What a baseball swing can teach first responders about mental health

WEST JORDAN — It's often said that hitting a baseball is the hardest thing to do in sports. Just ask Taylor Bosen.

"I have never hit a ball in my life. I quit at T-ball in baseball," Bosen, a firefighter with the West Valley City Fire Department, said.

But this wasn't about hitting home runs.

It was about focus and learning how to manage the mental strain that comes with high-stress jobs such as firefighting and law enforcement.

Training the mind, like a pro athlete

Bosen was one of several first responders who took part in a unique training held inside a baseball academy in Sandy. It's called Level Up Performance, and the program uses professional sports techniques to help first responders stay grounded and mentally resilient.

"For us, with mental health or with our job, or anything, or what people are telling us on scene, we can step back, really focus, and figure out what's going on," Bosen said.

It's about staying calm and focused during chaos, something athletes call "the zone."

Mental focus starts with the eyes

Dr. Alley Dake, one of the trainers with Level Up Performance, says the goal is to help first responders strengthen the mental part of their job the same way pro athletes do.

"How to see things from a different perspective. How to use your brain to its optimal, really, is what that is," Dake said. "The eyes are the gateway to the brain."

Through drills, routines, and real-time coaching, first responders learn how to reset mentally, stay present, and sharpen their focus.

From the major leagues to mental resilience

The program was developed by John Buck, a Utah native and former Major League Baseball catcher.

Buck lost both his mother and brother to suicide.

He realized the mental training tools that helped him succeed in pro sports could also help those facing trauma in the real world.

"The zone is the zone, and it doesn't matter what sport or arena you're in," Buck said. "Flow state is flow state. Using these tips and tricks so they understand how they're able to attract the zone and keep it. Any of those types of things they can take and leave here better today and hopefully increase their performance."

It's not just another lecture

Instead of PowerPoints or videos, this training gets participants up and moving, whether it be tracking pingpong balls, sparring with each other, or taking part in other drills that reveal mental habits and patterns.

"One thing I like about this class is it's not sit in front of a screen and learn things," said Kathryn Dalton, with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. "It's more interactive. They watch how you respond to things and help you with that kind of stuff."

Changing the stats one mind at a time

First responders face some of the highest rates of addiction, divorce, and suicide in the country. Programs like this, Buck hopes, can be part of the solution.

"Just kind of center yourself and have that different focus of 'What do I need to do for myself?'" Bosen said.

The program is already drawing interest from other states, including Colorado and California.

Utah's Legislature passed funding to help first responders in the state take mental health training classes.

Because in the end, this training isn't just about baseball.

It's about showing up at work, at home, and in life as the best version of yourself.

"It works, and I am happy to be a part of it," said Buck.

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