Photo Credit probaseballinsider.com
When growing up the memories of being a kid start to fade, and it gets harder and harder to remember all the moments from that time in your life. I mean hell, I am 21 and the memories of my childhood are few and far between. When it comes down to it, if you remember something from when you were a young’n, it is because it was significant in creating the person you are today. These moments, at least for me, are funny, sometimes devastating, or sentimental. Also, looking back, a lot of my memories are from when I was playing sports. In particular a lot of my memories are from when I was playing little league baseball.
Like I said, the things you remember are the things that made you who you are today. A lot of the life lessons you learn are through playing sports. Things like, hard work, determination, ambition. One of the lessons I remember most is creating a warrior mentality, and if you listen to the DNR Podcast you have heard Cole and I talk about this a lot. Now a warrior mentality is a compilation of a lot of things, competitiveness, killer instinct, hard nose toughness. Two of the most important things about being a warrior though is doing WHATEVER IT TAKES, and NEVER TAKING BREAKS. Let me tell you a story about how I started compiling these traits of a warrior when I was 10 years old playing little league baseball.
My dad was always my coach in little league, so naturally I usually played shortstop or I pitched because that is the “stereotypical” positions for the coach's son. Every once in a while though my dad would throw me behind the plate, so I could catch. I didn’t love it, but when you are one of the only kids who can keep the ball in front of you when you are 10, you gotta do what you gotta do. Being a catcher takes a lot of grit. You are squatting all game, have to be locked in for every pitch, which for 10 year old Nick Schnell wasn’t the easiest thing to do. Not only those things, but what happens when you are catching and you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of an inning?
Ask yourself what a warrior would do. Would he hold it? Would he call time and ask his coach if he can run to the bathroom? Would he ask the coach to take him out of the game completely? Well, 10 year old Nick Schnell was in this very scenario and asked himself all these questions. He did exactly what a warrior would do. He pissed himself right then and there while catching in the middle of the inning. Some may say that is disgusting, some may say immature, some may even say idiotic. You know what I say… I say it is the act of a warrior in training. If anyone wants to question how competitive I am or what I will do to win for my team and stay in a game, well go ahead. I can guarantee one thing though, you never pushed your pride to the side for your team and pissed down your leg mid game, and wore piss pants for the rest of the game.
Now after Vol. 1 you may be asking yourself does this kid have a urination problem? The exact opposite. I have a hydration problem. Excuse me sir, can I get you something to drink? I’ll take as much water as you have, thank you. It just so happens that urine has had an impact on my life more than other things. I can’t argue the path that God has created for me. I do know it has led to a lot of laughs and a lot of lessons though. I am not going to sit here either and act like I was a full warrior when I was 10 years old, I am still in training now. When I was pissing down my leg, being the most selfless player on the field, I came into the dugout, and the other players asked why my pants were wet, I told them I spilled some water on myself. Would a warrior do that? Absolutely not he would own up to the greatness of his actions, no matter what others would think. Maybe my urine learning experiences are done, maybe they aren’t, but I hope after reading this you all can reminisce on your pee stories and the things that made you all who you are today and smile.