Before the First Pitch
The Mindset that Wins
“Believe you can, and you're halfway there.”
— Theodore Roosevelt
Before the First Pitch
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life
A quick shout out to all of the North Dakota athletic administrators and Metro Baseball League coaches (Minn.) I had the honor of presenting to this weekend!
Tommy Lasorda, the legendary Hall of Fame manager who led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series championships, possessed a secret weapon that transformed ordinary players into champions. This powerful edge wasn't a revolutionary training technique or tactical innovation - it was something far more fundamental.
What can you genuinely change overnight before a major competition?
Tommy Lasorda wasn’t the tallest man in the dugout. The legendary Hall of Fame manager who led the Los Angeles Dodgers to two World Series championships possessed a secret weapon. It wasn’t about hitting home runs or stealing bases. It was more significant than speed or strength—it was something every leader should carry with them:
Hope.
Can you dramatically increase your strength by lifting weights all night? No.
Can you significantly improve your endurance with one night of training? Certainly not.
Can you master new skills with a single all-night practice session? Highly unlikely.
But there is one thing you can transform instantly - your mindset. The champion's mindset begins with a single, non-negotiable principle that Lasorda carried throughout his 20-year managerial career. His secret weapon was his absolute refusal to lose hope - an unwavering belief that victory remained possible regardless of the circumstances.
“I believe managing is like holding a dove in your hand,” Lasorda once said. “If you hold it too tightly, you kill it, but if you hold it too loosely, you lose it.”
This delicate balance defined his leadership style. When the Dodgers trailed by several runs in the ninth inning, while others saw inevitable defeat, Lasorda saw opportunity. When facing dominant performances, while others felt up against it, Lasorda felt excitement. This contagious optimism didn't just motivate his players - it changed how they performed under pressure.
The moment you lose hope, you've already lost. When you believe your opponent is too much, your body follows your mind's surrender. When you doubt yourself, that hesitation creates the very failure you fear.
Competition's greatest lesson isn't within a contest’s tactics or techniques - it's about building an unshakable belief in yourself and your team. As Winston Churchill famously advised during Britain's darkest hour: "Never, never, never give up."
Whatever challenges you're facing, keep Tommy Lasorda's secret weapon in mind. Keep hope alive. Keep believing in possibility. And keep fighting until the proverbial robust performer concludes the evening's entertainment!
“Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.”
— John Wooden
Connecting this quote to the story. The desire to win—rooted in belief and hope—is what drives performance. Lasorda’s unwavering hope wasn’t about guaranteeing victory; it was about fueling the mindset that made winning possible.
Chasing Influence tip: A team borrows belief from its leader—give them more than enough!
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
Updates on Chasing Influence
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life is available in Kindle, softcover, hardcover, and audiobook editions.
For additional resources, links to podcast appearances, and other Chasing Influence news, click here.
©Troy Urdahl, 2025