09/16/2026
What if trying harder isn’t always the answer? 🧠⚾️
Coach Wags taught the VPA players that very concept with a book from Edward Slingerland called Trying Not to Try. This is a concept every baseball player can relate to:
Sometimes, the harder we try to make something happen, the harder it becomes to actually do it.
Think about insomnia. You’re lying in bed thinking, “I HAVE to fall asleep.” You try harder and harder…and suddenly falling asleep feels impossible.
Baseball can work the same way.
A hitter gets into a slump. He wants a hit so badly that he starts thinking more, pressing more, changing things and trying to force success. The harder he tries to escape the slump, the tighter he becomes — and the further he can get from the natural movement and instincts that made him successful in the first place.
Sometimes the answer isn’t TRY HARDER.
It’s TRUST MORE.
Trust your preparation. Trust your training. Trust your body. Step into the box, compete — and let it flow.
At VPA, developing better baseball players means developing the mind as much as the swing.
Developing Athletes. Advancing Academics. Preparing Leaders.
