How We Show Up For The Game

Vinny, My 9-year-old son, kicked off his baseball season this past weekend with a two-day tournament.

It was a beautiful seventy-five-degree sunny Saturday, a picturesque setting for some baseball!

Our boys were ready and came out on fire. They were focused and were having a blast. They fed off each other, and their energy was contagious!

They put on a clinic beating the first team 27-8 and the second team 14-2.

Since the boys scored the most runs on day one, they earned the first seed in the tournament the next day and a re-match with the team they beat 14-2. "We will destroy them," I heard Mikey, the starting pitcher, tell my son. "We are for sure in the finals," I listened to another confident 9-year-old share with his parents, to which they agreed.

There is no way they could not make the finals. But we have all seen this movie before.

The following day, two completely different teams showed up. All of the positive energy switched sides. The other team had the excitement and was making the plays. They were on fire, and our boys went ice cold. They had the juice, and we had lost it.

The final score was 27-8. Again, against the team the boys beat less than 24 hours earlier.

These are nine-year-olds, which is pretty common to see, but it's an excellent reminder.

The moment we believe we can just show up and win, we will be humbled. But, when we come prepared and are in the right mindset, we put ourselves in the best position to win.

Success in life is 90% attitude and 10% aptitude.

Frank Favaro