Criticism and blame are addictions. There is a lot of intentional work that must be done during Winter Workouts (November-January) for my hitters.

Criticism and blame are addictions. There is a lot of intentional work that must be done during Winter Workouts (November-January) for my hitters.

You should start by practicing and training better to win games during your spring season, instead of trying to win the criticism and blame game.

Practice is the time to build habits (November-January). Remember, as we always say, talent is what you do well and habits are things you do well repeatedly without thought.

Skills are things you do well repeatedly without thought while under stress and the best time to build skills is in the spring (February-April).

Skills pay the bills. So, if you haven’t started to pay the cost during your winter workouts, criticism and blame may be two of your best strategies.

These are the “losing twins.”

Coaches usually are the top recipients of these “losing twins” when hitters are performing. On deck is the “bat.” In the dugout are the parents, the team, the batters box, etc.

You want to build habit? Do you remember what it takes? It takes 3,000 reps. There are seven parts to the swing, which include:

1. Stance/Load
2. Timing
3. Tempo
4. Tracking
5. Approach
6. Contact
7. Extension/Finish

Seven parts of the swing times 3,000 reps is 21,000 reps.

Here’s a GREAT LOAD DRILL to get you started.

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.

“Drop by drop is the water pot filled.” — Buddha

Did you know that it takes 3,000 reps to build a habit? As we have outlined as one of the foundations for the Diamond Directors’ model, there are seven parts to the swing, which include:

1. Stance/Load
2. Timing
3. Tempo
4. Tracking
5. Approach
6. Contact
7. Extension/Finish

Seven parts of the swing times 3,000 reps is 21,000 reps.

To build a good habit is a day by day commitment to excellence, which requires you to give yourself mercy and grace.

A bad habit I am trying to break is my use of profanity. Breaking bad habits can be hard. So I decided to create a new habit of being patient and pausing before I speak in my moments of stress, which make me want to curse.

What bad habit do you have in baseball (and life) that you need to break?

Day by day I get better with my tongue. And then there are days of stress I feel that I’m starting all over again.

I am indeed a work I progress and so are you. In the end, we owe it to ourselves to become the best versions of ourselves.

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.

“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is found in your daily routine.” – John Maxwell

I am a committed and disciplined person when it comes down to doing things I am called to do and that I care about.

Here is how I define some of the keys words that are listed in that sentence:

• Committed — Making and fulfilling a promise made
• Discipline — Doing the things that need to be done even when I don’t want to do
• them
• Called — Assignment from God that is initiated from a convicting act
• Care — Love in action

Making up my bed daily is one of the things I do to maintain my commitment and discipline muscles. I also send text messages daily to various people in my network I most care about.

There is nothing more exhausting to me than to be doing things I’m not supposed to be doing with and for people that I don’t care about.

Before you write me off as an insensitive jerk, I believe all people and all things are important. But I don’t believe anybody has the capacity to care about all people and everything.

To care about yourself and/or somebody is to commit yourself to doing whatever needs to get done for you and others even when you don’t feel like doing it.

I am a coach. I care about using baseball as a vehicle to help others I care about become the best versions of themselves.

Every year from August through October, I submit to an assessment phase to determine what I care about and how I will care for those that I care about. I cannot care about everything and everybody and neither can you.

• Who are the Top 5 people in the world that you care about the most?
• What does it say about you if you are not on that top five list?
• What has God called you to do in life?
• What happens to you when you go beyond your capacity to care about others?
• What do you do or should do daily to help you fulfill your life’s calling?

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.

James A. Lovell once said, “Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job.”

Problems don’t just happen. People cause problems and problems are solved by people.

Baseball is the vehicle I use most often to coach people through their problems. Being a coach is a calling for me. It is life-giving and heart fulfilling.

I am so thankful there are hundreds of boys and girls, and men and women I have been able to directly impact. And there are thousands I have been able to reach through my book, weekly blogs and YouTube videos.

I’ve been coaching professionally since 1998 and I have definitely made a mark on the game.

Living on purpose is not something that I take for granted. Being convicted got me to the point I became aware of my calling to coach.

When my baseball career as a player was over, I struggled to figure out what to do next because being an athlete was who I was. The four questions I asked myself and mediated on that set me on the path of positive identity and fulfillment were:

1. What do you worry about?
2. What do you dream about?
3. What do you cry about?
4. What brings you joy?

Transformed people transform people. I am a transformational coach and I give honor and glory to God for allowing me to be a coach.

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.

What batting average do you want to end the spring 2023 season with? How many home runs would you like to have?

Did you know that it takes 3,000 reps to build a habit?

There are seven parts to the swing that include:

1. Stance/Load
2. Timing
3. Tempo
4. Tracking
5. Approach
6. Contact
7. Extension/Finish

Seven parts of the swing times 3,000 reps is 21,000 reps.

What gets measured gets improved. I suggest you keep track of every rep you take November through January so you will be confident to compete in the spring.

That way your bat is booming while the flowers are blooming.

Okay, now here’s your homework:

• Get notebook paper and a pencil.
• Create a graph with seven columns.
• Each column will represent one of the seven parts mentioned above.
• Start tracking your reps today through the end of January for each part.

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.