“One pitch at a time.”
It’s one of baseball’s most common phrases. Both for fans hoping a clutch hit into existence, and players trying to find their zone before an at-bat.
For Stephanie Hale-Burkhart, the Mariners’ mental performance coordinator, these words are used constantly, but have a much deeper and complex meaning.
Hale-Burkhart works as part of the mental skills team to help both coaches and players stay focused on the right thing at the right time. By encouraging players to have confidence in who they are and what they’re doing, she motivates them to trust in themselves and their abilities.