September is assessment month for my hitters. This is the time of year when I want players to try things. Experiment. Make adjustments. Experience some failure.
Why? Because before we spend the winter building habits and strength, we need to determine what actually works.
Assessment is not about proving how good you are.
It is about discovering what you need to know.
The 20, 25, 55 Rule
I think about development in three categories.
Twenty percent of what we do is based on what we know.
This is where confidence lives.
A hitter might say: “I know I can hit a fastball.”
Because he believes he already knows the answer, he rarely asks a question.
Twenty-five percent of what we do is based on what we know we don’t know.
This is where curiosity begins.
The hitter might ask:
“How do I get better at hitting breaking balls?”
That is a good question, but it can still produce a surface level answer:
“Recognize the spin earlier.”
Helpful? Yes.
Transformational? Probably not.
Then there is the biggest category.
Fifty-five percent of what we do is based on what we don’t know that we don’t know.
This is where development gets uncomfortable.
Instead of asking, “How do I hit breaking balls better?” I might ask the hitter:
“What happens inside of you when you recognize a breaking ball?”
Now we are going deeper.
Maybe the answer is: “I get anxious because I don’t want to strike out.”
So I ask: “What are you afraid will happen if you strike out?”
He thinks” “My coach might take me out of the lineup.”
Now we have moved beyond mechanics.
The problem may not be his hands.
It may not be his load.
It may not even be pitch recognition.
The problem might be fear.
And you cannot fix fear with another 100 swings.
Get to the Heart Before the Head
This is one of the reasons I recently earned my wellness counseling certificate from Cornell University.
After nearly three decades of coaching, I continue to recognize that development requires more than telling people what to do.
Players need questions that make them think.
Parents need questions that make them reflect.
Coaches need questions that challenge assumptions.
Sometimes my responsibility is not to provide the answer.
It is to ask a question powerful enough to help someone discover what they could not see before.
That is where conviction can happen.
And conviction can lead to change.
September Is for Discovery
This is why assessment matters.
September is not the time for my hitters to pretend they have everything figured out.
We are trying things.
We are asking questions.
We are identifying what works and what does not.
Then, when winter workouts begin, we can intentionally build habits and strength around what we have discovered.
The goal is not simply to know more.
The goal is to know yourself better so you can execute differently.
Your Assessment
Whether you are a player, parent, or coach, ask yourself three questions:
- What do I know?
- What do I know that I don’t know?
- What might I not know that I don’t know?
Spend the most time on the third question.
That is where someone else may need to challenge you.
That is where introspection begins.
That is where growth often lives.
Because sometimes the breakthrough you need is not another answer.
It is a better question.
Remember: Intelligence tops being smart.
For more information, visit L.E.A.D. Center for Youth today.
If you found this inspiring and thought-provoking, or if you have any questions, comments or concerns, add me on Discord and let’s go deeper.
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.
