essential to have energy in some form as it is the great difference between having a successful or a disappointing baseball experience.

3) Put things in perspective

Players must understand that baseball is an aspect of their education, and must be approached with great care and attention. Yet, it must be put in perspective relative to other responsibilities, particularly the top priority of academics, as well as the player’s vision for his future. Also, baseball must be put in perspective amidst the intensity of the game, leading to proper decorum among opponents, umpires, coaches, teammates, family and friends.

4) Have candid rapport

A core key value is the presence of open, candid relationships from player to player, and from player to coach. These relationships must have open rapport, a common language, and the common goal of healthy interaction with others. An important feature of this rapport is that there be no excuses.

5) Be open to change

Players need to be open to change, or at least be willing to engage in an educated, clear dialogue about technique. In turn, players must fully understand skills and techniques because if there’s no clarity, everything breaks down and no growth can result. Players must work hard to obtain a feel for the game, which is the ability to make adjustments and maintain them.

6) Aspire to have rhythm

It’s usually easy to know when you are watching a good player because you observe a rhythm which the player has which makes things look smooth and easy. Rhythm is the combination of correct technique, experience and smoothness, and is accrued from hard, conscientious practice at game speed and a feel for the game. Players must also aspire to a consistent rhythm in their daily lives, particularly with sleep, diet, team travel, batting practice, and showing up on time.