Don't Forget to Call Mom: MLB Catcher Gets Candid About Sports Struggles

1. Embrace the team — it's more fun than playing for yourself

Handley says the best feeling in baseball is winning with a team. In the minor leagues, where individual stats drive promotions, he found it harder to stay motivated. His advice to young athletes: lean into the team aspect of sport while you have it — it's one of the things you'll miss most.

2. Burnout is real — and it's OK to take a break

At 14, Handley hit a wall at a wood bat tournament and told his parents he wanted to quit. Instead of forcing him to push through, they let him take the rest of the summer off. He came back recharged. To this day, he takes two full weeks off after every season — no baseball, no thinking about baseball.

"They kind of sympathized. They were like, 'OK, we hear you, we're gonna make a change.' It allowed me to kind of come back to the sport."

3. Talk about your struggles — it's a sign of maturity, not weakness

Handley referenced the "duck syndrome" he encountered at Stanford — from the outside, everything looks calm and smooth, but underneath the duck is paddling like crazy. He told the group of young athletes: "Everyone struggles. Communicate when you do. Reaching out is not weakness. It's maturity."

4. Don't tie your identity to your performance

In baseball, you fail far more than you succeed. Handley has learned to fill himself up with things outside of performance — church, volunteer work, reading, chess. His advice: make sure your child has an identity that exists beyond their sport.

"When your identity is rooted in your performance, it can lead to a lot of insecurity."

5. How you do one thing is how you do everything

The best piece of advice Handley took from watching professional players: intentionality in one area of life carries over to all others. Grades, habits, attitude on the bench — it all communicates something to coaches and teammates about who you are.