Sunday, March 24, 2013

Heart of a Champion

This post has been brewing in my mind for a few weeks.  Sometimes it takes a little while for me to figure out exactly what I want to say and how to say it.  The idea for this post popped into my head during one of J's recent games, as I watched him assisting a fellow player in strapping an ice pack to his sore arm.  There are several things that college coaches, or any coach for that matter, look for in a player.  How well can he field the ball?  How well can he hit?  Is he fast or slow running the bases?  Is his arm strength good?  How well can he play the game?  All of those things are extremely important in a player.  Some players will be stronger in some areas than in others.  Some players will be equally strong in all areas.  A good team tends to be a mixture of players with different strengths that compliment each other.  But there is something else that many coaches look for.  Something that is often overlooked, though it is just as important to a team as a strong hitter.  It's an intangible quality that encompasses several traits.  Sportsmanship, effort, dedication, work ethic, and willingness to be a team player.  I suppose a simple way to describe it is heart.  Every team needs a strong heart.  Someone who boosts everyone up when they're having a rough game, is unfailingly loyal to his team, and most of all, loves the game with every fiber of his being.  As you may have guessed, the intangibles is where J shines the most.  Sure, he can play the game with the best of them.  He's a good little ball player.  But if I had to choose the one area that nobody can beat him on, it would be as the heart of the team.  I think Coach C would agree with me.  In fact, it's that very quality that led Coach C to choose J for his team in the first place.  All the other stuff, according to Coach C can be taught and honed.  But true heart is just there.  And J has it in spades.  His is always the loudest voice in the dug out, cheering his teammates on during batting.  If he's taking his turn sitting the bench, he's cheering them on in the field.  If someone makes a mistake, J is the one offering encouraging words and a pat on the back.  Likewise, he's the first one to praise a teammate for a nice play or a great hit.  He's the first one to offer to share his drinks or snacks or to help with anything that needs doing before or after a game.  To him, it doesn't matter if the team is winning or losing.  They're his team, therefore they're important to him.  J approaches every game with the attitude that it will be a win, that everyone will play great, and even if it doesn't turn out that way, he never lets it get him down.  He's always willing to do whatever his team or coach need him to do, whether it's hauling equipment or playing a position he doesn't usually play.  Whatever it is, J is always willing to step up and do his part.  He truly is the heart of any team he plays on.  And I am so proud of him for that.  As a mother, to see my child demonstrate such a winning attitude means more to me than if he were hitting home runs every game.  And it's my sincere hope that sometime in the not so distant future, some college coach will look at J and see what Coach C did.  A player who can not only play the game well, but brings with him the true heart and soul of the game.

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