How Coach RAC traded self-doubt and fear for Savannah Bananas success

RobertAnthony Cruz first found viral fame with a TikTok showing the moment he told his dad he was going to get to play for a Major League Baseball team — his childhood dream. “I had a few hundred thousand followers from it. It was crazy,” he recalled.?

With those new followers came pressure. Cruz internalized comments on his feed predicting he’d only last a few months on the Washington Nationals. He worried what his followers would think of him if he failed.

With those new followers came pressure. Cruz internalized comments on his feed predicting he’d only last a few months on the Washington Nationals. He worried what his followers would think of him if he failed.?

Cruz developed the yips — a sports term for the sudden inability to perform due to a psychological block. Essentially paralyzed by fear, he said, “Just knowing that my coaches were there watching, knowing that there were people keeping up with my career, made that fear stronger.”

The following year, Cruz’s fear became a reality — he was cut from the team. “I initially waited to post on social media just in case it would work out with another team, so I don’t have to tell people and have that perceived failure,” he explained. Once it was clear he wasn’t getting another MLB opportunity, it occurred to Cruz he could leverage his skills and sizable social media following to create coaching videos, but embarrassment held him back. Realizing he needed to get past worrying what other people thought of him, he finally posted a video sharing what had happened and said, “People actually took better to that than even my initial video of my success.” The reaction inspired him to start creating content to help “the next generation of ballplayers.”

?At the urging of a friend, Cruz decided to go to a local tryout for the Savannah Bananas , a barnstorming exhibition team that’s been selling out MLB stadiums with a whimsical version of baseball called “banana ball,” complete with wild costumes and acrobatics.? When he got there, it dawned on him, “I have so many skills that have prepared me for this. I do video, I did gymnastics growing up and can still do back handsprings and back tucks.”?

In a relatively short amount of time, Cruz, also known as Coach RAC to his millions of fans, has crafted a unique and fulfilling career making coaching content and playing for the Savannah Bananas. “I was made to do exactly what I’m doing right now,” he affirmed. “Had I gone through with playing professional baseball, I would have missed out on the opportunity to develop some of my creative skills and I also wouldn’t have been able to share some of those failures that I experienced — which I think is what people resonate with the most.”?

Cruz shared this useful wisdom from his experience: “Everything changed when I stopped seeking the approval of other people. When you get yourself wrapped up in what other people might think of you, you might get paralyzed by fear, as I was at several different parts of my career. But if you have your self-worth and you’re not seeking that affirmation, then you are freed up to do what you were maybe made to do. You are unique. There’s no one else out there that is like you. And if you have some valuable experience to share, if you have a failure, don’t be afraid to share that. There are people who can relate to your story and learn from your story.”

Do you have valuable lessons you’ve gotten from failing at a career goal? Share them with us in the comments.?

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More stories on getting over self-doubt:

?? Megan Piphus Peace ? ?? Martinus Evans ? ? ? Sandra Velasquez ? ?