Rest and Re-energize

During Ozzie Smith's career, he not only was in tip-top shape, but he made sure he got plenty of rest to perform at a superstar level.

Not getting enough sleep can dramatically affect your performance on the baseball diamond. While you sleep, your body is recovering and resting from all the things you have done during your day.

Sleep calms you down and improves your mood, your muscles relax, and your mind is allowed to clear itself in preparation for the next day's game.

If you are not getting enough rest, you will begin to notice it in a physical way. You may feel sluggish and get tired during pressure situations and you may not be able to come up with a clutch play when the game is on the line.

While there is no perfect number in terms of hours of sleep, 7-8 hours should be your target each and every night.

Increase Your Speed

Speed is very important in baseball. Ozzie Smith’s speed and quickness was a key to his success, he stole 580 bases, scored 1257 runs and of course, made many outstanding defensive plays.

Improving your speed can turn heads and separate you from rest of the pack when being recruited by college coaches or being scouted by major league teams.

Speed Expert Greg Foster, who is a member of the United States Track and Field Hall-of-Fame, says “you must train like a track and field athlete when you are trying to improve your speed and quickness.”

Foster was one of the world's greatest high hurdlers from 1981 to 1991. Foster was a national collegiate champion while at UCLA in both the high hurdles and 200. After college, he won 10 national titles, both indoor and outdoor, and he won the first three world outdoor championships and he won the Silver Medal in the 110m hurdlers in the1984 Olympics.

So are you ready to improve your speed and quickness?

If the answer to the question is yes, go to the link below and listen to an audio interview that I conducted with Foster.

Click Here for Greg Foster Interview