Pope Baseball Bases of Success (POPEBOS)

“CLEARING THE BASES CULTURE” of GIMME DAT NATION (GDN)

Bases of Success

  • At the start of the game, if a team does not put the bases out and the bases are not properly ANCHORED, the game cannot be played. 

    • It is of the UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT  our bases are PROPERLY ANCHORED in players’ lives before doing anything else!

Clearing The Bases

  • To win the game, a team must “CLEAR THE BASES” more effectively than the opposition

    • “CLEARING the bases” marks the foundation of our program’s operations

    • “CLEARING the bases” marks the foundations for how our players will conduct the competitive parts of their life both on and off the field of play. 

GDN:  Gimme Dat Nation – Post 2016

  • The class of 2017 began GimmeDatNation during the 2016 season.  GDN became the rallying cry.

    • GDN, or Gimme Dat Nation, is best defined as a feeling.  GDN cannot be seen, but it is felt in big games and in small moments between players doing the things that players love.  Essentially it’s a phrase defining a feeling of LOVE / BROTHERHOOD that permeates the Pope program. 

    • At it’s very core, GIMME DAT NATION stands for fun and brotherhood. 

Bases of Success of Gimme Dat Nation

  • “Bases of Success” are the attributes defining how Pope teams have always acted and how Pope teams have always played the game.  The Bases of success predate the “Gimme Dat Nation” (GDN) rallying cry and the attributes of the bases of success powered not only the 2009 and 2013 state championship teams, but all other pre-2016 Pope Baseball teams.  

  • As a way to connect the “Gimme Dat Nation” era and the pre-“GDN” era, the coaching staff utilized the same “GDN” acronym as a way to identify the historic attributes of Pope Baseball - GRIT, DISTICTION AND NO EXCUSES.    

  • These Pope Baseball Bases of Success were created by the 2019 coaching staff as a way to help players understand the on and off field makeup of our championship teams and these “BOS” are the ingredients used to sustain our championship runs.

MUDITA

  • The 2022 Pope Baseball team added a key element to the PopeBOS by embracing the philosophy of MUDITA – vicarious joy for other people’s successes. Mudita become the 4th base (Homeplate) in the PopeBOS / GDN clearing the bases culture and is now an expectation of all players participating in the Pope Baseball program.

POPEBOS

The Pope Bases of Success or “PopeBOS”,as they have become to be known by, are listed as a series of non-negotiable actions that are bare minimum standards Pope Baseball players are expected to embrace. Each of these attributes is related to one of the bases of GDN.  POPEBOS is an acronym that helps all players, coaches, and Pope Baseball supporters remember the actions which drive our program success.

  1. Persevere (GRIT)

  2. Operate relentlessly (GRIT)

  3. Pursue Fun (Gimme Dat Nation)

  4. Embrace Expectations (Distinction)

  5. Brotherhood (MUDITA)

  6. Ownership (No Excuses)

  7. Service (Distinction)

THE Details of the “BOS”:

WHAT DOES BROTHERHOOD LOOK LIKE – HOMEPLATE – (MUDITA)

You don’t get to pick your family!!!!!!

  • Everything starts and ends at home plate (#1 things we MUST maintain and build within this program)

  • Brotherhood = Bonds of belonging and IDENTITY

    • In a BROTHERHOOD, SOCIAL CONNECTION is of the UPMOST IMORTANCE

    • What do “social connection” behaviors look like?

      • Proximity to one another

      • Eye contact when speaking

      • RADIATING POSITIVE Energy

      • Mimicry OF BEHAVIORS (1 negative takes 10 positive to overcome)

      • Turn taking (everyone, regardless of position gets a chance)

      • Body language (light physical touch, i.e. – fist bumps or handshakes are important)

      • Vocal pitch – how things are said is as important as WHAT is said

      • Consistency of emphasis (of goals and culture)

      • Communication amongst the group – NO SOCIAL OUTCASTS

Every Action we take in this program should BUILD a stronger family! 

 A family is not what you WANT IT TO BE, It’s what you HAVE!

  • It doesn’t matter if you LIKE your teammate.

    • Your job is to RESPECT your teammate enough to figure out how to motivate him to make him play at HIS BEST

  • TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER, CELEBRATE ONE ANTOHER!

 EVERY BASE BUILDS UPON BROTHERHOOD:

  • See explanation for how each base builds our Brotherhood