This morning the sun came up proudly in a cloudless sky and a cool breeze fluttered through the trees creating a fall crisp we haven't felt since late spring. Perfect baseball weather. In spite of this, we are a bit melancholy in our household. This is because baseball season ended this past weekend for the Center Grove Trojans 8U team.
The irony of this morning's beautiful weather is not lost on me as I recall the four baseball games we played in the sweltering 100 degree heat this past Saturday. This day produced record highs and one of the many heat advisories issued this summer. We lost an umpire in the first game, we had a player go down in the second game and the other team had a player fall in the third game. We went into our 4Th game reckless and giddy from a day spent under a fire bomb of heat and pressure. Not to mention, a humidity that could drain the life from your body quicker than an average adult could consume a cold beer at the Brickyard on race day. Needless to say, we were dragging by game #4, and down by eight runs in the first inning and each inning after this. It is what happened in the 6Th inning that is the overwhelming life lesson here and one that can be applied across the board to every one's lives.
It is this 6Th inning that I will cherish and hold dear when I think about the Center Grove Trojans 8U baseball team. We had an amazing season, 26 wins and 5 losses, but this game illustrated to team and parents alike that baseball is about heart, team work and never, never, never giving up. Our players were tired, overheated, some injured, deflated and certainly ready to throw in the towel this last inning. We were down by 6 runs and had 2 outs. Things were looking pretty grim. It was at this point we witnessed a collective heart and tenacity so strong that life lessons will always come back to this very defining baseball moment -- WE WON! Eleven batters and 7 runs later, WE WON!
This is what I hope our players and coaches will take with them:
Life lesson # 1 -- Never give up on your dream. Life can go either way, if we lose hope, we may never realize our true potential. We must learn to be what we wish to see.
Life lesson #2 -- There is no "I" in "TEAM." If even one of our batters had thrown in the towel, we wouldn't have won the game. This was an outstanding collective victory.
Life lesson #3 -- Always do your best and you will live with no regrets. It is easy to look back on something knowing that we gave 100%. There is no dishonor in always giving your all.
Life lesson #4 -- Treat each other with respect and kindness. Live by the Golden Rule. There is nothing to be gained by disrespecting others. Live your life like you would like to be treated.
This is why my household is a bit melancholy on such a beautiful day. We are going to miss the ball field in the waning days of summer. I will absolutely miss the camaraderie between parents and players, and the sheer joy and celebration of seeing these kids play together.
Baseball has given my son a lifetime of amazing memories and life lessons to carry with him to school this fall. In actuality, I truly believe each one of our players will carry this baseball season along with them to school and other fall sports venues. I have no doubt they will make good decisions and be good friends to others because of what they learned on the field this summer. I know they will always do their best because they learned first hand to never give up even in the face of defeat. Most importantly, every player learned the importance of community and being part of a team.
Team sports provide many life lessons for our children, and this past season I was proud to watch our players grow together and embrace many of the skills necessary to be successful throughout their personal and academic careers. Priceless!!!!
This is why I cannot wait until next season to hear, "PLAY BALL!"
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