Baseball and Life!

Baseball is a lot like life. It's a day-to-day existence, full of ups and downs. You make the most of your opportunities in baseball as you do in life." --Ernie Harwell--

I obviously have baseball on my mind. I love the sport and I am my son's biggest fan as he works with his teammates to play such a great sport. Through the years I have had to explain to my son that baseball can be a very complex game or it can be really simple. When he was young I would explain that baseball is a physical game, where it is important to be in good shape, but more importantly in the game you have to know how your body is used. Throughout the years he learned from coaches that it's a mind game a battle of pure concentration and mental toughness.

I always gave my son life lessons and with baseball it is no different. Afterall in everything you do in life there is a lesson to be learned.  So I began to teach him in times when he needed it, how life was a lot like baseball the sport he loved to play day in and day out... I told him the following...

When my son would not be on task or lose focus not wanting to work with others, I would tell him life like baseball is a true team sport. It requires keen execution, knowledge of how to make things work like the hit-and-run play and paying attention to signals you are given by others. Individually in life, like baseball we can make a difference in the game but the game is usually won as a team. This provided him clarity in the importance of working together to achieve one goal.

When he didn't get what he wanted or when he felt defeated I would explain to him that we all get curve balls.  When he was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, he saw that as a major curve ball but I explained to him when life throws you curve balls, you can never stop swinging the bat. You never know when you might hit a home run!  Of course he was like mom but this is my life not baseball it sucks being diagnosed with a this disease that can kill me.  I had to get creative, I explainded the importance of changing his mindset and how important it was for him to get some mental toughness in his life. I explained that life like baseball requires you to clear your mind, concentrate, use hand-eye coordination & display mental toughness.  Well he kind of got it as I saw the bright glimpse in his eys and we went further into the conversation.  I said to him in his life's field, like the baseball field he stands in left or center field all spring and most of the summer.  I stated as you fearlessly stand in front of a blazing batted ball and remember where to position yourself, what base to throw the ball to if you get it, and when to do it all takes some real concentration and mental toughness. At that point he got it. He said mom I get it. It was his aaahaa moment.

I began to tell him to remember just like baseball, in life you strike out go into slumps or dry spells & make errors at crucial moments some physical some mental.  Sometimes you look in the stands and there are people cheering other times there are people booing. But you still play the game you tune out the boos and work from the cheers and move to the plate to begin your trek around the bases of life. 

It is at that point that my son said mom I understand how it works now. He kind of put it in laymens terms for himself, he stated, " In baseball sometimes I hit it out the park other times I strike out but I still go back to the plate. When I am at the plate I hear nothing I am just concentrating on hitting the ball and getting on base. When on base I work hard to reach home so I can hit again. Mom you always say don't get upset just get 'em next time and life works the same way. We just have to keep stepping up to the plate and swinging the bat to get on base and move the game forward."    Hmph .... out of the mouths of babes...I couldn't have said it better myself....

Well my son with his great outlook on a sport and life is on his way to play in the State Championships in his age league bracket.  Not only am I confident that he will do well at the plate each and every time, I am understanding that as he steps to the plate he will have learned the sport and a life lesson at the same time. Learning never stops and I am so blessed that he gets that!

You know if we lived our life like baseball, every inning would provide an opportunity for us to start anew with a clean slate at the plate.  We get a new count and sometimes a new pitcher to pitch a ball to us. We sometimes hit it and we sometimes strike out.  The most important thing is that we swing the bat in an effort to make progression in the game.  In life, like baseball, we have to just keep on swinging. We have to realize if we don't get a hit, that we should still be satisfied to walk because the run scores just the same.

Baseball what a great sport not just to play but for true life lessons.


Racquel
Be Blessed, Be Encouraged & Be a Blessing!