Taking Charge Myth

When the pressure is on and the team needs them the most,

Great players

TAKE CHARGE!!!!!

Usually the lethal combination of ability, desire, experience, and mental toughness makes them the natural choice to take charge.

However, a common fallacy is that you have to be a stud player or a loud vocal rah rah guy to take charge. You don't. Don't get me wrong, you always need athletic skills/savvy, but taking charge is a mindset. You have to have conviction and confidence in what you are doing as a manager and a player and stick to it. They say "He who hesitates is LOST", and if you don't take charge of your play you will be lost regardless of your ability. For example, Bobby Fishman

is a good older player and by his own admission perhaps not the most talented, but Bobby is effective and competitive b/c he always takes charge when he's on the mound.

To take charge you don't have to be an asshole or bully, you just have to accept responsibility for your play. No excuses or whining allowed. A lot of players, including myself, have the problem of worry about other players, situations, umpires, or external factors. If you want to take charge you have to control yourself and focus on your game. If you own yourself, then you will be in control and taking charge and confidence will flow from there.

In life and in softball, those you take ownership and charge of themselves are usually the most successful. So next time don't be afraid to say "I got it" in the boardroom as well as in shallow RF :))))