mike_dyer
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- Jun 17, 2014
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My kid was subbing/trying out for a team a coupla weeks ago. I noticed a pitcher was taking a loss pretty hard so I offered her some encouragement. The conversation went like this:
"What's the matter, young lady?"
"I lost, sir. We were ahead by a lot of runs in the bottom of the 7th and I was fading. I knew I couldn't finish but my dad tells me to never, ever, ever ask if I can come out of the game no matter what because my coach will take me out of the rotation. Coach says we need to finish what we start, always. So I got in trouble and gave up a few hits, made an error. Everyone started making errors. It all just went downhill."
"Well kid, your coach and your dad sound like they need to lighten up a little and grow up a lot."
"You really think so, mister?"
"Yes I do. But don't worry about it anymore. It's just a softball game."
"But the t-shirt my mom wears says it's more than just a game."
"That's a slogan. It's just something people say, some of them may even believe it. People will also tell you the good guy always wins in the end, but reality proves to us that in the real world Goliath kicks David's butt 99.9% of the time."
"I guess you have a point."
"Listen kid, pro athletes lose games like you and your team did all the time and the whole world is watching. The peons who aren't involved make a big deal about it but the athletes themselves stroll off the field of play like a BOSS and get on with their lives like nothing happened. You'll find them out later that night yucking it up with their friends without a care in the world.
"I wish I could be like that."
"You can. Just stop caring so much. A softball game, win or lose, is meaningless even though the people around you right now are acting like it's a big deal. Be honest, your coach and your dad care about it more than you and the girls on your team do, don't they?"
"Yes..."
"Indeed. Look kid, you can go from the being the best pitcher in history to trying to selling yogurt of all things. And if you did that you would forever be seen as a success story in this sport. Most won't be so lucky.
View attachment 324
"Gosh, softball seems so pointless."
"Now you're learning, kid. Hey, it was good talking to you. Do me a favor and take care of yourself. It doesn't sound like anyone else is going to."
Later that day I was walking to my car and I heard the girl's coach ask the other girls if they had seen her. She was nowhere to be found.
Run kid, run. Run like the wind.
"What's the matter, young lady?"
"I lost, sir. We were ahead by a lot of runs in the bottom of the 7th and I was fading. I knew I couldn't finish but my dad tells me to never, ever, ever ask if I can come out of the game no matter what because my coach will take me out of the rotation. Coach says we need to finish what we start, always. So I got in trouble and gave up a few hits, made an error. Everyone started making errors. It all just went downhill."
"Well kid, your coach and your dad sound like they need to lighten up a little and grow up a lot."
"You really think so, mister?"
"Yes I do. But don't worry about it anymore. It's just a softball game."
"But the t-shirt my mom wears says it's more than just a game."
"That's a slogan. It's just something people say, some of them may even believe it. People will also tell you the good guy always wins in the end, but reality proves to us that in the real world Goliath kicks David's butt 99.9% of the time."
"I guess you have a point."
"Listen kid, pro athletes lose games like you and your team did all the time and the whole world is watching. The peons who aren't involved make a big deal about it but the athletes themselves stroll off the field of play like a BOSS and get on with their lives like nothing happened. You'll find them out later that night yucking it up with their friends without a care in the world.
"I wish I could be like that."
"You can. Just stop caring so much. A softball game, win or lose, is meaningless even though the people around you right now are acting like it's a big deal. Be honest, your coach and your dad care about it more than you and the girls on your team do, don't they?"
"Yes..."
"Indeed. Look kid, you can go from the being the best pitcher in history to trying to selling yogurt of all things. And if you did that you would forever be seen as a success story in this sport. Most won't be so lucky.
View attachment 324
"Gosh, softball seems so pointless."
"Now you're learning, kid. Hey, it was good talking to you. Do me a favor and take care of yourself. It doesn't sound like anyone else is going to."
Later that day I was walking to my car and I heard the girl's coach ask the other girls if they had seen her. She was nowhere to be found.
Run kid, run. Run like the wind.
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