I’ve come to realize throughout my career that no matter what anyone tells you to do, or what anyone says you should do, the decision always comes back to you. Your hitting coach wants you to make a change? You’ll be in the box with the game on the line, not him. Pitching coach wants you to stop trying to throw so hard and “just throw strikes”? It’s your numbers the scouts will see on the gun, not his. Am I anti-coach? Not at all. Am I pro-player? 100%.
See, my duty as a coach is to serve you, the player. Will getting good results for you look good on my record? Absolutely. I would be lying if I said otherwise. I would be lying if I said more success for you doesn’t mean more success for me. And that may sound selfish, but that’s the harsh reality. Coach and player are forever aligned, through the good and the bad.
What does this mean? I will bust my tail for you, and I expect you will do the same. Because going back to the beginning, this is up to you. I’ve already been through the process. I already gained 35 pounds of muscle. I already went from throwing upper 70’s to 90+. I already went from a low 80’s to a 95+ mph exit velo. I already dropped my 60 from a 7.3 to a 6.8. With every plateau and every frustration throughout that journey, there was nothing a coach or outside influence could say that would change my mindset. I knew it all depended on me.
I leave you with a challenge: Figure out your goals. Are they important enough to pour your whole heart and soul out for? Are you willing to suffer, and conquer, as a result of the journey your goals will require? You aren’t, you say? That’s okay, no hard feelings here. Best of luck to you. You are? Welcome to the club. Few have the courage to take this journey. You won’t regret it.
Sincerely,
Brady Volmering