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E x p a n d e d_ E d i t i o nLessons Learned From Little League |
As parents, we have a responsibility to teach our children. But keep in mind that we can learn a lot from them too. by Gary Petty |
It was a YMCA league, so we knew the games would be more for fun than hard-core competition. Coeducational teams seemed just the ticket for our tomboyish Jennifer. When we signed up we were told that no playing experience was required.
The day of the first practice I took Jen to a second-hand store, where she carefully selected a glove from the pile of well-worn mitts. The entire family was excited as we accompanied her and Chris to their first practice.
About five minutes after I arrived, I began to have a terrible feeling we had made a mistake. Around the diamond was a group of 9- and 10-year-old boys fielding and throwing balls like old pros. Their appearance, the well-worn cap, the cocky way they yelled at the batter, the easy motion of throwing, showed that most weren't novices. To top it off, Jennifer was the only girl.
There she stood, away from the other players, her just-bought used glove dangling from her hand. The coach arrived and began working with the team, testing how each player hit and fielded. Every time Jen swung the bat and missed, her face grimaced with the fear that she wasn't measuring up to the others. The boys were polite. Too polite.
On the way home Jen announced that she was going to quit. She knew what Dad would say and listened patiently while I gave her my lecture about never giving up and once you've started something you must see it through. She pursed her lips but didn't argue. Even to me the words seemed a bit shallow.
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