Giannis - Leveling Up

A Lot of you guys play video games, but even if you don’t, this lesson will still make sense. There are many different ways to view or internalize failure, but one way that has helped a ton of great athletes is to view on-the-field actions like those of a video game character. Specifically, what happens to your stats/experience level every time you take the field.

In almost every role-playing or single-player game, you get awarded experience points for attempting tasks, more for completing them successfully, & less for failing. Eventually, the more you try, the more your character learns and the faster you level up. The same can be said about our characters on the field. The only way you don’t get better as a player is by not showing up. Simply by playing the game, you will learn how to get better at it - even if it means repeated and prolonged periods of failure and frustration.

An 0-4 day is only a total waste if you believe it to be. Even on your worst day, you still learn something that will make you better for the next time. Think of the cliché Edison quote: "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps."

This week, as you are confronted by ups & downs - remember that you are leveling up each day - you are learning and absorbing experiences that will make you better in the long run. There might be times when you feel like the game is too hard and you can’t figure it out, but I promise you if you just keep playing, just keep showing up ready to learn, eventually you will overcome any obstacle.

Failure teaches you way more than success if you can avoid getting discouraged & refuse to give up.

Like Giannis said, there is no failure in sports - only opportunities to learn and get better. That mindset is vital as you continue your baseball career. Failure will always be unavoidable - all you can control is how you view it & how you respond to it.