04/29/2026
We had a real conversation with our girls recently, and it’s one that matters way beyond softball.
We talked about how this game is built on failure. You’re going to strike out. You’re going to make errors. You’re going to have games where nothing clicks. That’s not “if”… that’s when.
But what matters most is what happens next.
We talked about the “moldy fruit” mindset. If one piece gets moldy and you leave it there, it doesn’t just stay contained-it spreads. It affects everything around it.
When one player shuts down, hangs their head, or spirals after a mistake, it doesn’t just impact them, it can start to affect the whole team. Energy is contagious… both good and bad.
So, we’re asking:
Are you lifting your team up or bringing the energy down?
Our reset:
So what? Now what?
Mistake?
So what. It happened.
Now what are you going to do about it?
Are you going to stay stuck in it?
Or are you going to reset, refocus, and show up for the next play?
Because tough players aren’t the ones who never fail, they’re the ones who bounce back the fastest. The ones who can take a deep breath, flush it, and go compete again like nothing just happened.
That’s the standard we’re building.
Not perfect players but resilient teammates.
This new wave of travel ball athletes… I’m seeing a whole lot of “poor me” the second it doesn’t go your way. Strikeout? Meltdown. Error? Head drop. One bad game and it’s like the world ended.
I’m gonna be real with you—that s**t is soft.
This is a game built on failure. Not sometimes… all the time. And the faster you stop acting surprised by it, the faster you actually get better.
Because yeah… when you’re CRUZIN? Everyone’s loud. Everyone’s smiling. Energy’s high, you feel like a superstar, and life is good.
But who are you when it’s not?
When you’re 0-for.
When you just gave one away.
When nothing’s clicking and you feel it creeping in your head?
Don’t be the one dragging the whole dugout into your spiral. Nobody needs that energy.
Pressure will mess with you. It’ll have you overthinking, doubting, questioning everything you thought you had figured out. That’s the game.
But mentally tough athletes? They’ve already decided—they’re gonna be good regardless. Before the result even shows up.
So what’s your plan when you struggle?
Who are your people?
What’s your reset?
What are you telling yourself when it gets ugly?
Because it’s real easy to go full victim mode and pull everyone down with you. Don’t be that teammate. Straight up—nobody respects it.
I lived it. In OKC, I started 0-for-11 before hitting a grand slam in the semis. You don’t think I felt pressure? Of course I did. But I knew my role. I wasn’t about to let my struggles at the plate bleed into how I showed up everywhere else. I flushed it and kept showing up. That’s what competitors do.
This game will expose you. Especially in today’s pressure-packed youth sports world.
So breathe. Pause. It ain’t life or death.
Then step back in and go attack the next pitch like you’ve got something to prove.
Proud of you. Keep grindin.
________
I get asked all the time how to build this mentality in the circle and I’m so passionate about the work. This comes through hard work because the game knows. I’m going to be working with 20 athletes starting in August and you can be one of them.
Drop SAVAGE in the comments if you wanna raise your standard with me.
