Baseball fans will understand quickly. One team fan will say, "Winning." That's cool. Another team fan might say, "Finally! Fall baseball." 안전놀이터

"I root for you. Every team has completed its maintenance since the last season, and fans are dreaming new dreams again. Professional baseball teams are also announcing their goals one after another by having a kick-off ceremony. In this case, the expression that often appears as a regular menu item in the sports media is higher. Players, coaches, and team leaders use this term a lot in official situations. 

I've used this phrase before. When I looked up the article, it was around January 2020. Then, I heard a comment. "Once we have set a goal, let's clarify it and act accordingly," the club president said at the time. At that time, I remember saying "higher place" several times not only in media interviews but also in internal reports of the club. According to my own analysis, I thought I would win third place, and I also set a goal of challenging myself to win the title. However, it was honestly burdensome to openly bring it up to the outside world. I was afraid that I would be told that I was ahead of the mark. There were so many variables in the process of playing the season that I was worried that my team and I would be hamstrung by what I said as a campaign promise. I also thought it was my consideration not to put unnecessary pressure on the field coaches and players.

However, he had a different opinion. He explained that everyone had prepared hard, and looking through the situation and data, now we need to set clear goals and focus. I vividly remember that time. The fear in my mind that I dozed off saying, "What if something goes wrong?" I wanted to avoid it. I thought I spoke with humility because I wanted to run away from the word "higher." It was an opportunity to change my mind that if the Underdog team comes back after finishing last, it should be more confident and bold. Since then, the team has clearly shared its goal of winning. The management of the field, the support of the front desk, and the judgment of the leadership have all clearly focused on the goal of winning.

Since then, I've gotten into the habit of looking at who is looking higher and which team it is when looking at articles. I'm not saying that the expression is wrong. I was wondering if there was a clear goal or vision, and if so, how to reveal it and communicate it. 

Recently, as professional baseball teams have begun their work and players have been called up, there have been many articles about their New Year's goals. There was something that caught my eye. It was the words of Park Hae-min, the new captain of the LG Twins. He did not say "higher." At the opening ceremony held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 8th, Park said, "If all the Twins members who attended today are not willing to lead the team, we will not have enough strength to be at the top we want...Let's gather our hearts and have a champagne party at the ballpark to celebrate the victory in the 2025 season." In the meantime, he mentioned the sense of responsibility and the pride he will gain from the victory. The interview with Park was quite impressive to me. Details are alive from the role and method to the wonderful finale to challenge for the first time in two years.

Goals are not guilty. In order to achieve results, mentioning specific goals is a prerequisite. Goal setting theory is that setting goals is effective in motivating and performing roles because consciousness controls behavior. Even general companies and organizations set detailed goals based on numbers, but baseball and sports teams with clear data cannot pass them over in vague words.

Goals and action plans need to be smart. They need to be specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely. Of course, they can fail and go through trial and error. They change in execution and learn in the face of challenges. Walk the talk, practice what you say.

Kim Jong-moon was a former reporter for the JoongAng Ilbo and served as the front desk of the NC Dinos baseball team from 2011 to 2021. He led the team to the first championship two years later as the head of the "last place" team. He is currently the Korea Coach Association (KPC).