“Self-doubts are the only thing standing in the way of our reaching our full potential,” says 2015 outfielder Amanda Lorenz who has committed to Florida and is considered one of the top prospects in her class. 

The junior centerfielder from Moorpark (Calif.) High is such a dangerous leadoff hitter that some teams walked her to lead off games rather than risk the damage she can do with her bat!

In 2013, Amanda won several national, state and local honors at the high school level including MaxPreps Underclass All-American, CalHiSports.com All-State and Ventura County Star Player of the Year after batting .626 with 17 home runs and compiling a spectacular 1.377 slugging percentage.  In 96 at-bats, she only struck out once and her sweet swing has some saying it’s one of the best batting strokes many have ever seen in Southern California.

Amanda plays for the OC Batbusters and helped lead Team Mizuno-Stith to the PGF 18U National Championship game this summer.  In 2012, she was part of the 16U team that won the PGF national title.

In this, her second blog for StudentSportsSoftball.com, Amanda reveals that she, too, sometimes questions herself and that realizing it is the first step in getting to a place of confidence and success on the field…

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You are your biggest competition in every game. Overcoming negative thoughts in your own head is when you become successful on the field.

In my own experience, I start struggling when my mental part of the game is lacking and I am thinking way too much. Every time I feel as if I’m starting to struggle, I widen my stance and swing harder.

Does it ever work? No, but I’ve been doing it for years and I’m still trying to break the habit!

Overcoming things like that is what will make players succeed. The burning question I always ask myself is, “If a home run or line drive in the gap feels so effortless and smooth, why can’t I just do that every time?”

And yet, the situations when I get out, my swing is much more violent and completely forced.

Self-doubts are the only thing standing in our way of reaching our full potential as players.  When it comes down to it, softball is the same game from when we started when we were five years old. We as players just need to relax and play!

There is one benefit that comes out of it, though–the best thing about a “slump” is that a player becomes stronger mentally and physically after it.

So instead of looking at a slump negatively, look at it as a way for you to get better than ever before.

Til next time,

— Amanda