Lao Tzu once said, “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

So, who are you? What are you trying to be? Who does your Instagram say you are? What if you do not become what you are trying to become?

When I was a kid, I simply wanted to grow up to be rich and famous. I thought playing professional was the best way to do it.

Recently, a high school hitter texted me two “should ask” questions.

The difference between “frequently asked” questions and “should ask” questions is like the difference between learning to hit off a tee and hitting a 90-mph fastball.

The hitter: When you were in the league, what would you say were two of the most important things you learned?

Me: Passion and love.

The Latin word for passion is suffering. Inasmuch and love is an emotion, it also is a decision. While I learned I was not passionate about playing, I also learned I did not love playing.

I am passionate about coaching because I was not coached as well as I should have been. I am willing to make sacrifices to be one of the best coaches to ever do it because I love it. I did not love playing enough to make the necessary sacrifices to be a great player.

Coaching is my calling and playing was a part of it.

The hitter: So, when you were playing, did you have fun or was it just like I made it, so let’s keep going?

Me: It was not a lot of fun for me. I was not mentally, emotionally or physically prepared to be a professional player.

Because I was not prepared. When the going got tough, I wanted to quit. I had a lot of talent, but not enough reliable habits and skills.

Remember the fall season (August-October) is the best time of year that hitters should commit and discipline themselves to trying new things to determine what does not work and what does work.

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.

A habit is something you do well repeatedly without thought. A great way to get into a habit mindset is during your practice time. The fall season (August-October) is when my hitters commit and discipline themselves to trying new things, determining what works and what doesn’t.

Next, they move into the Build Phase (November-January), where they work to build habits and strength based on what works.

If you have a goal of hitting for more power in the spring (February-April), consider trying a new load this fall (August-October). This can help put your body in the best leveraged position to produce more power.

Maybe one of these four loads will work for you.

Hand Drop 
Toe Tap
Bat Wrap
High Leg 

If one works, commit and discipline yourself this winter (November-January) to building a habit and strength for it. If it doesn’t work, at least you were able to improve your athleticism.

And remember our latest acronym: N.E.W. (never embrace worry).

So go for it: Make a habit of trying new things.

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.

“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.” — Roy T. Bennett

As I thought about what to write this week, the word worry stood out to me. To worry is to allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.

I believe that the fall baseball season (August-October) for high school and college players is the optimal time to try new things—the time to determine what works and what doesn’t.

Winter workouts (November-January) are the best time to build habits and strength based on what works.

Try the N.E.W. mantra:

• Never
• Embrace
• Worry

As you move up in levels, hitting a moving baseball is hard. It gets even harder because the pitches vary in type, speed and location, and pitchers have better command of their pitches, meaning they can attack any weakness you have.

The fall and the winter are times when you can be at ease mentally and emotionally. But then the spring season is when the worry comes for everything you didn’t prepare well for.

How do you respond to worry in the spring when you are not performing well as the plate? What fundamental hitting adjustments and changes are you willing make when you swing isn’t working in the spring?

Whatever you are willing to do in the spring, you better try it now in the fall to determine if it works or doesn’t.

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.

Trying new things will allow you to determine what doesn’t work and what does work. A great example of this is Jaiden Byse, a 9th grader (c/o 2026) at Benjamin E. Mays High School in Atlanta.

This is the same high school that graduated notable alumni such as Symmion Willis, Zachery “Pooh” Hines, Xavion Curry and Termarr Johnson.

Jaiden has only been playing baseball for a little over a year and he has been selected to play in the 2022 MBP Underclass All-American Game in Gastonia, North Carolina.

He is extremely athletic. Any person who participates in a sport is an athlete. But athletes who have an ability to critically think at a high level and physically execute in situations they have never been in are athletic.

Jaiden is a kinesthetic learner, very cerebral, and possesses a high level of aptitude and work ethic. The 2022 MBP Underclass All-American Game is going to be a good test of his talent but he will not be overmatched.

He is a dream come true for a coach like me who has been discovering diamonds in the rough and polishing them like me for over 20 years.

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

Bookmark this blog and remember the name Jaiden Byse.

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.