(Image Courtesy of the Courier Journal)
Some of the greatest sports role models you will ever see don’t come from the NFL, NBA or MLB, they come from the Little League World Series, which concludes Saturday and Sunday.
Watching those 11 and 12 year olds play their hearts out can be both heart warming and heart wrenching. You will see those kids leave everything out on the field and play the best they can only because they want to succeed. But, like in life, not everyone can be a winner and this weekend you will see kids under pressure, stress and some will fail. But watch for what happens after they fail. They will still shake hands after the game and show the utmost sportsmanship. These are lessons that most adults fail to learn and since we know kids rarely listen to adults, let them see kids their own age display these qualities and hopefully learn from them.
The dedication, practice and determination it takes to reach the World Series are all admirable traits that your kids should take away from watching as well. The kids playing have worked hard and sacrificed their summer vacations, weekends and TV time to play to the best of their ability and be apart of a team. If every kid learned to apply themselves in this way they could feel the same sense of satisfaction that those smiling kids feel as they play their game and show what they can do.
The best part of the L.L.W.S. is the fact that those kids are playing for nothing but the want to win and to make their team win. There are no big contracts to play for. No egos to satisfy. There is only winning and being the best you can be. That’s what makes it so worth while to watch. The innocence of the kids is something you won’t see in the big leagues. Pro players are used to the cameras and media frenzy and never give honest answers and always have on their public persona. These kids strictly play to the best of their abilities and will show honest emotion out there.
With the overwhelming coverage of the games today, we get to see and hear things as if we were on the field. This year, after a youngster gave up some winning runs, the coach went to the mound and because the coaches are wearing microphones for ESPN, we got to hear this exchange:
COACH: “Hey, we’re going to come up again.”
PITCHER: “Is it okay if I just hit this batter?”
COACH: “What? No. No. Are you kidding me? Let’s get this guy. Come on we’re still in this game. One-run game. You wanna stay in?”
PITCHER: “No”
COACH: “You wanna come out right now?”
PITCHER: “Yes, I do. Can I sit out?”
COACH: “No, you’re going to first base.”
That exchange is a fantastic example of how great little league is and why kids need to learn these lessons. That kid wanted to take the easy way out, to hurt the next batter because he made mistakes and then he wanted to just run away from his problem. The coach did exactly what needed to be done. He tried to get the kids motivated to come back because they were still in the game and should never hang their heads. Then when the kid asked to intentionally hurt another player, the coach forbade him from doing it and then instead of giving him a simple way out, he put him right in the thick of things and playing first base. There is no running from problems in life, you must face the challenges head on and that’s exactly what this coach taught to that pitcher and everyone else listening. How awesome is that!?
Be prepared to see kids cry too. In every meaningful sporting event there will be a loser and no one is ever happy about losing. The kids are not pros and they will make mistakes. They won’t be little mistakes either, they will be mistakes that could cost them everything. You’ll see (and sometimes hear) kids cracking under pressure and as a parent it’s tough to watch. But those kids are learning life lessons and they must pick themselves up and be able to put things behind them. Triumphing after defeat is so much sweeter and every kid needs to know that everyone fails at sometime in their life, the thing that matters is how you act after. They may not be happy about lining up, shaking hands and saying “Good game” but they will do it and it is a true testament to their character.
Even Lebron James couldn’t handle losing a meaningful game. When his team the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated in the playoffs this year, Lebron stormed off the court refusing to congratulate the Orlando Magic and show good sportsmanship. That is the best basketball player on the planet and even he hasn’t learned to be a good sport. But watch one of the L.L.W.S. games and you will see every single kid showing quality sportsmanship and you should point that out to your kids as how they should be too.
The final games of the tournament are August 29 and 30 on ABC so while this year’s World Series is still being played take the time to sit down with your kids and have them watch a little, the lessons learned will be well worth it.
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