PRO BLOG: DOJO MINDSET | June 16, 2025
By: Greg Brown
SUMMER OF COOPERSTOWN
Do you remember the purest feeling you have ever had in baseball? Where was it? Who were your teammates? Who were your coaches? Was your family there? Those are the memories that will drive you as you pass your passion and love for the game to your own kids.
This week marked a period of the summer where teams and families from all over make the voyage to upstate New York to have their Summer at Cooperstown. The joy of baseball when seen through a kid’s eyes is one of the greatest feelings I have experienced as a parent and a coach. When you combine that romanticism of baseball with the lore of Cooperstown, you create the experience of a lifetime.
In the dojo, we speak of “shoshin” – beginner’s mind – approaching each practice with fresh wonder and openness. Watching kids experience Cooperstown for the first time reminds us adults why we fell in love with this game in the first place. Their eyes light up walking through the Hall of Fame. Their voices rise with excitement as they take the field where legends once played. This is beginner’s mind in its purest form.
These young ballplayers don’t worry about their batting averages or ERA (well…they do want to count how many dingers they hit). They’re not thinking about college scholarships or professional contracts. They’re simply present in the moment, absorbing every sight, sound, and sensation. They bow to the game – not literally, but with their complete attention and respect. This is what the dojo teaches us: reverence for the experience itself, not just the outcomes.
As parents and coaches, we can learn from this Cooperstown spirit. How often do we get so caught up in the mechanics, the statistics, the next level, that we forget to experience the pure joy of the game? How often do we rush through practices instead of savoring the privilege of teaching and learning together?
The sacred grounds of Cooperstown remind us that baseball is more than a game – it’s a tradition passed down through generations, a bridge between past and future, a teacher of life’s most important lessons. Every field we step on, from Little League diamonds to high school stadiums, carries that same potential for magic if we approach it with the proper mindset.
As the Instagram stories and highlight reels are shared this week, I challenge you to experience the joy again of the purity of what baseball can be.
When you return to your home fields, carry this Cooperstown reverence with you. Treat every practice like it’s on hallowed ground. Approach every drill with the wonder of a first-timer. Show your players that the game itself – not just the results – deserves our deepest respect and attention.
The dojo mindset teaches us that every moment is sacred when we bring the right intention to it. Your local field can become Cooperstown if you approach it with gratitude, presence, and respect for the game’s timeless lessons.
Thank you to all the players and families that pour into their children to grow our game. Thank you for understanding that baseball is more than wins and losses – it’s about creating memories, building character, and keeping the pure love of the game alive for the next generation.
The summer of Cooperstown reminds us all: this is why we play, why we coach, why we love this beautiful game. Carry that spirit with you, and every field becomes sacred ground.
Enjoying the Dojo Mindsets? You can collaborate more with Josh Paul at his website The Lobo Dojo
Enjoying the Dojo Mindsets? You can collaborate more with Josh Paul at his website The Lobo Dojo