Each year I work with teams of youth baseball players in teaching them the values of the mental game of baseball. Just as there are skills needed to develop the physical side of the sport, there are skills necessary to build the mental side of the game as well. Unfortunately, teaching the mental game is a bit more difficult to teach because the results arent necessary visible as quickly. Let me assure you however, if you have goals of playing baseball at the collegiate level or above, you will need a sold mental game if you are going to excel.

One of the first things I teach kids is set proper goals. This usually sounds a bit dry and boring, but its important that a game plan is created in order to form a path to follow as an athlete. There are three important steps involved in setting goals that are functional. Broad goals, process goals, and action habits. Let me explain those below.

Broad goals for each season should be something you can measure once the season has finished. Hitting .400, fielding .975, or winning 10 games as a pitcher would all be examples of broad goals you can set.

Process goals are the middle level of goal setting. There are the things you need to solve or improve upon in order to accomplish your broad goals. They should be specific as far as the things you are going to do daily, but they should be areas in your game that need immediate improvement. So lets say you have a season goal of hitting .400. A process goal would be to improve on your ability to hit off speed pitches. Or, it could be that you need to work on what pitches you choose to swing at.

The final part of this process is your daily action habits. These are simply the things that you are going to do on a daily basis to make sure that you are accomplishing your process goals. If we take a look at the example used above of hitting .400, you daily action habits may be to work on hitting a curveball for 15 minutes. This would be something that you could measure daily that would help you achieve your process goal, and then ultimately your broad goal.

Are all sports betting systems just scams to get your hard earned money? It is normal to have a healthy skepticism, especially when it comes to topics having to do with gambling and sports betting information. There is an over abundance of systems that claim to make you rich if you just follow the simple steps that are outlined in the plan.

If you have tried gambling before you probably know how losing feels, it’s not fun. What if someone could tell you a tip to get over a 65% winning percentage, would you be interested? The important step in sports betting is to go into it with a plan. Most people including the experienced hurt themselves by not having a betting plan.

So what’s the solution? Is there a list of steps we can take to weed out the bad programs from the good ones without wasting a month of paychecks. There are some common things to look for in finding a good system.

Yes there are some legitimate sports betting information systems out there, but normally you will have to sift through a lot of garbage before you find the diamonds, and that could take a lot of money. Here’s what to look for:

The person offering the sports betting system Must provide a in depth win/loss record after using the techniques contained in the program they are selling. If they are not showing at least a 65% winning percentage or better, then move on.

There should be a lot of Customer Testimonials. If other’s have used the system with success it is good to hear the positive and negative comments on the program. If at all possible I will try and get in contact with some of the people who wrote the testimonials to verify them myself.

Unlimited customer support should be given with the sports betting information. It is best to be able to contact the author of the system with any questions or support that you might need. If no support is offered, keep looking.

If the system you are investigating meets all of the requirements that I have laid forth, then you should have enough information to make a logical purchase. Any sports betting system should have been created using trials and errors and accumulated experiences of testing.

Following good sports betting information, you would not easily fall to the same old errors that experienced bettors previously have made and are able to avoid a lot of unneccessary losses.

Its a statistical fact that fewer than 1% of high school and college athletes ever get the chance to play professionally. Those odds are a bit shocking if your goal is to play professional baseball down the road. And if taken only at a surface level will discourage many athletes.

Its not my intent to share this information with you to try to bring you back to reality if you are attempting to fulfill your own dream of playing professionally. Instead, let me tell you that most high level athletes and success-minded people never look at failures or statistics in this way. Most big time performers see these stats as an extra motivator because they know that many will fall off the path early because they cant get past the odds. This only reduces the competition and increases the chances for themselves. I know this is the attitude I used as I progressed through high school, college, and into pro ball. So lets look at how this attitude is developed a bit more.

For those of you who have played baseball, did you ever step up to bat and think to yourself about the statistic probability that you would hit a home run in any given at bat? Of course you didnt. Why is that? Because when the emotions and excitement are strong enough, statistics never come in to play. For another example of this, look no further than a little leaguer learning how to play baseball. Everything is exciting, the sky is the limit, and statistic reality of becoming a professional baseball player never factors into the equation.

So how do we (players and coaches) learn how to play baseball without allowing reality and statistics to paralyze our game? Understand that thousands upon thousands of athletes quit baseball each year. The main reason for this is that they allow statistics in the form of lack of playing time, batting average, etc. to paint a clear picture that seems to suggest that they find something else to invest their time in doing.

If you will never let your mind go down that road, but keep persisting, you will find that you will achieve more than you ever thought you would. This thinking will undoubtedly transform your vision as you learn how to play baseball and develop your goals.

Mechanics are very important to learn if you ever want to compete at a higher level as a pitcher. Not only to proper pitching mechanics help prevent injury to your arm, if applied correctly, you will improve velocity and control. Here are a few pointers that will help on your way to a successful, healthy career.

One thing is for sure. If you have aspirations to play at that level, you have to either have a natural God given talent to throw the Baseball, or you have to have solid mechanics. Most Hall of Fame pitchers have both working for them. Proper mechanics will help you prevent arm injury and sustain your career. Here are a few tips to follow to ensure you have good mechanics.

Make sure you take a stride toward the plate; dont just step! This means that you will lead with your hips and not your knee. When you take a stride your hips lead the way; when you step, you open up too soon and lose power.

When you take your stride, make sure it is at least as long as you are tall. Also, make sure that your head is over your center of gravity (belly button) all the way to foot strike. Many pitchers fall into the trap of leaning back to try and get power. When your head is too far back, your energy follows and you are at risk of not only throwing more balls than strikes; you are also putting your arm at risk every time you do that. Some pitchers also drop their front shoulder when they take their stride. This raises their throwing arm up higher and keeps their head too far out in front of them. These pitchers tend to keep the ball low which can work in their favor until they start throwing the ball in the ground. It happens to a lot of pitchers with that habit.

Keep balance on the balls of your feet to help create momentum to foot strike! It is difficult to maintain good balance and posture when your weight is on the heels of your feet. You cant create much momentum (pitching velocity) when you are falling backwards instead of driving yourself toward your target. Also use your front leg as a leveraging tool to get yourself out there quicker.