Part 4 of the “Get to Work” Series
We live in the loudest era of all time. Notifications, messages, highlights and videos fight for attention every second. For young athletes, it is almost impossible to escape it. The phone in their pocket holds more pull than the bat in their hands.
The game, though, has not changed. Baseball still rewards the player who can slow things down. It rewards patience, awareness and repetition. None of that survives in a distracted mind.
Many players believe they can do both, be fully locked in at practice while living half online. The truth is, focus is a muscle. It grows when it’s trained and weakens when it’s constantly interrupted. Every time a player trades a quiet moment of work for a quick scroll, that muscle loses strength.
Comfort is the other thief. It whispers that you’ve done enough for today, that tomorrow is fine, that others are resting too. It tells you to relax when you should be building. It feels harmless until the game exposes it.
Somewhere along the way, comfort became the goal. Air-conditioned cages, indoor training centers, short bursts of attention. None of that creates the mental toughness the game demands. Baseball is built on struggle. The ability to focus through failure, weather, noise, and fatigue is what separates players.
If you have ever watched a great player practice, you’ll notice something. Their eyes don’t wander. Their mind doesn’t drift. They are present. Every swing, every rep, every move has their full attention. That kind of focus is rare now because it takes effort to block out everything else.
Coaches can teach mechanics, but they can’t teach hunger. Hunger comes from shutting out distractions long enough to remember why you play. You can’t fake that kind of focus. It has to be built, one choice at a time.
Put the phone down. Turn off the noise. Give yourself a few quiet hours where it’s just you and the game. You’ll be surprised how much better you see the ball, how much cleaner your swing feels, how much sharper your glove work becomes.
Discipline starts in the mind. The body follows whatever the mind believes deserves attention.
So make focus your advantage. While others are distracted, you’ll be improving. While they are scrolling, you’ll be stacking reps. The game will notice, it always does.
Get to work.
Behind The Diamond 