My oldest son's baseball season begins tomorrow. Of course, conditioning, tryouts and practices have been going on for months, but the first game is tomorrow. All of the Auburn Wages will put on our royal blue shirts, scarfs & caps, arrive at the ballpark early and cheer loudly for the Tigers. It's what we do.
There are many unknowns to be answered over the next two months of baseball: Who will start? How will Ted pitch? Batting averages, winning percentages, RBIs and ERAs. Will the Tigers win more than they lose? Will the PA announcer call his name correctly?
So many unknowns...Truly, only one thing is certain: I do not have control over any of these. The outcome of any at-bat or pitch or game has ZERO to do with me. For some people, that would be liberating. For this type A, control-freak mom, it is a little bothersome. I HAVE to do something, right?
So, I am going to do what I CAN do. I am going to declare this baseball season to be a season of prayer. I don't exactly know how this is going to play out--a designated time each week? A more regular blog post? Just personal, quality times of prayer in the quiet of my home? Meeting with other moms? Not sure yet.
But one thing I do know: I will not pray that the Tigers win.
Before you completely write me off, I am not going to pray that they lose, either. However, I am more concerned about my son and his teammates' character development than their record. So, here are some ways that I will pray for Ted (and his teammates):
- I pray that they will be good sports, that they will accept victory humbly and defeat graciously. I pray that they will keep a check on their emotions and a lock on their 15-year old tongues.
- I pray that they will not seek individual accolades, but that those who are followers of Christ would do all things for the glory of God and that all team members would work together for the good of the team. I pray that they would rejoice with each other's success and would encourage others during times of failure.
- I pray that these young men would be coachable. May they accept guidance and instruction with open hearts and willing feet. I pray that they will be respectful of their coaches and that they will show appreciation to them for their commitment to the team.
- I pray for safety for each member of the team, the coaching staff and their families. Traveling safety, game day safety, practice safety...you name it.
- I pray that Ted's character will be more refined and more God-honoring at the end of this season.
Trey and I often say that our children are involved in sports in order to develop character, to develop leadership qualities, to become people of influence. I have to admit that I tend to forget that in the heat of the games. I often lose sight of the ultimate victory when an earthly one is staring me down. Therefore, the toughest prayer to pray is one for myself...
...I pray that MY character will be more refined and more God-honoring at the end of this baseball season. Will you join me?
We have just wrapped up another baseball season for our oldest son, Ted. The practices, the games, the uniform-washing…I really do love all of it as the mom of a growing boy. However, this season has caused me sadness in my heart for the future. What is the purpose for youth team sports? Why do families sacrifice “free time” for youth sports? Why do we spend hours upon hours at the ballpark?
Youth team sports should be first and foremost about character-development. You should want your children to learn a few basic attributes as a result of sports: a good work ethic, perseverance, cooperation among teammates, coachability, how to handle adversity. If your goal for your son in little league baseball is to get him a Junior College scholarship, I am afraid you are misguided. If your goal for your son in little league baseball is for him to be a Major Leaguer, I am afraid you are delusional. The number of MLB players in its history is estimated to be around 17,000; the number of children aged 6 to 18 who compete in youth sports every year is around 44 million (according to the National Council’s 2008 study).
Trey was the head coach for Ted’s team this spring. During his initial meeting with the parents, he told them, “We may not win a game, but we will do three things: 1. We will hustle on and off the field; 2. We will manage our own dugout; and, 3. We will respect our teammates, our coaches and the umpires and not have temper tantrums.” What was he saying? He was saying that he expects maximum effort, that he expects them to be responsible and that he expects respectful and appropriate behavior on and off the field.
Hustle. That doesn’t sound too hard. If I heard Trey yell, “RUN!!!” one time, I heard it one thousand times. Run on and off the field. Run to get into position to catch the ball. Run to first base when you hit the ball. Run, run, run. Exert the effort. Of course, as Christians, we believe that we should do “all things” to the glory of God. What does it say about us if we don’t expect that to trickle down to extracurricular activities? “All things” means all things.
Manage the dugout. Keep your hat and glove together. Be responsible for your gear. The Gatorade can wait; water is fine. No visiting at the dugout. (Moms, it is time that we let our boys be young men. If they are truly hurt, the coach will come get us.) The game is still being played even when our team is batting; it is not social hour. For goodness sake, encourage your teammates. Learn the game. Carry your own gear to the car once the game is over.
Respect. Your teammates deserve respect by virtue of the fact that you signed up for a team sport. That means, you show up for practice and for games. Take responsibility for your mistakes, learn from them. I don’t care if you are the “super star” on the team; don’t refer to your teammate as “kid”. Encourage your teammates. Be a leader.
The coaches deserve respect from the players because they are in authority over them. I have seen that the pool of young men my daughters will have to choose from consists primarily of disrespectful boys who roll their eyes at successful grown men, yell at their own fathers from the mound, and refuse to be coachable. God help us all. The coaches deserve respect from the parents because we have registered our children for a team sport. Our children learn from us.
(Oh, another thing. If your child is fortunate enough to have a former professional baseball player as coach, please understand that he actually does know more than either you or your son do about the game. In fact, he has probably forgotten more about baseball than either of you will ever know.)
Lastly, the umpires deserve respect because they are the umpires. That might be the hardest for even the most respectful child. Umpires make bad calls. Sometimes a lot of them. But they are the final say. End of discussion. And, parents, please keep your mouths shut. I promise if you saw a video of yourself yelling at the college kid who is earning some extra money by calling balls and strikes, you would be embarrassed. It is just not acceptable.
I love, love baseball. I love that my son enjoys the sport. I love that he is competitive and wants to win. However, I am most proud of him when I see him encouraging his teammate who just made a mistake, when I see him hustling off the field after catching behind the plate for 6 innings straight, when I see him putting his arm around an opposing team’s player as they pray. Those images are worth a thousand homeruns. He is a work in progress and God's grace has been lavished upon us over his lifetime. May we be worthy of the responsibility of parenting Ted, his sisters and his brother.
Play to win, but in the process, grow.
