Can baseball help you become a better rugby player? Grab your short shorts, sunflower seeds, and eyeblack, because we're about to explore this unlikely connection.
When I was growing up in the South, I always wanted to play football, but my mom was concerned I was too small. In a land where football reigns supreme, that left me with one option: baseball. And so began my journey into America's pastime, along with a lifelong love-hate relationship with sports requiring running.
I loved baseball and everything about it. It's a summer sport where you get to wear hats, and somehow, ridiculously tinted sunglasses are always in style. Every three outs, you'd hang with your buddies in the dugout, chewing sunflower seeds and stuffing so many Warheads in your mouth that you'd give yourself sores. It was a simpler time.
But beyond these glorified memories, baseball instilled in me some very useful habits that carried over into other sports, including rugby. The most important of these? Being prepared, or: situational awareness.
……
I remember my very first baseball practice. I was kind of nervous, but I figured if I could hit and throw the ball okay, I'd fit in with all the other gum-chewing, booger-pickers out there.
So when the ball rolled to me at second base, I scooped it up in my mitt, revved up my chicken-wing arm, and rocketed it to the loudest person calling for the ball - who happened to be the third baseman.
"HEY BUDDY! THE PLAY WAS AT FIRST!" I was informed by a beer gut with legs.
And thus began my first lesson on the importance of situational awareness. The coach spent roughly the entire season drilling into our heads the importance of knowing where the ball should go depending on the particular circumstances of the game.
Baseball practices were 90% scenario-based. The coach would tell you how many outs there were, what the score was, what inning you were in, and where the runners were on base. He would then hit the ball to someone in the field and make sure that EVERYONE reacted appropriately.
This approach forced us to constantly think ahead, consider multiple scenarios, and communicate our intentions to teammates. Between every pitch, we were required to yell out the number of outs and where the 'play' was. It was like a never-ending game of "What If?" mixed with a healthy dose of shouting.
Now, here's where baseball has a leg up on other sports when it comes to developing these habits in young players: the waiting. Oh, the glorious waiting! In baseball, there's no ball to constantly chase, no one trying to tackle you into next Tuesday, and plenty of time to think and prepare. This waiting allows young players to learn situational awareness without being in a pressure cooker. It’s a feature unique to baseball.
So, how does this relate to rugby?
Well, rugby is also a game of situational awareness. In fact, this skill often separates the best players from the physically talented bench warmers (who, let's be honest, probably have better-looking ears).
Understanding the current state of play and being prepared for multiple scenarios can set apart great players from good ones.”
In both sports, understanding the current state of play and being prepared for multiple scenarios can set apart great players from good ones. The habits of planning ahead and clear communication with teammates, which are so intensively drilled in baseball, can translate well to the rugby field.
Of course, you shouldn't try to slide feet-first into a ruck in rugby or attempt a scrum in baseball. But those mental habits of preparedness, foresight, and communication? Those are your secret weapons, and they’ll help you take your game to the next level.
So here’s a tip of the (scrum) cap to baseball, the ultimate game of situational awareness. Next time you're watching a baseball game, appreciate the mental karate happening between each pitch - and hey, why not see if you can convince your teammates to play a few innings of pickup baseball this fall?
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Brian Redmond, Rugby Rioter