Fear

~ Fear is a great motivator. It's natural and doesn't require thinking. We all know about the fight or flight principle. Whenever we as humans, or animals in general, are confronted with a situation that is threatening, our bodies are designed to react either by fighting it or running from it. Our bodies prepare us similarly for either reaction. Adrenalin is sent into the blood stream, non-essential bodily functions are shut off, our breathing increases, and many other physiological moves are made without our conscious effort ~or consent for that matter. All of this is designed to make us stronger and faster for the moment. You've heard of the mother lifting up a truck to save her child beneath it.

Fear can also freeze us up for the moment. This kind of fear reaction is what we need to change when it comes to baseball. The fight or flight mechanism is designed as an automatic survival technique, but generally in baseball there is no one actually trying to kill us. So what are we afraid of? The fear of failing? Failing who? Ourselves, our coaches, parents, fans? No matter what the answer, there is no benefit in freezing up. There are ways to combat this type of reaction to fear. Certainly, if it is serious, ominous, or overwhelming, professional help may be required. But for the most part each of us has the ability to remedy the situation, and create a habit that will help us achieve success.

We need to ask ourselves, "What's the worst that can happen?" Again, no one is going to kill you, and you are not in danger of anything but embarrassment. Now, granted, that can seem like a most devastating result, but it is not the end of the world. It is not who we are as players. Learn to accept the possibility of failure and the successes will shine through your talent, your natural ability. Learn to breathe through the opportunity, and you will bring your game to a new level of expertise. You can even practice being afraid. When you are practicing, imagine the fear, what you are afraid of, and even bring yourself to the fight-or-flight level of reaction. Feel yourself relax and breathe through the moment. Learn to feed off of it, and fear can be a wonderful teammate. The relief you can experience through standing up to your fear can certainly heighten your celebration of victory.

Fear, then, is not a bad thing, nothing to be afraid of. Our fear of losing can win more games than our winning desire can. That is, if we work toward that understanding. Winning desire is just that, a desire to win. What player doesn't have that? But the fear of losing, if correctly cultivated, can be a most powerful tool in achieving success. Whenever it is your turn at the ball, whether in the field at the plate or on the mound, fear of screwing up can motivate you into exceptionally good play as long as you let it. Take the opportunity to believe you can do it, then do more than ever. Accept fear to dispel the bad blood associated with it, and extract the motivation to get it done, like running into a burning house to save a loved one, and you can make your opponents' fear of losing a reality.