L.E.A.D

According to Wikipedia, respect—also called esteem—is a positive feeling or action shown toward someone or something considered important, or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities.

Is respect earned or should it be automatically given to people when you first meet them? Should being disrespected cause you in turn to be disrespectful toward others?

As a young baseball coach, I oftentimes was very disrespectful toward my players and their parents. My coaching strategy was to use fear to get my players and parents to do what I wanted them to do so that we could win games.

In most cases, it worked and we won a lot of games. But in all cases, I was not respected.

There are millions of boys who aspire to play Major League Baseball for the fame, fortune, and or fulfillment of purpose. Trying to accomplish that goal can expose the bad sides of people because it is a competitive process to be among the best in baseball.

As Babe Didrikson Zaharia once said, “If you win through bad sportsmanship that’s no real victory.”

Respect is such an important part of achieving personal goals, winning baseball games and winning at the game of life because respect leads to trust. And when people can trust you, they will advocate for you.

Coaching is one thing and advocacy is another I would argue supersedes coaching. Because what good is good coaching if you don’t have the right person saying the right things about you to the right person at the right time.

And what good can be said about or do for a person that is disrespectful.

Listen to the good doctor, aka, Julius “Dr. J.” Erving: “I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.”

Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.

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.

Robert Walser once said, “I tell lies somewhere else, but not here, not in front of myself.” What are the lies you tell yourself so that you get by each day?

There is a big difference between being confident and being hopeful. Confidence is based on things you have done, while hope is based on the things you want to be done.

When I was in high school, I convinced myself I was the best player in the country. The problem was that I had not played competitive baseball against players from across the country to make that bold statement to myself. So, when the time finally came for me to be on the same field with players from the Midwest, West Coast and the North, I folded like a chair.

The truth of the matter was I had a lot of talent, but I was low on skills when it came to performing under stress.

Talent is what you do well.
Habits are what you do well repeatedly without thought.
Stress is what you do well repeatedly without thought while under stress.

Be honest with yourself about what you can and cannot do on and off the field. If you have a full bottle and one that is half-full, which one can be poured into?

You make it really difficult to be coached when you have lied to yourself for so long about how good you are. That is when it is hard for people to help you.

As you march through the month of March, be honest with yourself about where you are as a player so that you can become the best version of yourself over time.

Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.

For more information, visit L.E.A.D. Center for Youth today. Also, check out our Digital Magazine.

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