I didn't want to take away from Coach May's wonderful story, hope that everyone has had a chance to read it and understand the meaning he was sending out.
This season son has had to do some PR work for his team, at a luncheon he met up with a director of a children's hospital in the area that treats chronically ill children, and those with cancer. Recently he made an announcement one morning to his teammates, that he was going up to the hospital, and 16 members of his team joined him, the most players to ever set out to visit the local children's hospitals. They actually split up, one group going to the children's hospital and the other to the community hospital. They loaded up the cars with all kinds of goodies, hats, bats,balls, t-shirts you name it.
One of the patients he visited was a young boy who had cancer in his chest. In order to get it out, tumor being so large, they had to remove the chest wall, he had titanium plates added to support the rib cage, and actually the plates have replaced the front chest wall, I guess as he has grown he has required procedures to add more support due to his growth and recently in for another procedure. That is my understanding of the situation.
Before they left his room, he wanted pictures, sitting in his chair they told him they would crouch down where he was sitting for the pic, he would have no part of that, he was standing up for the pic. As he placed his arms on the chair to raise himself, my son said the look of pain on his face was a bit unsettling for them, he wanted no help and the effort he put forth, to raise himself was an incredible feat.
The patients mom told son that he walks, 2 miles a day, in order to build up his strength, it's pretty hard for him, but he does it. In about 6 months he will be cleared to play full contact sports in HS. And he is cancer free. He never complains. He will not let his disabilty stand in his way of experiencing what he wants to do in his life. And he asks for no help, he does everything for himself.
I have always taught my kids to give back, in doing so you realize, even when you have it bad, feeling sorry for yourself, how far you do or do not go in life, there are others who will never get to have the experiences that you have, count your blessings and be grateful and don't complain. Life could be much worse.
We were proud of son for getting his teammates together to go bring happiness into these patients lives, even if for one day.
My son was really inspired by him, he left telling him he was his hero.
The reason for the story, when your sons are having a bad spell in their game, when they want to quit because they don't like the coach, the team isn't good enough, they don't get to play the position they want, they have to sit the bench and wait their turn, too tired to go to practice, etc., etc., remind them how lucky they are to be able to get up everyday and be able to have that opportunity, and that there are most likely many others who would gladly take their place, in a heartbeat, but can't, do it without complaints and work very hard, never feel badly for your son or make excuses. Let your players work out their own problems they encounter (this is not just for baseball but for everything). Let them be able to raise themselves from that chair on their own with no help (but with guidance) and don't let them take the easy way out (remember that stump grinder). The lessons they will learn from working hard and doing it on their own, will only make them fight harder to reach their dreams.
Thank you for your story Coach May, that in turn has inspired mine, I thought that this would be a good one to share as well.
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