Letting Harmful Things Get into Your Hands and Body
No doubt, there are several things that if placed in the hands and body of a player will, more often than not, place him at undue risk. These things are the following:
If players use these kinds of substances and, if they engage in social media in a less than thoughtful way, the chances are very probable that they will place themselves in danger of being a problem to themselves and to others. More specifically, their performance is likely to be affected in negative ways, more often than not, immediately and over the long range.
If a baseball player is having difficulties with the use and abuse of any of these substances, as well as with social media use, that individual is encouraged to seek professional advice and assistance. It is recommended that such assistance come from a licensed health services provider with expertise in substance use disorders and the addictions.
The Baseball Player’s Risk Prevention Checklist
In the prior sections of this article, I have described and discussed a range of mental and emotional factors that can place a player at risk for being a consistent quality performer, on the field, as well as for other aspects of their life, off the field.
On the next page, I provide a list of items that a player can monitor himself on, periodically, in order to make sure he is coping with risk effectively.
This checklist can be reviewed by the player at any time but it can be used at least in a beneficial manner, once every two weeks.
For each item of the checklist, the player can use the following rating scale:
The Baseball Observer - March/ April 2017
• Alcohol—especially when used in quantities that impair
personal judgment.
• Drugs of abuse--- including substances that are banned
by major league baseball and at colleges such as
marijuana, cocaine, and opioids.
• Performance enhancing substances
• Social media--- inappropriate use
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