Why the name circle change?
In baseball, there is a pitch called a circle change up. That was my best pitch, by far. Without it, there is zero chance I would’ve made it to the show. Here’s the thing though, my other pitches were good as well, just not as good as my change-up. When I threw my change-up, I knew that the hitter wasn’t going to make good contact, if he made contact at all. I had supreme confidence to throw that pitch no matter the hitter, count, or game situation.
So why didn’t I have that confidence with my other pitches? That’s the key right there. If I did, I might still be playing (not really) but I certainly would’ve played longer. Every time I threw the change up, I stopped thinking and let my abilities come through. I’m sure I gave up some hits with my change-up but I honestly can’t remember one. Why? Because I didn’t think it was even possible. The only thing possible was a positive outcome in my mind. For that reason, I threw it without hesitation and full conviction. That attitude and mindset is what I want to help others achieve in whatever endeavor they are aiming for.
ABOUT ADAM
When I reminisce about my career, I feel lucky to tell people that I have had 3 dream jobs. My current job as a mental skills coach is hopefully my last because of how fulfilled I am, but it is important to talk about some of the steps along the way.
When I made my debut in the major leagues with the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 1, 2000, I was sure that nothing would be better than living that dream of playing in “The Show.” In a lot of ways, I was right. It was everything a young man could dream of. However, I wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of negative thinking nor did I have a plan to overcome it. I was lucky enough to sneak in over 4 years in the big leagues and 10 years professionally, but I still wonder how much I really enjoyed it. I constantly was living in the past and in the future with my thoughts. The “what if’s” and “why me’s” were ever present until I was out of the game in 2009.
...my life read like a country song. I had lost my house, marriage, money and most importantly, myself. By this time, I was five years into a guiding career (2nd dream job) in Alaska. One day, while sanding a cabin deck in preparation for the fishing season, I realized that there had to be more guys (and athletes in general) that could use coaching/mentoring through their careers and post careers. I called some people I knew, did some research, and found that there was a newish career for mental skills coaches. That was all I needed to know so I set a new path to do just that.
So I went back to school at 40 which I don’t recommend unless you absolutely have to. However, I powered through and received a Master’s degree in Sport & Performance Psychology in 2017 from the University of Denver. Recently, I have been studying breath work and was lucky enough to train with Harvey Martin which resulted in a Mindstrong Project certification as a breath coach. Also, I recently went on a 5-day silent retreat at Spirit Rock Meditation Center so I can eventually be certified as a MBSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) teacher. Meditation has greatly impacted me for the better and influenced the way I go about my life and coaching. All of this along with my baseball career that included 7 Major League Organizations, I believe that I can help work with a wide range of people trying to achieve their dreams.