How Not to Suck at Softball (For Players) | Softball is For Girls

When your daughter comes up to bat, and you tell her with a wink “Don’t Suck,” it draws a lot of puzzled looks from other softball parents.

But what those parents don’t know is that between my daughter and I, the Don’t Suck sentiment is just a reminder of ALL THE ADVICE she has ever been given, and everything she has ever learned, and reminds her that SHE HAS ALL THE TOOLS NECESSARY to ‘not suck’ and do her job. And it’s a heck of a lot easier and much less annoying than all the “keep your hands back,” “eye on the ball,” “lay off the high ones,” “look for your pitch,” “load up,” etc. crap that most parents shout out while their kid is trying to hit. (It just doesn’t sound as politically correct)

And it all comes back to the same thing. “Don’t Suck!” No matter how un-politically correct that is to say – that’s the bottom line. The best way to be good at softball (or anything in life) is to not suck. And that’s a choice. So in reality what I am telling my kid is this. “Look, you have all the tools necessary to go out there and kick butt – so do just that!” 

So if your a player – how do you not suck at softball? Today we give you three of what we feel are the most important ways. Read on…. 

1. Keep a positive attitude. Seriously – the moping and tears and kicking the dirt and tossing the bat or lowering the shoulders after an error, is not a sign of competitiveness. It doesn’t mean anything good. It means your attitude sucks. It shows defeat and a lack of confidence. You can be irritated with yourself without all the drama (which affects everyone around you whether you know it or not) A sign of competitiveness, real competitiveness – is making an error or striking out, and coming back with a make-up play or hit, an not dwelling on what happened but looking toward what will happen next! Softball is a game of failure…if players didn’t fail, then no team would every win a game, and to play softball (and do life) you have to realize that there will be good times and bad times and what always matter most, is your attitude. Players need to remember that they may not have a choice for everything – but the do CHOOSE THEIR ATTITUDE! (Which brings us to number 2) 
2. Be ACCOUNTABLE for what yourself, control what YOU PERSONALLY CAN  (on the field and in life) and let the rest GO! To not suck at softball, you have to hold yourself accountable, and to a higher standard. You have to be able to admit your mistakes and learn from them and grow. You have to be able to control your mindset even when you feel unfairly benched or placed 8th in the lineup. You can’t control what coaches, and other players do around you – but you can control how you behave, react and what you do with the situations you are given! Benched? Only you are accountable for how you react to that? Are you going to sit there and sulk and blame and complain – or are you going to be the BEST PERSON on the bench? That is your decision, and you and you alone are accountable for that, because that is in your control. 
3. Always. Get. Better. Not sucking means never resting on your laurels, it means always looking for ways to improve and get better. It means not being afraid to surround yourself with people that are better than you, and not feeling intimidating by the talent of others and realizing that pouring salt on someone else’s sugar WILL NOT MAKE YOURS ANY SWEETER! – but rather staying so focused on being your best, that you are open to every opportunity to get better. To get stronger. To learn more. To hone your skills. To be a better player and teammate. To listen. We don’t care if its your school work, or your hitting, or your friendships – there is always room to grow and get better on and OFF the field. And this is true not just for players, but for ALL OF US, whether we are 12, or 67! 

Today through Thursday the first 25 Customers can get Our new “Don’t Suck” Shirt for a Special Price of just $8.00