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

Originally Posted by lionbaseball:
Originally Posted by RJM:

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.

Awesome story and outcome. 

 

I'm not sure how I would have reacted had I heard some Dad's verbally abuse my son. 

I had a history with these dads. It allowed me to tune them out all season. To start with one of their kids wasn't starting as a senior because of my son (first soph opening day starter in six years). Another one of their kids wasn't playing short because of my son. Another I had multiple confrontations with over fifteen years on our youth sports board and baseball and basketball committees. These guys were using their power to abuse the youth sports program for the benefit of their kids.

 

When my son was eleven he left their Ripken baseball program to play LL. The all star team played into August twice while the CR team stunk. Plus a lot of people followed my lead and left CR for the three LLs that had carved up our town. Then "my son was too good to play Jr. Legion and Legion." "His father thinks he's so special he has him on a travel team." I was told two years into college ball they were still ripping my son and me behind our backs. When people are that petty it's not hard to ignore them.

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