When I was in fifth grade, my little league team finished the regular season 17-3. I played catcher for the Astros and even though we had the best record, we didn’t win the second half of the season and had to play a playoff series against the Royals. (For those historians in South Merritt Island, FL – we weren’t the Astros or Royals until the following year, but it’s easier to tell the story this way.)
We surprisingly lost game 1, and then won game 2. Leading up to game 3, we were practicing on the “big field” and watched the Royals playing slow-pitch softball on the minor 2 field. We were running through drills in an organized and disciplined manner; while they looked like a bunch of drunks at a company picnic. I remember thinking: “we’re going to crush them – those softball pitches are going to screw up their swings.”
Everything was lined up perfectly for us. We had our ace Mike Neal on the mound, we looked like a well-oiled machine, and they were laughing and playing around in the third base dugout like this was a practice game. Well, you know where this is heading – the Royals beat us, and I learned a valuable lesson from this story from their coach, Sal Carrillo … but not for another seven years.
During my senior year of high school, I was the starting catcher for a perennial power in Florida, Merritt Island High School. Although expectations were high, I had a disappointing start to the season. However, I warmed up in the second half and began to produce like I everyone thought I would. Mr. Carrillo saw me one day before a game and said: “Petey, I’m glad to see you having fun out there again. You just seemed so tight and now you’re driving the ball like you used to.”
It’s strange how one’s mind works – I immediately reflected to seven years earlier when Mr. Carrillo had the Royals playing around and having fun before the championship game. That’s why they won – they were loose and having fun.
Fast forward to 2013. I had a speaking engagement out west and I needed to practice. Although I knew the material, I felt unprepared. As I was walking through the lobby of the hotel the night before my event, a friend of mine and several people with him that were attending the conference were heading across the street to have a few drinks. I actually thought of Mr. Carrillo while standing there, and went out with those guys. The next day, I killed it… and it wasn’t because of the material. In fact, I screwed up on a few concepts. It was because I was having fun and my session became a conversation … which is one of the best complements a professional speaker can get.
So … every now and then blow off the routine and have fun. You’ll be shocked at your performance.
