My coaching philosophy is that practice prepares you to perform and performance prepares you to practice. My four phase development strategy starts in August each year with a commitment to assessment to determine what does not work and what does work for three months.
This is how I do things and it works for me—those who I instruct to coach and the boys who are coached by my coaches.
I was on vacation with my family in July in Jamaica, where you have to drive on the left side of the road. That can be crazy.
It’s about what’s right in addition to who’s right.
It was my first time experiencing this and I was a bit uneasy. I had to trust the experience and expertise of the other driver. I had to submit and humble myself.
In our Assessment Phase for L.E.A.D. Center For Youth, we don’t teach; we use contests and competition to lead the learning for our players.
Being athletic is about being able to think critically at a high level to get things down that you’ve never done before or have little experience doing. I am convinced that coaches coach greatness out of our players more than we do to bring it out by spending too much time talking rather than allowing our players to figure things out.
Kinesthetic learners love the Assessment Phase because they are hands on. Visual and auditory learners struggle during this time but their dominant learning style is elevated during our Engagement Phase (November-January) when it is time to build habits and strength based on what works.
We do a lot of teaching during this time now that I have seen what they can and cannot do for three months.
This fall, I ask my players to do three things: be athletic, submit and be humble.
- Athletic – being able to think critically at a high level to get things down that you’ve never done before or have little experience doing
- Submit – yield to the authority or the will of another person
- Humility – not thinking less than of myself but thinking of others more than myself
I want my players to get the best:
- College baseball offers
- MLB Signing Bonuses
- NIL Deals in high school and college
- Post athletic career transition
For more information, visit L.E.A.D. Center for Youth today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.
C.J. Stewart has built a reputation as one of the leading professional hitting instructors in the country. He is a former professional baseball player in the Chicago Cubs organization and has also served as an associate scout for the Cincinnati Reds. As founder and CEO of Diamond Directors Player Development, C.J. has more than 22 years of player development experience and has built an impressive list of clients, including some of the top young prospects in baseball today. If your desire is to change your game for the better, C.J. Stewart has a proven system of development and a track record of success that can work for you.
