How Watching Bear Grylls and 14U Baseball Can Help You Thrive When Things Go Wrong

A 3 Step Process to Get Out of Quicksand

Watching a 14 U baseball game the other day, I was struck by how quickly the players let themselves get stuck in quicksand. Quicksand in baseball and in life is when the momentum of the game or situation shifts against a player or person and they get “sucked down” by that momentum. When the people are in that quicksand it seems like there is no way out. Whether it be standing alone on the mound unable to throw a strike or failing to close a deal, or getting overwhelmed by life itself the quicksand envelopes the person hiding any obvious exits. At the U-14 baseball level the frustrations of the players come in teary eyes and dirt kicking. In real life the frustrations can manifest into aggressive behavior, passive resistance, or complete denial. The funny thing about quicksand is that in any sport or in any performance environment it can sneak up on you and before you know your neck deep in the muck. So if you find yourself sinking how do you get out of it?

In my world, the world of mental conditioning, we use a multitude of media to teach the athletes and performers about how they can get the most out of their minds. One such teaching tool that we use is video feedback where we film the athletes and performers and focus on what they are doing to help themselves prepare for the next play. We examine their body language, their pace, and their ability and willingness to center themselves prior to stepping into the batter’s box, pitcher’s mound, service line, free throw line, board room etc.

Another form of video we use is educational videos from TV shows or Movies. One such video is from Discovery Channel’s Man vs. Wild. In that show host Bear Grylls, a former British SAS operator, places himself in precarious situations and shows how to survive those situations. In one episode, (you guessed it), he jumps into a pit of quicksand. He notes that the more you struggle the faster it sucks you down. Much like quicksand in life, if you fight against real quicksand it sucks you down quicker. As the host struggles to get free he sinks deeper and deeper into the quicksand. At this point in the show Bear is up to his chin in the quicksand. He then describes and executes a 3 step process to escape.

1. The first step is “stop fighting”. The way to stop fighting is to focus on ones breathing and step back from the situation. When we talk about breathing it is taking long slow breaths and then exhaling without sound. In addition, the performer will squarely focus their attention on those breaths. Once the performer has control of their energy and is centered the next step can occur.

2. The next step is to “lift your body up”. In this step of the video Bear straightens his body up and pushes his shoulders back so he is upright. In the performance world “lift your body up” can be a physical move where the person actually stands a bit taller by pulling the shoulders back, having their eyes focused and level, and straightening their head. The “lift your body up” can also be done mentally with positive statements and reminders such as “You got this,” or “You can do this.”

3. The final step is “change the angle”. Bear actually flops on his side and then slides across the quicksand. When talking about changing the angle in performers we are really talking about adjusting the focus and refocusing on what is important in the situation. Typically in quicksand the performer will focus on what is going wrong and how poorly they are executing. By refocusing on what is important now (W.I.N.) the performer can readjust their mentality and slowly but surely climb out of the quicksand.

The last piece of the video shows Bear lying covered in mud and sand exhausted. This is an important piece of the video as the reality is that if you get into quicksand it will take energy and effort to get out of it. By just hoping it goes away nothing will change. It takes work to recognize that you are in quicksand and then to take the necessary steps to get out of it. Remember, we are working to avoid the quicksand but if we happen to fall in it, it is our job to find a way out. At the end of the day, the ones who become champions often are the ones who manage the setbacks efficiently and effectively. Use the three step Bear Grylls process to escape quicksand then get moving forward again. So if you find yourself in quicksand “Stop fighting, lift the body up, and change the angle.”

Here is a link to the video discussed in the above blog: