How to defeat my mental walls

Question
Dear expert Rick Bundy,

My name is Emanuele, I am 21 year old and after almost 2 years without playing baseball due to an injury I started to play baseball in november again.
Now I am playing in a Junior College in Florida, the coach accepted me in his team but he didn't put me in the roster because the lack of training. I am just training to be back ready again.
I played in the Dominican Rep. to get some possibilities with a minor league contract, in fact I am a half Dominican and a Half Italian.
I remember before my injury at the knee that I was a great player, (yes I was!), but it is always the same problem at the time of try-outs or anybody else that wasn't a talent scout watching me playing my skills disappear like a ghost. I always get tense in everything, I also told this this to my currently head coach but I still don't know what to do.
Im writing this to you because I saw that Baseball is 90% mental, and I agree this opinion with you.
I only can tell you when I am quite and relaxed ther's no pitcher that can throw me that ball. And the coach accepted me because he saw on me skills that he really like.
Now I am training hard every day also after practice to get back and play summer league and reach my goal soon as possible or rather get signed by a minor league team and reach the major league, but the mind is against me and it doesn't let me do what I can do."

Will you help me to defeat this problem?

Answer
Emanuele:  There is much that can be done to help you with your situation.  It is far more common than one would imagine.

I truly believe that the mental portion of the game is far underated.  Coaches and players know it is important, coaches will estimate in a seminar that it is easily 80-90%; but more programs than not spend little or no actual drill and practice time working on the fundamentals needed.  Baseball takes much repetitional practice, with the numbers of players to get those reps per day, the mental portion gets relegated to some verbal thoughts and left to chance.  

Mental game skills are an actual skill, as much as swinging a bat, throwing a baseball, running the bases, etc.  They require thought and practice to take them to a level that separates one player from another.

That said, where do we start to provide you with a set of tools to develop a base to build on.  Like building a house, the mental portion needs a solid base to set on.

1.  <strong>Advice from experts:</strong> I strongly recommend the following sources to get you started in the right direction.

  a.  Jeff Jansen.  He can be a great resource for the things you are looking for.  If you go to my website at www.theoleballgame.com/baseball-resource.html, there is a link there to Jeff Jansen.  I became acquainted with him when he was the Sports Psychologist at the University of Arizona.  Much of the mental game material on my site comes from my contacts with him during his time there.

  b.  www.theoleballgame.com/baseballs-mental-game.html.  On this page you will find information in links at the bottom of the page for many parts of baseballs mental game.  There are drills and exercises you can start on right away, that help build various areas as you may feel you need them.

  c.  Also in the right hand column of this page are three books that I highly recommend.  All are written by H.A. Dorfman.  Recommended reading by Jeff Jansen, I took his advice and it was well worth the time and effort to do so.  While I was long past my playing days when the mental game started to become popular, these sources have been an enormous help in developing team and individual mental game skills over the years.  I have read his initial book, The Mental Game Of Baseball, as well as his Pitching book.  Have yet to read his hitting book; but will be soon.  You can count on this author to provide a ton of information which will be useful to you.

You can purchase them through my book store on the site, or through that widget ad on the initial mental game page, you can locate them in book stores or go directly to Amazon.  You will never regret getting these books.  They can be as valuable to you as your glove and bat selection.

You can contact me through the contact page of my site, or the ask a baseball question page if you have additional questions.  It will be helpful to get some specific information as to what types of feelings and situations have become trouble for you and we can work on specific ways to work with each.  You can also contact me here at All Experts.

Initially I would suggest that you look at the page on my site on controllable and uncontrollable factors.  You have already verbally set some playing goals you would like to achieve.  The next step will be to create a road map for how you will get there.  You realize you have a mental roadblock, so developing specific drills that will enable you to eliminate that roadblock from your path is where to start.  It sounds simple enough; but it takes a solid commitment and dedicated practice to make it a reality.

From the wording in your question, you have had the skills in the past.  <strong>The Successes We Achieved In The Past Are More Real Than The Failures We Feel In Our Future. (Jeff Jansen)

Put Your Mind In A Position To Be Successful. ( Jeff Jansen)</strong>

You have taken the initial step of a very worthwhile journey.  Keep putting one foot in front of the other, you can make it happen.

As with most all baseball situations, when you are having trouble, simplify.  You won't find this journey to be complicated.  I believe you will have a lot of fun with it, as you will see results.  

Put yourself in charge of your dreams.  As I am sure you already know, baseball will always give more back to you than you put in.  It is the nature of the game.

Thank you again for your question.  Keep in touch and we will keep moving forward.

Yours in baseball,

Rick