Life Lesson #72: The Case for League Play
Why a community can be more important than competition
In my head, I understand the value of competitive, club baseball. Often times, the overall level of competition is stronger, the caliber of baseball higher, and the baseball-experience accelerated. But after this weekend, I can confirm that in my heart, I love spring community league baseball.
Leagues across Southern California kicked off on Saturday. With rain pushing some Opening Day Cermonies back a week, we were blessed with sunny skies and temperatures close to 80 degrees. My own experience had me to a field by 7:30am in the morning, getting set up with a Lifeletics booth to share the good word, kiss some babies and shake some hands 
By this time, the pancakes were already grilling, volunteers were buzzing around making final preparations to the fields and audio equipment, and the kids themselves were dressed to impress – bright white pants, crisp new jerseys, and cleats ON!
It didn’t matter that these kids’ games were 5-7 hours away. Or that they were dripping syrup on their new pants. Heck, it didn’t matter that their games of pickle, butts-up or handball, would (on-paper) tire them out. What mattered to these kids was that today was breakfast at “my fields” with Mom and Dad. Today marked the first opportunity to sport that new uniform. Today was the day that Mark, Michael and Johnny would all be there at the park to hang out. Today… was Opening Day.
Tucked away in a neighborhood, I love the fact that the baseball fields become a community gathering place. Youngsters become the kids of dozens of parents and often times roam the pastures free and happy. The Johnson’s keep an eye out for the Williams’ kid… and the Williams’ parents keep an eye on the Lee’s kid… and so on and so on. This is a safe place, a place where a family can relax, give and serve and their kids can grow up.
Saturday went on with a parade, announced team-by-team, onto the freshly manicured main field. With cheers and pictures, each athlete got their 10-seconds of fame before hearing the national anthem and a guest speaker. Afterwards, it’s a sight of complete controlled chaos as players search for their parents and coaches hang around to make sure all of their athletes are accounted for. No one is lost, all find their way, because these fields are home and the league family is completely together.
And then there’s the baseball! League games are played with the kids’ friends. While there may be 3-4 schools represented on a single diamond, all the athletes come from a single area. With similar backgrounds but vastly different experiences, these kids laugh and share a life experience that simply cannot be simulated elsewhere. It’s a chance to compete, a chance to experience winning and losing, and a life lesson learning how to get along with a new group of teammates each season. These teammates will be vastly different in ability level and playing intensity, uniquely different in communication and interaction skills, and each season thus represents a new learning opportunity surrounding team work, chemistry and the intangibles associated with positive performance.
Finally, it’s a chance for a young person to experience a new alpha-dog – the head coach. Each year this person will change. Small or large, loud or quiet, male or female… the head coach will not be perfect. There will be opportunities for each athlete to question a decision, to grow frustrated with a move made and to utter the famous line: “That’s not fair.” But we all know that “not fair” is what life is all about. Learning to deal with those challenges, work through the issues, and enjoy the experience along the way… THAT is what spring baseball is all about.
After setting up my booth, I stopped to sit down and simply take in the day. It was 8:00am and there was energy all around me. I couldn’t help but flash back to my days playing youth baseball. From the dad’s that spent countless hours coaching our teams… to the players with the funny glasses and outgoing personalities, there were so many experiences rushing through my mind. All in all, I couldn’t help but smile. And as one family after another walked by, kid impatiently leading parent by the hand, I was seemingly 9 years old again.
Of course, the next experience brought me quickly back to reality. A long lost friend, with whom I had roamed the baseball fields with, came out of no where to offer a hand shake and a hug. We quickly exchanged stories as if we were wearing our uniforms again, laughing and giggling at the good times. And then… and then… he introduced me to his 9-year old kid and immediately I sprung back to reality.
Baseball is a game and it’s meant to be fun. Play league ball and let your kids wear their syrup on their pants!!
Here’s to a great 2011 season.
Life Lessons are provided by Dan Keller.
Please visit http://www.lifeletics.com/lifelessons.php for more life lessons.
