When Do I Work?

Mark Helsel Former US Elite National Director

I had an interesting question posed to me recently. A FB friend asked, "when do you work". I think it was prompted by the posts and video I put up showing alot of my hobbies such as fishing, hiking, photography, hunting, and of course, baseball. It got me thinking about work, and how that word means different things to different people.

When I was 26 years old, I heard a very successful person describe her life as a "lifestyle by design". That caught my attention. I listened as she described what "lifestyle by design" meant to her. She talked about choices, goals, plans, dreams, aspirations. But she wasn't just a "pie in the sky" motivational speaker. Despite her very optimistic outlook, and almost surreal description of what life could be like, she also talked about fears, doubts, limits, barriers, adversity and the status quo. She recognized them, but cautioned us to not let those things be the driving forces in our lives. She said there is a big difference between a lifestyle by design and a lifestyle by chance. I remember her saying this catchy phrase; "Choice or chance, you choose".

When you give a boy a ball

Mark Helsel Former US Elite National Director

If you give a boy a baseball, he will want a bat to go with it.

You’ll buy him the best bat you can find, and then he will probably want a bucket of balls and a glove and some cleats too.

Then, he will probably spend hours begging you to go out in the yard to play with him, even though you may want to sit on the couch and watch tv. He will insist. And his insistence will win.

The Top 5 Complaints I Hear

Mark Helsel Former US Elite National Director

1. The #1 complaint I receive from parents who come in to our program from another program is the lack of COMMUNICATION from their previous program. We don't have that issue at US Elite. If anything, we OVER communicate. Just look at all the information on the community.
2. The #2 complaint I receive from parents who come in to our program from another program is the lack of ORGANIZATION in their previous program. We don't have that issue at US Elite. If anything, we are anal about organization and we have gone to great lengths to create systems, tools and procedures for our players and parents. The community is a good example. There are many more.

Opportunity is defined as a set of circumstances that make it possible to do something.

Mark Helsel Former US Elite National Director

It's important to understand that a college commitment is nothing more than an opportunity. There are no guarantees. It's similar to getting a non-roster invitation to MLB Spring Training Camp.

Players are so concerned about accepting a college commitment that they lose sight of where the best opportunities may come from. It's important to choose a college commitment wisely. The more opportunities = the best chance of success. A poor or rushed decision can result in a significant loss of time and money.