The Buyout Option: What Your Kid's First Mental Test Actually Looks Like
The folder arrived before the season. Before the first practice. Before your kid knew if they'd even make the team.
Inside: a fundraiser packet and a buyout option. Forty-two dollars per unit, or one check to opt out entirely.
Here's what nobody tells you: this is the first mental skills test of the season, and it has nothing to do with hitting.
Your kid watches you open that folder. They see you scan the thermometer. They notice—faster than you'd think—whether you sigh or smile. Whether you say "we'll figure it out" or "this is ridiculous." That moment teaches them something about pressure, about problem-solving, about whether obstacles get solved or resented.
The fundraiser itself doesn't build mental toughness. But the choice does. Deciding whether to participate, how to participate, what trade-offs matter—that's decision-making under uncertainty. That's the same skill they'll need when they're down two strikes with two outs and a full count.
The buyout exists for a reason. And so does the choice to fundraise anyway.
Either way, you're teaching them something about handling pressure before the season even starts.
Read the full story → https://wheretohit.com/dugout/fundraiser-buyout-page-four
Originally published at Mind & Muscle
Train your mind. Dominate your game.
