MAY24
Oh please hit it to the outfield!
Today my 8 year old’s team played his best friend’s team in baseball. We’ve been looking forward to this game all season because they would finally get to play a ballgame together. They are both good little ball players who practice hard and play even harder. We’ve been really excited….until he got to thinking about winning. You see, my son plays on the pitching mound. He catches most balls that come in the in field and has a great working relationship with his 1st baseman. They make lots of plays every single game. They even got 2 of the 3 game balls that were given out one game. So here lies the dilemma: what to do if his best friend hits a ball towards him. Does he do the right thing and throw him out on 1st or does he let it go and let his friend get to 1st base. And if he does throw him out will his best friend be mad at him? And if he lets it go will his 1st baseman and team be mad at him? None of us want to get our best friend out and none of us want to let our 1st baseman and team down.
Making the right decision is a tough thing to do when you are 8 years old and some decisions are never easier when your 40 years old. Today was a tough day. Today one of my best friends threw a ball my way. At 1st when I caught it I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I wasn’t prepared for the hit. Do I drop it or overthrow it. If I drop it and let it roll so that things go her way then I’ll let my team down. If I overthrow it and let her get to base then I still disappoint my team. If I throw her out then she’ll be mad at me. After some tough talk on the ball field and consideration on both sides, it was decided that we play by the rules. And just let me say that sometimes rules suck. Especially when those rules anger someone and cause hurt feelings. But, without rules we would be more apt to drop the ball on purpose or overthrow to let someone get to base who didn’t get there fairly. As ball players we have to practice and prepare for games. We don’t show up at a game to strike out or cause our team to forfeit. Sometimes letting a player on base brings down your whole team. As a coach I try to instill the sanctity of the rules of the game into my players. I teach them to play by the rules and accept what is fairly called by the umpires. Sometimes we hit a foul ball, sometimes we hit a home run, and sometimes we get out. But…..each time we step up to that plate……we step up honestly and fairly……determined to do what is best for our team. At times, we have to take one for the team….OUR TEAM. As a coach it is my responsibility to take the needs of the whole team into consideration. It is my job to get them to practice, learn the rules, and play hard. Sometimes we have to remind our players that they signed up to play and that you can’t abandon your team. The rules some days suck and the game gets long and goes into overtime. Some days we don’t like the position we are assigned to. But….in the end…..it’s about the team…..not the player. We know that it wouldn’t be a team without the players either…..so as a coach it is my job to build the players up, keep them focused on the game, and the game fair….even though some days I have the hardest job of watching them strike out or worse yet putting them in the dugout. But I also have the greatest job of rejoicing in our victories, watching those 1st home runs, and rewarding them for winning seasons.
Back to my oldest boy’s game tonight. So what he did was hope and pray he wouldn’t be faced with this scenario of whether or not his best friend would hit a ball his way. And guess what……all of the balls flew to the outfield! He dodged that bullet. Who can blame him for wanting to dodge it?! It’s always easier when things go smooth in baseball. Some days its hard to play by the rules, especially when cheating would make it easier on the batter. It’s always harder to do the right thing, but our ability and determination to do the right thing is a true reflection on our character.Tonight my son’s team won….and they won big. And thankfully his friend never put him in the position to have to throw him out. My hope is for no one to ever have to throw their friends out….but if they are put in that position….then I hope they make the right decision and do whats best for their team. In baseball we all know we are always on the brink of a big hitter coming in and cleaning those bases up…..the best we can hope for is that it’s our pitcher who catches and throws him outta there!
Making the right decision is a tough thing to do when you are 8 years old and some decisions are never easier when your 40 years old. Today was a tough day. Today one of my best friends threw a ball my way. At 1st when I caught it I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I wasn’t prepared for the hit. Do I drop it or overthrow it. If I drop it and let it roll so that things go her way then I’ll let my team down. If I overthrow it and let her get to base then I still disappoint my team. If I throw her out then she’ll be mad at me. After some tough talk on the ball field and consideration on both sides, it was decided that we play by the rules. And just let me say that sometimes rules suck. Especially when those rules anger someone and cause hurt feelings. But, without rules we would be more apt to drop the ball on purpose or overthrow to let someone get to base who didn’t get there fairly. As ball players we have to practice and prepare for games. We don’t show up at a game to strike out or cause our team to forfeit. Sometimes letting a player on base brings down your whole team. As a coach I try to instill the sanctity of the rules of the game into my players. I teach them to play by the rules and accept what is fairly called by the umpires. Sometimes we hit a foul ball, sometimes we hit a home run, and sometimes we get out. But…..each time we step up to that plate……we step up honestly and fairly……determined to do what is best for our team. At times, we have to take one for the team….OUR TEAM. As a coach it is my responsibility to take the needs of the whole team into consideration. It is my job to get them to practice, learn the rules, and play hard. Sometimes we have to remind our players that they signed up to play and that you can’t abandon your team. The rules some days suck and the game gets long and goes into overtime. Some days we don’t like the position we are assigned to. But….in the end…..it’s about the team…..not the player. We know that it wouldn’t be a team without the players either…..so as a coach it is my job to build the players up, keep them focused on the game, and the game fair….even though some days I have the hardest job of watching them strike out or worse yet putting them in the dugout. But I also have the greatest job of rejoicing in our victories, watching those 1st home runs, and rewarding them for winning seasons.
Back to my oldest boy’s game tonight. So what he did was hope and pray he wouldn’t be faced with this scenario of whether or not his best friend would hit a ball his way. And guess what……all of the balls flew to the outfield! He dodged that bullet. Who can blame him for wanting to dodge it?! It’s always easier when things go smooth in baseball. Some days its hard to play by the rules, especially when cheating would make it easier on the batter. It’s always harder to do the right thing, but our ability and determination to do the right thing is a true reflection on our character.Tonight my son’s team won….and they won big. And thankfully his friend never put him in the position to have to throw him out. My hope is for no one to ever have to throw their friends out….but if they are put in that position….then I hope they make the right decision and do whats best for their team. In baseball we all know we are always on the brink of a big hitter coming in and cleaning those bases up…..the best we can hope for is that it’s our pitcher who catches and throws him outta there!
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