Bluegrassrivals

I received this list from a high school baseball coach and thought it would be a great start to our "How To Make The High School Team" segment.

1. Persistence is more important than talent
   
2. There is a reason that the word STUDENT comes first in student/athletes
   
3. Respect the game as much as you want to be respected
   
4. Tuck in your shirt
   
5. Don't wear your hat backwards
   
6. Practice hard because you play the way you practice
   
7. It doesn't take any talent to hustle
   
8. Be a student in baseball. Learn the game - Study the history of baseball
   
9. Help your team win whether you play or not
   
10. Keep a daily diary of what you do at practice and keep notes of your observations. This will help you see the progress you have made
    
11. Never argue with an umpire
    
12. Agree to let your coaches train you
    
13. Don't cut class
    
14. Maintain the grades that keep you eligible
    
15. Set high standards along with knowing the steps to attain them
    
16. Don't tell people what you are worth, prove it to them
    
17. Your girlfriend is not more important than your career
    
18. Your parents love you, but they don't know more than your coach about baseball
    
19. Don't let anyone make an excuse for you
    
20. Maintain eye contact with all adults when they talk to you. Practice on your friends
    
21. It is your coach's opinion of you that counts. He makes out the lineup. Fail to understand this point and you will soon be out of the game
    
22. Life is not fair. Regardless of what some people want you to think
    
23. Be passionate about your teammates
    
24. Love the game
    
25. Players are not the only people in the game. There are coaches, trainers, announcers, umpires, broadcasters and writers. All those jobs are honorable professions as well as keeping you young
    
26. The only thing that coaches owe you is HONESTY
    
27. Body language screams. It never whispers
    
28. Balance makes champions. If you focus on hitting and ignore the defensive part of your game you will never be a complete player
    
29. Be as diligent on defense as you are on offense
    
30. Defense wins more games than offense
    
31. Pitching sets the tone
    
32. Games are lost not won. Mistakes lead to losses
    
33. You can win a league with a few good pitchers. Well developed pitching staffs win the tournaments
    
34. Work on your game every day of the year. The guy who beat you out for the starting job did and the team that always beats you
    
35. Who you are today is a result of who you were in the past. Fill your past with smart work and good deeds and you will maximize your potential
    
36. You don't have to be a great athlete to be a good baseball player
    

Show off your talent to your current coach and your future coach by doing the following: (ALL THE TIME)

• When you jog to warm up finish first.
  
• When you stretch do it best.
  
• When you play catch, throw to a target and hit it every time.
  
• When you play catch, catch the ball or block the bad throw and keep it in front of you every time.
  

When you are doing a drill, do it perfect, every time.

Go hard all the time. Never walk on a baseball practice field.

As a batter/runner run to first as though it matters that you are safe.

Know the situation on defense and do the right thing.

Baseball reveals character it doesn't build it.

Character means doing the right thing when nobody's watching

http://www.hsbaseballweb.com/checklist.htm

I think if a player would do just 5things off the list it would go along way.