Confidence in a Game of Failure
Baseball is just like life in so many ways, the certain failure that must be faced with composure and grace in order to be successful in the future; the lessons learned throughout years of commitment and hard work. Baseball is more lifelike than any other sport because of these things, but also because of repetition. Day after day, night after night, slaving after your craft to be deemed great, and only succeed three out of ten times. This is why people are so drawn to it, it’s relatable to all. If this is the case, why are baseball players scrutinized every day for being baseball players? Baseball players are known for their hot heads and their cocky attitudes, but why? Are we as a society going to let a few bad apples spoil the bunch once again? We as a society need to stop viewing baseball players as conceited and arrogant and treat them equal to the rest of the world. So the real question is why does society look at baseball players and interpret them as cocky? …show more content…
The answer is confidence. According to Financial Samurai’s research, “one of the key characteristics of an above-average person is having a healthy self-esteem and believing in themselves” (Abella 2). There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence in this sport. Baseball players must walk that line every day to be successful at the game that’s filled with so much failure; but this game is 90% mental, which is absolutely imperative to being a productive player. So where is this fine line exactly? This is where the stereotype begins, where personal interpretation defines the fate of others. “Confidence is knowing that you’re so prepared, that there is no way you can possibly fail, while cockiness is thinking you can be exceptional with no preparation”- Ron Wolforth. Baseball players who work day in and day out must take the mental approach to the game so they will be prepared to succeed. Another reason that baseball players are regarded as cocky, is because their association with the big bucks. It is common knowledge that baseball players are the highest paid athletes across the board. In fact “29 baseball players have signed contracts worth more than Kobe Bryant’s deal with the Lakers, the largest among any of the three other major U.S. sport” (Berg 3). When people have more money they tend to have more self-confidence, likewise when people have more self-confidence they tend to have more money. Therefore a profession immersed in wealth will have the tendency to obtain some big egos, but this is no different than any profession that is prone to economic abundance. The game of baseball is not the guilty party here, but in fact the excessive amount of money that goes along with the profession. A further big question that needs to be asked is why should we care? Why does my opinion of baseball players matter and who cares if I label them with a negative connotation? With all the horrible things going on in the world being judgmental towards baseball players seems to hit near the bottom on the priority list, doesn’t it? Would that mindset be maintained if I reverted the subject to racial stereotyping? We jump up the priority latter pretty quickly now. The fact of the matter
Baseball is just like life in so many ways, the certain failure that must be faced with composure and grace in order to be successful in the future; the lessons learned throughout years of commitment and hard work. Baseball is more lifelike than any other sport because of these things, but also because of repetition. Day after day, night after night, slaving after your craft to be deemed great, and only succeed three out of ten times. This is why people are so drawn to it, it’s relatable to all. If this is the case, why are baseball players scrutinized every day for being baseball players? Baseball players are known for their hot heads and their cocky attitudes, but why? Are we as a society going to let a few bad apples spoil the bunch once again? We as a society need to stop viewing baseball players as conceited and arrogant and treat them equal to the rest of the world. So the real question is why does society look at baseball players and interpret them as cocky? …show more content…
The answer is confidence. According to Financial Samurai’s research, “one of the key characteristics of an above-average person is having a healthy self-esteem and believing in themselves” (Abella 2). There is a fine line between cockiness and confidence in this sport. Baseball players must walk that line every day to be successful at the game that’s filled with so much failure; but this game is 90% mental, which is absolutely imperative to being a productive player. So where is this fine line exactly? This is where the stereotype begins, where personal interpretation defines the fate of others. “Confidence is knowing that you’re so prepared, that there is no way you can possibly fail, while cockiness is thinking you can be exceptional with no preparation”- Ron Wolforth. Baseball players who work day in and day out must take the mental approach to the game so they will be prepared to succeed. Another reason that baseball players are regarded as cocky, is because their association with the big bucks. It is common knowledge that baseball players are the highest paid athletes across the board. In fact “29 baseball players have signed contracts worth more than Kobe Bryant’s deal with the Lakers, the largest among any of the three other major U.S. sport” (Berg 3). When people have more money they tend to have more self-confidence, likewise when people have more self-confidence they tend to have more money. Therefore a profession immersed in wealth will have the tendency to obtain some big egos, but this is no different than any profession that is prone to economic abundance. The game of baseball is not the guilty party here, but in fact the excessive amount of money that goes along with the profession. A further big question that needs to be asked is why should we care? Why does my opinion of baseball players matter and who cares if I label them with a negative connotation? With all the horrible things going on in the world being judgmental towards baseball players seems to hit near the bottom on the priority list, doesn’t it? Would that mindset be maintained if I reverted the subject to racial stereotyping? We jump up the priority latter pretty quickly now. The fact of the matter