Do The Little Things Extremely Well
I know a majority of you were glued to your couches this weekend watching the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational just like I was. There were so many great games, upsets, individual performances, and SportsCenter worthy defensive plays. I found myself screaming at the TV when Northwestern and Florida State both walked off UCLA and when USF crushed Oklahoma State.
What was hard not to notice in all of these games however, was that it was the little things that put most of the teams that found success in a position to win. It brought to mind the old saying "Everything happens before it happens." This could not be a more accurate depiction of elite level competition. We as fans tend to see all of the big moments, the homeruns, extra base hits, big strikeouts, outstanding plays, and we think to ourselves "those are the moments that won the game," and we are right to an extent, but we cannot forget about little moments adding up to those big moments.
This weekend it was a walk that led to a clutch RBI later in the inning. It was stealing a base to get into scoring position where a single drives you in instead of an extra base hit. It was an error starting the inning that led to 2,3, and sometimes 4 runs. It was an outfielder missing a ground ball that led to an inside the park homerun. It was someone missing a throw on a cut and relay to allow runners to get into scoring position. The little things mattered. Clean softball mattered.
The lesson we can take from it is this: If you want to play softball at a high level, you have to master the basics. So many games were lost by the losing teams rather than being won by the winning team. Sometimes the best way to win the game is to simply not lose it. Eliminate careless mistakes, play catch on defense, lay down a bunt when you need to, poke a bloop to the opposite field. If you play clean softball, your chances for winning skyrocket. And how do you play clean softball in those critical moments? Preparation and Repetition. Practice. Pay attention to the details. The results tend to always follow.
--Halo
