Garin Cecchini

In 2014, while I was with the Boston Red Sox organization, a very experienced coach taught me a powerful lesson. One day during Spring Training, a few very young minor-league players were making subtle excuses before they even stepped onto the field. One mentioned he hadn't slept well. Another said that he doesn't play well early in the morning. A third said he had just finished a workout and wasn't going to perform well because he likes to lift weights after practice. This coach drew my attention to the micro-excuses players were making, explaining that they were using a "JIC"—a "Just In Case" reason for future poor performance. "It's a subtle way players try to protect themselves", he said. Just in case they don't play well, they're already offering a reason why: poor sleep, the weather, the workout. It's a form of self-sabotage-planting a seed that lowers expectations before their performance even begins. My wise friend explained that these "just in case" excuses quietly undermine an athlete's ability to give their best. Coaches can spot them, name them, and push back against them. He said that leaders should not let people preload reasons for failure by not allowing them to take their foot off the gas before the race even begins.