Always in Uniform

"People say I don't have great tools. They say that I can't throw like Ellis Valentine or run like Tim Raines or hit with power like Mike Schmidt. Who can? I make up for it in other ways, by putting out a little bit more. That's my theory, to go through life hustling. In the big leagues, hustle usually means being in the right place at the right time. It means backing up a base. It means backing up your teammate. It means taking that headfirst slide. It means doing everything you can do to win a baseball game."



When I said this, I wasn't just talking about baseball, but life.  Think about how you act and treat your team mates on the field.  How when you put that uniform on you become more than yourself.  You are part of something, a team.  A team who has chosen you, no matter what you look like, or how weird you are, but because you can play ball they respect you and maybe even love you like their own sibling.  They don't judge you, but accept you for who you are.  Now why does any of that have to end when you take that uniform off?  Because you're just putting another one on, the one everyone else is wearing...clothes....hahha yes, but think bigger....life.  In life you're wearing a uniform, the same uniform as everyone else on the team of life.  You'll meet people who are rude, weird, stinky, different, giggly, shy, sweet, dominate, annoying and many other personalities, but they are all on your team. So you gotta have their backs, just like you're own team mates and they'll have yours.  You'll have many coaches in life from your parents to teachers and other leaders; some of which you will hate or love or just disagree with, but just like your athletic coaches with whom you may have issues with, you treat them with respect and try to do what they say.  Head BYU softball coach and hitting coach of the USA team, Gordon Echin once told me that when you know your coach is teaching you something wrong, do it right; and when he says 'great job' or 'see what I told ya', just say; 'hey thanks coach, that really helped.'  Because their only intent is to help you grow and get better.  Everyone is constantly learning, even your coaches.  Especially in life.  So look out for those around you and learn to accept everyone for who they are because like it or not, they're on your team.  We are always in uniform.