Catching what's thrown your way

A broken pitchback…

One might think a broken pitchback can’t do anything for your sports game.

But it can do more than you think.

As a kid, I’d play in the yard for hours every night until dark. Soccer, softball, lacrosse, you name it. When I realized I wanted to focus on lacrosse, I practiced each night on a pitchback. Right hand, left hand, quick sticks, tricks, ground balls. 

By freshman year of high school that pitch back was so worn out that it had a couple of holes in it, and the ball flew back at me in CRAZY ways. Most went high up in the air, barely within reach. To the right, left, straight at my feet, straight at my head. I never knew where the ball was going.

Until I started catching them all.

After a few years, I could catch any ball within an 8-foot radius of my body. This made me stand out. It made me good at draw controls and catching feeds to score. It made me the top-goal-scorer at my high school and earned me a scholarship to Boston University.

A broken pitchback…

When I think of the “broken pitchbacks” I’ve encountered in my career, I realize I’ve learned the most from them. The difficult projects. The tough client conversations. The unexpected obstacles. The not ideal situations are the broken pitchbacks of business.

So embrace the broken pitchback and start practicing. You’ll be able to catch anything thrown at you!?