Monday, July 9

A Winning Season

My son had a winning season in Little League baseball this spring!  His team was the league champions of their Majors division - Way to go Nationals!!  To acknowledge their success, the team was able to join our local minor league team on the field for the national anthem at a recent home game.  What a treat!  But it actually wasn’t the title or the number of “W’s” in the column that made this a winning season - it was the impact of an amazing coach on a group of boys with amazing attitudes that were going after a common goal.  My son has been involved in some form of baseball over the past 8 years so he has experienced many different types of coaches and teams.  The early years were all about fun and picking clovers in the outfield... oh, and the snacks that followed the game.  More recent years have been about reinforcing the fundamentals and becoming a more serious athlete.  Most coaches have been relaxed in their approach.  But once, there was the uber-competitive one who taught the boys a few undesirable words when addressing the umpires - that was not a winning season.  But this year was an experience beyond any other.  As parents, we could not have asked for a better coach for our son.  He was patient, dedicated, and considerate, yet still competitive.  He worked the boys hard at practices and guided them to find their best selves out on the field.  He corrected their errors firmly yet never made them feel incompetent regardless of their abilities.  He spoke directly about realities and what it was going to take to win.  It was an impressive example of respect that he gave these impressionable young kids.  And what was even more amazing was that this respectful attitude was then mirrored in the dugout amongst teammates.  They encouraged each other during slumps and celebrated each other during successes.  Never a belittling comment was heard.  We are so pleased that our son was able to be a part of such a positive experience.  And, best of all, the outcome of these winning attitudes was a winning season for an extraordinary team and coach who truly deserved it!

1 comment:

  1. That sounds like an experience that will be with him for life.

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