For my Baseball and Softball friends: ?? • How many strikes did we take today? • How many swing and misses did we make today? • How many great pitches to hit did we get but fouled them off? • How many times were we out of position for the cut/relay? • How many times were our pitchers not in the proper back up position? • How many walks did we allow? • How many passed balls and wild pitches did we have? • How many errors did we have? • How many runners did we leave on base? • How many extra bases did we allow because of mental and physical mistakes? But we want to talk about the umpires?? Players, parents and coaches, we need to be better at self and team evaluation. We need to watch the game and see how we can get better. We need to stop thinking a hand full of mistakes by the umpires made the difference in the game when there more than likely was so many mistakes and missed opportunities throughout the game that were really the reason for defeat. Yes, there is some bad umpiring out there but rarely are they the main reason for the numbers on the scoreboard. Stop using them as scapegoats.

#DodgersWin! FINAL: #Dodgers 7, White Sox 1

Love this!

#DodgersWin! FINAL: #Dodgers 8, Pirates 6

#DodgersWin! FINAL: #Dodgers 12, Pirates 3

Artists, PLEASE don't tell me you're interested in sync licensing and ALL your beats are either ripped off YouTube, or non exclusive leases from beatstars. Have ALL your paperwork straight FIRST before any of THAT. Also if you don't even know what a PRO is, maybe start there.

#DodgersWin! FINAL: #Dodgers 9, Angels 2

I just got off the phone with a player I work with in California. He's heading to a showcase today. He called me looking for advice. He asked: "How do I increase my exit velocity?" "How do I improve my arm strength?" "What should I focus on?" I told him something I wish someone had told me when I was his age. When I started going to showcases, I made one of the biggest mistakes a player can make. I tried to play everyone else's game. I'd see bigger players and try to hit home runs. I'd see faster players and try to outrun them. I'd see stronger players and try to impress coaches with my tools. The problem? There was always somebody bigger. Always somebody stronger. Always somebody faster. After a while, I started noticing a pattern. Every showcase felt the same. Nobody talked. Nobody had energy. Players stood around quietly waiting for their turn. It felt like everyone was trying not to mess up. That's when I had a thought. What if I stopped trying to compete where everyone else was competing? What if I competed somewhere else? So I started bringing energy. -I talked. -I encouraged other players. -I celebrated good plays. -I raised the energy of the entire field. And something interesting happened. People started noticing me. Coaches noticed me. Players noticed me. And when I did something well on the field... That positive energy got attached to my name. Not only did it help me stand out. It helped me play better. I was looser. More confident. More competitive. Eventually, I was recruited by multiple schools and chose UCLA. That's why I told him this: You're a smaller player with good tools. There will probably be players today with bigger numbers. Bigger exit velocities. Better sixty-yard times. Stronger arms. But they can't copy your passion. They can't copy your energy. They can't copy the way you make the people around you better. That's the lesson: The fastest way to stand out is to stop trying to fit in. Here's What I told him to do Today: 1. Celebrate 10 Teammates Find something positive and say it out loud. 2. Be the Loudest Competitor on the Field Encourage. Communicate. Bring energy. 3. Play Your Game Don't spend the day comparing your tools to everyone else's. Compete with what makes you unique. One thing I've learned: Coaches notice tools. But they also notice presence. And presence is something every player can control. Thank you for reading, Jermaine Curtis P.S. - If you enjoyed this and thought it was helpful, please share it. (When you share it, it tells me you want more content like this.)

Miggy's Defense has been lights out the last 2 years.

Broken Record… I’ll keep taking about this for as long as I’m able. While every defensive skill in our game is important, none are more important than our pitchers being to throw strikes. Yet far too many will look past and sometimes even ignore pitchers practice and development because “it takes up too much time” or “team practice is for team fundamentals” even though those who say this seem to find time for batting practice. We also hear “they should be practicing pitching on their own” which I absolutely agree with (all players should own their development) but that’s no excuse for ignoring everything pitching with your players. How about a quick conversation about who is practicing their pitching at home and who is not? For those that do, talk about what they are doing and give them a plan if needed. For those that aren’t, coach, find and make time to help them prepare. Our pitchers and catchers are the only positions that are involved in every pitch of a game. These two positions should be at the top of your priority list each week to make sure they are getting what they need. Again, if they get in enough on their own time, that great, but if they don’t, it’s time to do your part. Parents, if your players team ignores pitching and catching practice, do some research, educate yourself on the position and help your athlete establish an at home plan to get better. Yes, there is time!!

"Christians follow Paul, not Jesus." That used to be my favorite argument as a Muslim. Then I actually studied Paul. And the argument fell apart. Paul wasn't some random guy inventing theology. He was a Pharisee trained under Gamaliel, one of the most respected Jewish teachers of his generation. He knew the Torah. He knew the prophets. And he hated Christianity. He persecuted Christians, dragged them from their homes, and approved their executions. Then something happened. He encountered the risen Christ. And overnight, the man hunting Christians became one. Think about that. If Paul invented Christianity, why did he spend his life pointing people to Jesus instead of himself? Why did Peter, James, and John endorse him? Why did his teachings align with the apostles who actually walked with Christ? And why would he willingly endure beatings, imprisonment, stoning, and eventually execution for a message he knew was false? People may die for something they mistakenly believe is true. But they do not willingly die for a lie they invented themselves. Paul didn't create Christianity. He met the risen Jesus and spent the rest of his life proclaiming Him. If you've been told Paul invented Christianity, you've been handed a slogan, not an argument.

Call it what you want… It doesn’t matter what you want to call it: • Travel ball • Select ball • Tournament ball • League ball • City League ball • Little League ball It’s still youth baseball. It’s a hard game being played by kids. That alone is a challenge but then add in adult emotions and intentions of wanting to be “superior” and you have a recipe for disaster. Keep those expectations realistic. Even though some of these kids have grown quicker than others, were born with different abilities than their peers, they are still kids. They will make mistakes (a lot), struggle with focus, look amazing one second then trip on nothing the next, have poor body language, tear up and do many other things that get under us adults skin. Yep, they are kids! Funny thing is once upon a time we were them and did the same things, made off the wall comments, had squirrel moments and drove our parents, coaches and teachers crazy. So in reality, we get frustrated with them for the same things we did 🤔. This is youth baseball. No matter how we want to spin it and give it a title that implies we are better than the others, I would slow down and remember that this phase in their lives is not about us. Not about our experience but all about them, their personal growth as young athletes and people and we are here to help them get the most out of it for as long as they would like to play them game. In fact, we have an opportunity to enjoy something with them that many of us enjoyed growing up. And for a few of them, their ability will grow into something amazing which will lead to opportunities they dream of. Grow the game!

#DodgersWin! FINAL: #Dodgers 7, D-backs 0

#DodgersWin! FINAL: #Dodgers 6, D-backs 5

10 Tips for Parents of Athletes: 1. Control your emotions. Be a consistent example of mental stability. Show them how to properly respond when things don't our way. They will be able to get the most out of their skills when they are mentally in control. 2. Support them away from their team. All players should practice their sport on their own time. They will always have more time away from their team to get better than they will while with them. Help them develop this great habit. Help them learn to take their development into their own hands. 3. Be realistic. Put them in a position to thrive. We want them to get better but just because we want them to be ready for a certain level doesn't always mean they are ready for that level. Just because that's where their friends are doesn't mean it's the right place for them at that moment. 4. Don't allow excuses and blaming. The longer they do this the longer they will stunt their own growth. Teach them the difference between the controllable's and the un-controllable's. Their attitude, effort, energy and focus. 5. Think twice about your conversations. What are you allowing? What are you participating in? What are you instigating? The tone, the message, the impact. Know this too, sometimes the best thing we can say is nothing at all. Silence is okay! 6. Sports are hard. If you played while you were younger, keep perspective on how hard it was. If you never did, I suggest you go out there and practice with them. Try doing everything they are trying to do. 7. Slow down!! It's a process. They all grow at different rates. Support them, encourage them, motivate them and help them be their best but be careful of comparing them to their peers. The process and journey is different for all. Some are early bloomers while many are late bloomers. The most important years for an athletes performance don't even happen until after puberity kicks in and again, that even hits at different ages. 8. Look for leaders. Place them in front of those who are great people. People who will help instill the same values you are trying to tech them at home. Raising children is hard. Never underestimate the power of outside voices. 9. Youth sports has a way of becoming a toxic enviornment. From gossip about other players to coach bashing to berating and belittling officials. Don't be a part of it. Don't get sucked into the emotions of it. If you want these years to be as enjoyable as possible, beware of the nonsense and stay away from it. 10. Please don't ever let sports come between you are your child(ren). Don't let your attitude about their performance cause strain in your relationship. This game is a temporary phase in their life and meant to be enjoyable. Your relationship is forever. Nurture it now to have for life.

#DodgersWin! FINAL: #Dodgers 9, Phillies 1

The game: • Just when you think you’re starting to figure it out, you get humbled. • You were a beast last tournament, but nothing is clicking in this one. • Line drive outs, bloop hits. • Missed calls hurt you, missed calls help you. • Wind driven fly balls to the fence, wind knocked down fly ball outs. • Hard ground ball outs, swinging bunt hits. • Well executed pitch hit for a double, missed location swung at and missed for strike three. • 7 innings pitched one run allowed loss, 5 innings pitched six runs allowed win. • One coach/recruiter/scout sees potential, another looks past. • First round draft pick never plays in the big leagues, late rounder becomes a hall of fame player (ex. Mike Piazza 62nd round). The game will drive you crazy if you allow it to. Keep perspective on ALL of it and appreciate the game for what it is. The most challenging, fulfilling, painful and exciting game we know and love.

If a man stops arguing it means..

When I was Muslim, I used to ask Christians: “If Jesus was really God, why did He eat, sleep, and bleed like us?” And honestly, I used to ask it with pride like it was some unbeatable argument. But later I realized something: That question was not exposing Christianity. It was exposing my misunderstanding of what kind of God Jesus claimed to be. Because the real question is not: “Why would God become weak?” The real question is: “What kind of God would willingly step into human suffering at all?” Islam taught me about a God who was distant and untouchable. But Christianity introduced me to a God who stepped into hunger, exhaustion, grief, pain, betrayal, blood, and suffering with us. And suddenly His humanity stopped feeling like weakness to me. It became proof of love. If Jesus ate, it means He came close enough to experience hunger beside us. If He slept, it means He embraced the exhaustion we carry. If He bled, it means He did not stand above suffering watching us from a distance. He entered it Himself. Philippians 2 says Christ emptied Himself and took on flesh. Not because He stopped being God, but because He wanted humanity to finally see what God is actually like. And it turns out God is willing to suffer for the people He loves. That changed everything for me. Because every other religion demanded sacrifice from humanity. Jesus became the sacrifice Himself. And no prophet in history ever claimed that.

B.R.A.V.E.458 family locked and loaded and ready to go serve! B.R.A.V.E.458 family would like to thank all that gave and continues to give to the mission and vision.$Brave458. brave458.com In the community, for the community, about the community. @PacasoRamirez