Tonight, as with all Wednesdays I was at my 10 year old son’s baseball game. It is always fun to watch the boys on his team. This season especially has been fun due to the skills that these boys have are really coming along. I coached my son’s teams from Kindergarten tee ball up until last year. It seems that every year, they keep getting better and better. Tonight was especially fun for me as I usually stand right behind the bench and cheer on the boys. There were three distinct things that I observed tonight that I wanted to share.
One of the players on my son’s team is named Illya. He and his family came to the United States from Russia. His parents have no doubt had some rough challenges in their lives, but one would never notice. The neat part about their son is that he is always smiling! He is a very good player, but like most baseball players has a few downs with the ups. When you watch this young lad play, you would never guess if his game has been great or difficult that night. He runs off and onto the field with energy that most of us adults can only dream about. You see, Illya is not the strongest player, he is not the tallest player nor is he the fastest player. What he does have is a huge heart and love for the game!
The second thing I noticed was that of my son. Yes, I will do a little shameless bragging here…but oh well, the point is still great! At any rate, he had a rough two innings to start the game in the field. He missed two routine grounders hit to him at 3rd base. In the third inning, there was a runner at third. The batter hit a pop fly just behind the third base bag which my son caught. He then ran to the bag where the runner had broken for home a little too early. He stepped on the base and made an unassisted double play to end the inning! Yes, dad was proud! At any rate, he ran in to the dugout and had the biggest smile on his face and was getting high fives from all his teammates. He then looked over at me and I gave him a big smile and a thumb’s up sign. I told him great play! You see, the inning before it was all he could do to look at me because he missed the second grounder in as many innings. The key is what I told him the inning before. I told him that Nick Punto, the 3rd baseman for the Minnesota Twins, (our favorite team) makes errors too. The key is that he comes back the next inning and makes great plays. I told my son how important it is to believe you will make the next play. He looked at me and said as only a 10 year old can, “Dad, I have the errors worked out of me for tonight!”
The final impression I took from the game tonight was from the coach. Coach Steve has really proven two things this season. First, he has a love for kids and how to teach them to play baseball. His skills in teaching trickle into all areas of these young boys’ lives. When someone messes up a play, he corrects them and immediately follows it up with a positive. Wouldn’t it be great if this were to hold true in our areas of life as adults as well? Lastly, the coach always ends each game with a cheer for the other team. As they line up to shake hands at home plate after each game, the coach calls them in to a huddle and the yell…Two, Four, Six, Eight….who do we appreciate? The Nationals! (or the name of whatever team we happen to be playing that night) It is amazing to watch the other team’s reaction. Tonight I heard a kid yell out…”Hey! That’s Us!” You see, win or lose, they cheer the other team every game. These boys are blessed with having a coach that is instilling them with not only baseball skills but life lessons as well.
Ok, time for the “baseball” wrap up for today. What can this teach all of us? First of all, when we have a positive outlook on any and everything we do, things just seem to go better! Illya has come from a lot of challenges in his life, but he smiles and smiles all game long! You will never know the score of the game, whether he just hit a home run or struck out by his face and attitude. We all can learn from Illya and his focus on being happy!
The next thing to take away from this game tonight is to believe! You have to believe that your job will go better. You have to believe that your financial situation will be better. You have to believe that your relationships with those you love will improve and blossom. Belief is the precursor to anything good happening. Unfortunately it is also the precursor to anything bad happening if you don’t believe. If you tell yourself you can’t do something, the odds of you accomplishing it are exactly zero! You gotta believe!
Finally, we all need a “coach” in our lives. Maybe it is a co-worker, a trusted relative or a good friend. If we really think about it, there are “coaches” all around us. The key is whether or not we take the time to learn and listen to their instruction. Find your “coach” in life and really take the time to hear what they say. At times, we may not see the wisdom in their words, but stick with them! Coaches usually all have one thing in common. They want you to succeed! Once we realize that they are our biggest cheerleaders and fans, we can truly apply what they teach us to reach levels we would never even dream about on our own! Find your coach and step up to the plate!
I hope I haven’t rambled on too long today, but I just wanted to share the lessons I watched played out tonight at the game. Have a great day and rest of the week! Until next time, keep smiling, believing and listening! You will love the results!
Wes
About the author:
Wes and his wife Kristin live in Rochester, Minnesota USA. They have two great kids ages 10 and 8. Kristin is a third grade teacher and also owns her own stamping and Scrapbooking business. Wes works primarily in the area of developing home business owners and coaching them to success. He, along with his business partner Ron strive to teach people that being successful is more about what is between one’s ears than what vehicle they choose to help them achieve their dreams. To learn more about Wes and his philosophies, visit one of his websites at Success Tips Here or Business Tips Here
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