Blog: Mental Conditioning

Growing up I was not the biggest, strongest or even the fastest but my father taught me by his own example to never, never, never quit! When I turned thirteen I made a big move. I went from the “minor” league to the “Major” league. Well, kind of. Where I grew up, just south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, there were two baseball leagues: Ten Mile and Washington City League.

After “riding the pine” (that’s baseball talk for sitting the bench) for the Lone Pine Lions of the Ten Mile league for 4 years, I decided that I had nothing to lose by switching to the Washington City league.

Everyone thought I was nuts.

The players in Washington were far more talented but I didn’t care. I knew exactly what I wanted. Every year Washington plays host to the PONY league World Series. Teams from all over the world including Puerto Rico, Korea and Japan come to see who the best team in the world is! Whoever was chosen to the All-Star team automatically played in the World Series and the best part was the uniforms. Navy blue pinstripes just like the New York Yankees. I could see myself running onto the field in my number 23 pinstripes in front of the entire city. Don Mattingly #23 of the Yankees was my favorite player growing up. To be honest, what motivated me most was girls and I thought they would dig it. That was my motivation! ( I was thirteen but what do you expect?)

I believed with all my heart that I was a great baseball player. I just needed a chance to prove it and I did. My first year I played every inning of every game and I was pretty good. But I knew that I wasn’t there yet. There was one thing stopping me.

Shane – The most feared pitcher in the league.

My first year, he struck me out six times in a row. He embarrassed me. It created so much pain that I refused to every allow it to happen again. I only had one chance to play in the World Series in the Yankee Pinstripes and the only way I could prove that I was worthy was to dominate the most feared pitcher in the league.

I knew exactly what I wanted: To be recognized as an All-Star and wear number 23 in the PONY World Series.

I knew that if I was going to go from a zero to a hero then I had to take drastic measures, so I got rid of my bed and put a weight bench in my room.

I began reading books and watching videos about hitting, fielding and base running. I also began reading about mental conditioning and sports psychology. Any edge that I could get I wanted.

Every day after school, I lifted weights, hit 200 baseballs, watched my swing 100 times in the mirror and visualized my success. Rain or snow, hot or freezing cold, I thrived on the fact that I was the only one doing it. While everyone else hung out and played video games, I was training as if I were a professional athlete and in my mind I was.

The next season came and I was chosen to play for Washington Steel. At the beginning of the season, every team is awarded two All-Star players from the year before. One of our “All-Stars” quit after seeing who else was on the team. He thought we were so terrible that he would rather switch leagues than play for us.

Everyone picked us to finish dead last.

We proved them wrong. We were playing good and were about to face Shane and the undefeated Elks. I was ready. I had played it out in my mind so many times that I knew I was going to do it. Right before game time, I looked out onto the field and was blown away-Shane wasn’t pitching!!! The Elks coach was not taking us seriously and put in their number 2 pitcher. I was angry and used it as fuel to rally my teammates. My first at bat I popped up to the pitcher. After that I became a nightmare. I went 3 for 4 with 6 RBIs and most importantly, we won. Luckily, I knew that we would get to face them again. After beating them the first time they would be sure to put their stud on the mound for the re-match.

A few weeks later, we faced off again and Shane was on the mound. He had not lost a game all year and tore through line-ups with a rocket-like fastball. Walking up to the plate the first time, I saw everything that I had envisioned so many times before. I felt comfortable, poised, focused and confident. The ball seemed to move in slow motion. I was in command. In the end, I went 4 for 4 and we won! At the end of the season, I was named ALL-STAR and wore number 23 as I stepped to the plate in the PONY World Series.

I applied all six steps of the Ultimate Success Formula unknowingly. Think back to a time in your life when you really wanted something and you went after it with all you had and came out victorious. Did you unconsciously apply these same steps? Looking back on my past victories I have found this to be the case each and every time.

Focus on what you want,

Billy Beck III “BB3”

READ: “How To Create An UNBREAKABLE Mindset!” 

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