Being the Best We Can Be

When I was a kid in Linden, California, I remember playing baseball and my teammates and I would imagine ourselves as Barry Bonds. We thought he made this game look so easy. We dreamed of being in that big situation and bringing home that victory for our team.

But even before I became a professional hitter, I had learned about having an approach at the plate and stepping into moments with a game plan. I learned that I needed to be aware of details that the pitcher was signaling to me and my teammates in how he pitched. As I came through the minors, the mental part of the game became even more important. While we are honing our baseball tools, hitting, running, throwing and fielding, we also spend time visualizing those big moments and controlling our thoughts, so we can be ready.

I was lucky. As a pretty good athlete all my life, I had elite coaches helping me prepare to reach my dreams, but not everyone gets those chances. The ALL RISE Foundation wants to create activities that put these leaders in front of our youth, whether through our baseball camps, in our webinars, or by providing funding to other grass-roots organizations to fill those gaps. Giving youth the tools to reach their dreams is hard work. It involves being consistent and having a strong vision.

In June, people were comparing me to some Yankee legends, which was a huge honor. At times, I had to remember that kid on the little league field and the dreams I had for such things to happen, even though I am not sure I knew who Roger Maris was back then. When asked about those comparisons I had to be honest. I am not trying to be one of those legends. I am trying to push myself to use all of my tools to be the best Aaron Judge I can be to help my team win games. It’s something all of the leaders I have been exposed to have taught me, and it's time that we do that for our kids as well. You can help support the ALL RISE Foundation through donations, spreading the word on social media and tagging @allriseofficial or spending #just5minutes with the youth in your lives. Let’s ALL RISE to help our youth be the best version of themselves they can be.

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