The Four Month Itch
Every year around this time I get the itch in a bad way. It's been a little over 4 months since the World Series, the snow is beginning to melt a little, and spring training games are beginning to be played. The anticipation for the season to come is absolutely killing me.
I figured this year would be easier on me. I attended our clubs organizational meetings and fall instructional league in Ft. Myers, Florida last October. I didn't return home to Oslo until the 2nd of November which made me think the winter would'nt seem so long. Apparently it has had the opposite effect. Instead of the season creeping up on me I catch myself staring out the window waiting for spring to come.
Winter can be a busy time for a scout even those of us in cold climate territories. My territory must be the coldest of them all being in Northern Europe. I try to view my off-season much like a player does by using it as a time to rebuild, heal, and sometime reinvent myself. This can be a physical, emotional, and organizational rebuilding process.
Physically speaking I try to hit the gym and be as physically active all winter as my life allows. My theory is that the nature of scouting means many late nights, lots of travel, and loads of stress and uncertainty. This usally means I don't have time to exercise regularly enough. So I train as though I'm entering a long battle.
Mentally I can usually feel my body crash the moment I step off the plane from my last trip. I actually feel the tension ease when i begin to see the Norwegian coast line from the plane window. This is followed by a week or two of inactivity where I don't even look at a baseball. OK, I'm lying, I never go a day without looking at a baseball, but I don't stay as involved as I do in the midst of the season. During the winter I also try to take up a new hobby or interest, something I have always wanted to do or have idealized would be an interesting topic. I go through stints where I want to make really good food, write a book, or study a new language. This doesn't last long however, and usually I fall back into my old routines.
The final stage revolves around organization. I'm currently in the midst of this stage. I have made efforts throughout the winter to stay in touch with players and coaches and now begin to prepare my materials for the upcoming season. This means ensuring my stopwatches work, my game cards I use for taking notes are ready and printed, and I have a collection of schedules in place. I then make out a game plan...only to have it modified within the first week of the season.
I still have a few weeks until the season falls on my head. In the meantime I try to enjoy some quality time at home and look forward to watching the previous nights spring training games online while I eat breakfast and drink coffee. I try to cherish these last moments as I know it won't be long until I hit the freak trail while hunting for the next phenom.
I figured this year would be easier on me. I attended our clubs organizational meetings and fall instructional league in Ft. Myers, Florida last October. I didn't return home to Oslo until the 2nd of November which made me think the winter would'nt seem so long. Apparently it has had the opposite effect. Instead of the season creeping up on me I catch myself staring out the window waiting for spring to come.
Winter can be a busy time for a scout even those of us in cold climate territories. My territory must be the coldest of them all being in Northern Europe. I try to view my off-season much like a player does by using it as a time to rebuild, heal, and sometime reinvent myself. This can be a physical, emotional, and organizational rebuilding process.
Physically speaking I try to hit the gym and be as physically active all winter as my life allows. My theory is that the nature of scouting means many late nights, lots of travel, and loads of stress and uncertainty. This usally means I don't have time to exercise regularly enough. So I train as though I'm entering a long battle.
Mentally I can usually feel my body crash the moment I step off the plane from my last trip. I actually feel the tension ease when i begin to see the Norwegian coast line from the plane window. This is followed by a week or two of inactivity where I don't even look at a baseball. OK, I'm lying, I never go a day without looking at a baseball, but I don't stay as involved as I do in the midst of the season. During the winter I also try to take up a new hobby or interest, something I have always wanted to do or have idealized would be an interesting topic. I go through stints where I want to make really good food, write a book, or study a new language. This doesn't last long however, and usually I fall back into my old routines.
The final stage revolves around organization. I'm currently in the midst of this stage. I have made efforts throughout the winter to stay in touch with players and coaches and now begin to prepare my materials for the upcoming season. This means ensuring my stopwatches work, my game cards I use for taking notes are ready and printed, and I have a collection of schedules in place. I then make out a game plan...only to have it modified within the first week of the season.
I still have a few weeks until the season falls on my head. In the meantime I try to enjoy some quality time at home and look forward to watching the previous nights spring training games online while I eat breakfast and drink coffee. I try to cherish these last moments as I know it won't be long until I hit the freak trail while hunting for the next phenom.
posted by Andy Johnson at 4:18 PM
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