One day, Albert Einstein was teaching a class and started writing on the board:

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But when he got to 9 × 10 he wrote:

9 x 10 = 91…

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The class immediately burst into laughter. They saw the mistake - 9 × 10 isn’t 91, obviously it’s 90. The students started making fun of Einstein for his error.

 

Einstein waited for everyone to quiet down, then said,

 

"Despite the fact that I analyzed nine problems correctly, nobody congratulated me. But when I made one mistake, everyone started laughing. This means that even if a person is successful, society will notice even the slightest mistake. So, today's reminder to you is that mistakes are part of the process."

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He finished by saying,

 

"The only person who never makes a mistake is someone who does nothing."​​

 

This lesson applies to everything in life, but it’s especially true in baseball. If you focus too much on your mistakes, you’ll never reach your full potential. Baseball is a game built on failure. Even the best players in the world strike out, make errors, and lose games. If you fear mistakes, you’ll never take the necessary risks to improve.

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All Sports Have the Element of Failure

Think about this:

• A great hitter in Major League Baseball has a batting average of .300 or better. That means they fail to hit the ball and get on base 7 out of 10 times. 

• The best pitchers in the game still give up home runs, walk batters, hit batters, balk... 

• Even Gold Glove fielders make errors.

 

If professional players—who have dedicated their entire lives to the game—still fail, why should you expect to be perfect?

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​How Focusing on Mistakes Hurts Your Game

1. The Fear of Striking Out

Imagine you step up to the plate, and all you can think about is not striking out. You tense up, your swing gets tight, and you hesitate. What happens? You strike out anyway. Instead of focusing on what you don’t want to happen, focus on what you need to do - see the ball, stay balanced, and swing at the right pitch.

 

2. Dwelling on Errors in the Field

You’re playing shortstop, and a routine ground ball goes right between your legs. Your coach, your teammates, and maybe even your parents in the stands see it happen. You feel embarrassed, and instead of shaking it off, you let it sit in your mind. The next time a ball is hit to you; you’re still thinking about your mistake - so you make another one.

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3. Letting a Bad Game Define You

Maybe you go 0-for-4 at the plate with two strikeouts. Instead of recognizing that even the best hitters have bad games, you start thinking, “I’m terrible. I’ll never be a good hitter.” This negative mindset affects your confidence, and instead of improving, you start playing worse.

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How to Handle Mistakes the Right Way

Since mistakes are guaranteed to happen, the key is knowing how to respond to them – not react. Here’s how you can use errors, strikeouts, and bad games as learning experiences instead of setbacks.

 

1. Accept Mistakes as Part of the Game

Baseball is unpredictable. Some days, everything goes your way. Other days, it feels like nothing works. Accept that mistakes will happen and don’t let them shake your confidence.

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Example:

• Wrong Approach: You strike out and slam your helmet down in frustration, letting the negative energy carry into your next at-bat.

• Right Approach: You strike out, take a deep breath, and think about what you can adjust next time - maybe you were too early on the fastball, or you chased a breaking ball in the dirt.

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2. Learn from Every Mistake

Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?”

 

Example:

• If you struck out looking: Were you too passive? Did you misread the pitch?

• If you made an error: Did you rush the throw? Did you take your eye off the ball?

 

Every mistake is a chance to improve.

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​3. Control What You Can Control

You can’t control the umpire’s calls, bad hops, or the other team’s performance. But you can control your effort, attitude, and preparation.

 

Example:

• If you go 0-for-4, focus on what you did well—maybe you hit the ball hard but right at a fielder.​

• If you make an error, remind yourself that one mistake doesn’t define your entire game.

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4. Keep a Short Memory

Great players have short memories. They don’t let one mistake affect their confidence.

 

Example:

• Derek Jeter, one of the greatest shortstops of all time, made plenty of mistakes in his career. But he never let a bad at-bat or an error stop him from being a leader on the field.

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Why Mistakes Help You Improve

If you never make mistakes, you never grow. The best players use failure as fuel to get better.

 

• Pitchers learn from home runs they give up. They analyze what went wrong—maybe they left a fastball over the plate or threw a predictable pitch in a hitter’s count. Next time, they adjust.

• Hitters learn from strikeouts. They recognize patterns in how pitchers attack them and make adjustments.

• Fielders learn from errors. They figure out what went wrong and correct it in practice.

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How Coaches and Parents Can Help Players Handle Mistakes

If you’re a coach or a parent, your reaction to a player’s mistake matters more than the mistake itself.

 

Coaches Should:

• Encourage players to take risks and be aggressive.

• Teach that failure is part of growth.

• Focus on effort and improvement, not just results.

 

Parents Should:

• Avoid showing frustration when their child makes a mistake.

• Encourage resilience—remind them that even pros mess up.

• Praise hard work, not just success.

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​Real Examples from the Pros

1. Mike Trout – Overcoming Early Struggles

Mike Trout, one of the best players in baseball, struggled in his first call-up to the major leagues. He hit just .220 in his first 40 games. Many young players would have lost confidence, but he used those struggles to get better. The next season, he dominated and became an MVP.

 

2. Clayton Kershaw – Bouncing Back from Playoff Failures

Clayton Kershaw, one of the greatest pitchers ever, had a reputation for struggling in the postseason. But instead of letting failures define him, he continued to work on his game. Eventually, he led the Dodgers to a World Series championship in 2020.

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Conclusion: Mistakes Make You Better

Einstein’s lesson applies perfectly to baseball. People will remember your mistakes, but that doesn’t mean you should be afraid of them. Mistakes are not failures—they are opportunities to learn and improve.

 

Next time you strike out, make an error, or have a bad game, remember:

 

• All sports, as well as life itself, include times of failure—learn from it.

• Your mistakes don’t define you—how you respond to them does.

• Every great player has failed, but they used their mistakes to get better.

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So, don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid of not learning from failure. Keep working, keep adjusting, and most importantly—keep playing the game you love.

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For more in-depth training on all mental skills and physical training, email Coach Helke. Free initial consult can be done in-person or virtually.