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Reply to "Play hard. Have fun. I love you."

My son screwed up and I still made him smile.

 

When my son was a high school soph the high school season ended one game out of the district tournament when my son was picked off first. Jogging slowly back to the dugout with his head down four dads of seniors were verbally abusing him. They completely overlooked his two rbi single that got the team within one run.

 

His coach didn't need to give the steal sign. He could have yelled out "steal second." Everyone in the park knew he was going. After a large number of throws to first the opposing senior pitcher coaxed him out another half step and nailed him. 

 

Knowing there would be field maintenance time after the game I headed for WaWa (like 7/11) and bought a roll of LifeSavers. I waited in the stands until my son came out of the dugout. He felt so badly he wanted everyone gone before he came out. When he finally came out I tossed him the roll of LifeSavers and told him I still loved him. He smiled and said it's going to take two rolls and a trip to Outback for dinner.

 

Then he asked if I remembered the time he made two errors in a LL game. When I asked him if he wanted to practice tomorrow he said, "I don't suck. I just sucked today. Tomorrow is another day." It's when I knew my son "got it" as an athlete.

 

I've never forgotten that moment because some dads acted like jerks and abused him verbally. Yet he shook it off and managed a smile. Tomorrow was another day. The next high school season was unbelievable. It started 14 for 16.

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