In a way, baseball is like the real world: every action has consequences. If you do something really good on the field like a diving play, the consequence is an out and momentum for your team. However, if you do something not so good some consequences are more serious like potentially costing your team the game. Everyday choices we make in life have consequences, and every single time we as athletes have to make one of these decisions, we have to think about who and what we represent. Being a part of a division 1 baseball program is just like being a part of a workforce or having an important job, we are held to a higher standard.
College is already a harder experience because we practically work a 40 hour a week job with baseball alone, let alone the studying and homework we need to do. On top of that, however, we have separate rules given to us by our coaches. For example, we have to attend a class every day unless we have a doctor’s note or are traveling, we can’t wear hats backward in general, and no hats in the classroom period, and if our grades aren’t up to their expectations, we have mandatory study hall hours each week. We are also required to meet with our academic directors once per week to go over the work we have due that week as well as setting up long term planning for exams.
I think it’s very important for us as an athlete to be held to that standard. We represent not only ourselves anymore, but we also represent our families, coaches, team and the university itself. We are expected to be professional at all times to represent the university in a good and professional manner. While some people may see it as silly to have a rule against no backward hats and no hats indoors, a lot of my teammates and I see it as showing respect to our professors and university. Also, it gives us practice for our first job or jobs as we work our way up an organization. Not all jobs are show up, get your work done and go home or stay at home and do your work while laying on the couch jobs. There are going to be dress codes, rules regarding the cleanliness of your office space, rules about how you go about doing your work, etc. Practicing following these rules now is nothing but beneficial for when I get my first job and will also set me apart from other applicants.
Millions of kids around the world would give anything in this world to be in the position that we are in. The brutal truth is a lot of people don’t have what it takes to be in the position I’m in because they cannot be governed by these kinds of rules. How will you hold yourself to a higher standard today?
How to be a Successful Collegiate Athlete 