Baseball Breaks are Crucial - 365 Days to Better Baseball

Motivational Monday tip of Day

Not the Baseball Breaks You are Thinking Of

Getting the breaks of the game is important for winning baseball games. Sometimes baseball breaks go one team's way and sometimes they do not. However, that is not the only baseball breaks that are crucial in baseball.

"I want players itching to start swinging the bat and throwing the ball and not saying, do I have to go to practice, again."

One trend in the game of baseball over the last number of years is playing year round baseball. Nothing leads to burn out as that does, or at least to complacency. Baseball players, of all ages, must take baseball breaks in order to refresh the mind and to develop the eye of the tiger for the following season.

Baseball Breaks are a Great Motivator

I am seeing it more and more, when players or their parents refuse to take much time off from playing or practicing baseball. "They love the game and love to practice is their mantra. "I don't care how much they love it, think about how they are going to feel next May, when there are still five months to go in their season, and they are beginning to wear down mentally, if not physically."

It is hard to blame players because, from the time they are young, they learned the value of hard work and never giving up. Statements as, "You have to work harder than the competition," and "Those that work when others are not, succeed," are common statements used to motivate baseball players. No wonder they do not want a break from baseball.

However, baseball breaks are one of the best motivators, if not the best. The famous quote, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," applies to baseball. The mental fatigue on baseball players is often greater than the physical strain because of the everyday nature and the amount of failure involved in baseball. Baseball breaks, no swinging, throwing or fieldingshould be mandatory for every player, especially for those, who love the game and love to practice. Playinga number ofmonths a year will not cause players to lose their skills after a break.

Baseball Breaks Suggestions

1. Three months minimum for players below the high school level with no throwing or swinging a bat
2. Two months minimum for high school position players and three month baseball breaks for pitchers
3. This break time of year differs for each player depending on other sports played and possible camps and showcases to attend. This baseball break can get tricky because of those offseason commitments, as baseball is not a game that does not need a lot of preparation, especially for the throwing arm.
4. Strength training, conditioning, and/or other sport playing should continue during these baseball breaks, especially for teenage and older players.

Once again, hard work is always commendable, but coaches, parents, and players should understand the benefits of the time away are much greater in the end.