Theo Hassan on the art – and mastery – of multitasking

According to Wikipedia, marching refers to the organized, uniformed, steady walking forward in either rhythmic or route-step time. It typically refers to overland movements on foot of military troops and units under field orders.

I love the month of March because my flowers and plants begin to bloom. Gardening is slowly, but surely becoming a hobby of mine. I love to watch people and things grow.

The calendar year starts in August and ends in July of the following year for my hitters.

  • August-October is the time we try new things to determine what works and what doesn’t
  • November-January is when we build strength and habits based on what works
  • February-April is the conversion phase converting habits to skills

Guest blogger Theo Hassan will be featured the entire month of March to help lead you to a successful spring and summer baseball season.

Where did you grow up?

As a child, I was raised in the city of College Park. There, I played recreational sports at Old National Park.

When you were a teenager, did you want to become a collegiate and/or Major League Baseball Player? Unpack that for us?

As I matriculated through my teenage years, I had aspirations of following in my father’s footsteps by playing collegiate and professional baseball for Jackson State University and the Braves organization. I put in long hours practicing and training for my moment.

Whenever that moment would come, I knew I would be able to perform to my highest potential. Time passes by and I haven’t had any scholarship offers. At last, I received a letter in the mail offering me a scholarship to Jackson State University. This wasn’t just any scholarship; this was a scholarship to be a member of the Sonic Boom of the South.

As I matriculated through my teenage years, I had aspirations of following in my father’s footsteps by playing collegiate and professional baseball for Jackson State University and for the Braves organization.

But there was still something missing; some questions that remained unanswered. What was I supposed to do about my baseball career?

The assistant band director at the time, Dr. Lowell Hollinger, told me that no one had ever been able to march in the band and play in a sport because of the time and commitment it took. But I wanted to play baseball, too.

I decided to take on the challenge and try out for the baseball team. On July 4, 2012, I attended a walk on tryout. This was my moment—the moment I’ve been waiting for.

Tell us what you accomplished as a student-athlete at Jackson State University that has never been done by anyone else?

By the grace of God, I was able to wake up at 4 a.m. for band conditioning, attend 6 a.m. baseball conditioning, attend classes throughout the day, followed by 2 p.m. baseball practice, and at 6 p.m., I attended band practice.

Talk about no sleep.

What did being in The Sonic Boom of the South marching band teach you that prepared you to excel on the baseball field as well?

I won back to back SWAC Championships my freshman and sophomore years while playing in the band. The only band member to win a ring, let alone two. Most people look at band as an easy activity. I’m here to tell you that being in the marching band for the Sonic Boom taught me a lot about precision, dedication and discipline.

These three attributes help me in my baseball career because among the other positions I’ve played, pitching is what I did most in college. It is interesting to learn that being a pitcher takes using all three of those attributes. Being dedicated to run for 30 minutes, being precise in my mechanics and staying disciplined to my arm care all came from a marching band mindset.

What do you recommend as a good pre-game and post-game meal for baseball players?

For the schedule that I had, meal prep was very important. It took a lot of energy and effort to get through the day, especially on game days. A good pre game meal for me was a breakfast bar and apple, followed by some form of Vitamin C juice, i.e., orange or apple juice. My post game meals were more protein related foods.

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.

Why a good process + bad outcome is smart

It’s March and my hitters are marching on to success because of what they started doing in August 2022.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes that sums up the fate of those who won’t get good results this spring because they aren’t following a good process:

“A bad process with a good outcome is luck. A good process with a bad outcome might be a smart experiment.” — Adam Grant

That’s the blog. Good luck.

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.

 

Finding your grit — and why that matters

We’d take the baseballs that the old players had. And after it unraveled, we’d get some tape and wrap it up and make it back more like a baseball again.” — James “Red” Moore

I had the pleasure of meeting James “Red” Moore several years prior to him passing in 2016. A graduate of Atlanta’s historic Booker T. Washington High School, he later played in the Negro Leagues for his hometown Atlanta Black Crackers.

I love Moore’s quote because it reminds me to be gritty. The relentless pursuit of purpose and grit is built through adversity.

I currently serve as the Chief Visionary for L.E.A.D. Center For Youth, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization operating in Atlanta. Through our year-round Pathway2Empowerment, sport-based youth development (SBYD) programming, we are inspiring and equipping Black males with the empowerment they need to live sustainable lives of significance.

When L.E.A.D. was established in 2007, we operated with a $40,000 budget. In 2022, we raised 1.7 million dollars. That required a lot of grit from Team L.E.A.D., and lots of love from our donors and supporters. Glory be to God.

  • How much grit is in your tank?
  • How do you respond to adversity on the baseball field?
  • How about off the field?
  • How do your coaches help through adversity?
  • How do they help you prevent it?

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.

Passing on the transformation

Rube Foster was the founder of the Negro Leagues, which was established in 1920. While the world was experiencing the racial pandemonium and pandemic, I found joy in the celebration of the 100 year anniversary of the Negro Leagues.

Today, I serve as the Chief Visionary Officer for L.E.A.D. Center For Youth and I am a community repairer.

Microsoft recently sent shockwaves through Atlanta when it was announced that they are pausing plans for the 90-acre Westside hub, leaving the land in the Grove Park community in limbo.

I was born and raised in Atlanta, and received my foundational education at Grove Park Elementary School. As a child, I wanted to grow up one day to be who I am, doing what I do today.

Among many, I intentionally convict people to invoke change that allows others to grow. And even though it doesn’t feel good, I position myself to be convicted by others so that I remain in transformation mode.

When we started LEAD in 2007, a good friend of my wife, Kelli, and I, gave me a book called “We Are the Ship” by Kadir Nelson. As fate would have it, I opened the book to the page of this powerful image of Willie Foster, who is the brother of Rube Foster. He was a left-handed pitcher in the Negro Leagues and was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

This image is a reminder to me to be.

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.

Why Curt Flood is a name you should know (and remember)

Do you know who Curt Flood is?

When we think about Blacks in baseball, we often go to the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson, who was indeed a force to be reckoned with. But Curt Flood is one of my heroes. He was fierce, loyal, obedient, outcasted and determined.

  • F – Fierce
  • L – Loyal
  • O – Obedient
  • O – Outcasted
  • D – Determined

According to TIME Magazine, “In 1969, St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Curt Flood was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He didn’t want to go and eventually sued baseball, challenging its reserve clause, which gave owners absolute rights over players. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court. Flood lost, but his suit paved the way for modern free agency. He died in Jan. 20, 1997.”

Curt was also an artist and one of my favorites pieces of his is the painting of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a son, a husband, a father, an activist, a baseball player and one of my heroes. And he should be in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.

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.