For Love of the Game...

You know what we get to do today, Brooks? We get to play baseball. - Jimmy Morris, The Rookie

That's a quote from the main character in one of my favorite baseball movies, The Rookie. He's talking to one of his teammates while playing minor league baseball.  As I get older and baseball players from my childhood continue to get inducted to the Hall of Fame as happened this past weekend, I want to reflect upon a story I just read about one of them, Tom Glavine:

…Glavine recounted a time early in his life in the car on the way home from a hockey game when his father, Fred, wanted to discuss the game. “Didn’t want to criticize me, just wanted to have a conversation,” Glavine said. “So after a short time of me being less than pleasant in the conversation because things didn’t go so well, my dad told me something that I never forgot.”

What Fred Glavine told his son was: “You’re going to go into that locker room with a smile on your face and you’re going to come out with one, or I’m not taking you anymore…”

That’s all that matters, isn't it? That our kids play for the enjoyment, for the fun of the game. It's not life and death. There are plenty of things more important, or should be, yet there is so much pressure on kids today, put on them by their parents, coaches, and society. With Joseph showing an interest in sports, baseball especially, this is starting to hit home. He can be so hard on himself sometimes, even at this age. And we, as parents, can sometimes contribute to that. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, more enjoyable to me right now than seeing him play baseball, the light of joy in his eyes with not a care in the world. Just him playing ball with his buddies - running, laughing, and having the time of his life.  Hours upon hours he would spend out there if we let him. We stopped by to watch an AAU baseball game at the neighborhood park yesterday – probably kids 13 or 14 years old. Joseph was so into the game, watching and studying every move they made, learning the rules. Asking questions. This kid loves competition, any type of game.

Of course I want him to do well. Of course I want him to improve, learn teamwork, build character and acquire discipline. But most importantly, I just want him to have fun – win or lose. And to enjoy playing. I want to see him laughing when he steps into that dugout or locker room, and I want to see him laughing when he steps out, regardless the outcome. I know that’s tough, I know disappointment is part of the game. I've been there. But sometimes we want our kids to excel so much and strive for perfection, that we set them up for failure, regardless of whether it is sports, or life. I want him to look at life with that same light in his eyes, that same joy that he gets when he picks up that baseball. And when he picks up that baseball, I want him to forget about life for a while, and just have fun, win or lose.  Sport should not dictate life, nor should life dictate sport. They just need to compliment each other, and its my duty to ensure that happens. 

And while I will still pick my teaching moments, and try to keep telling him to use two hands, keep that back foot planted, or watch that ball all the way to the plate, I'm learning that most times, I just need to let him play the game and have fun doing it. As parents, we all need to be more like Frank Glavine. Forget the criticism. Forget the constant pressure for them to be perfect, no mistakes. They'll get enough of that from others in this world. Teach them respect. Teach them kindness. Teach them integrity. Do our damnedest to make sure our kids still have fun and to learn these things while doing it, and just love watching them play. They will thank us later.

Run and Surrender

So it's been a while since I've written a blog post – and a lot has happened since then. I've vowed to myself that I will start writing again, because its a great way for me to share my thoughts and perspective, and it's something I thoroughly enjoy to do. I just need to take the time. 

So here is a pic I snapped of myself on my run Monday morning out to Big Sable Lighthouse. The lighthouse is only accessible via a 2 mile trail, or by walking the same 2 miles along the beach. Big Sable is one of my favorite places(I've written about this before), and I try to do this run at least once a summer when we are up there. So on Monday, we walked out to the beach, setup our site, and then I went out for the 4 mile round trip run. You can head off on a series of other trails along the way that head back into the dune country if you like, each one providing splendid scenery and challenging terrain. But reaching that lighthouse on Big Sable Point is always a nice prize, no matter how many times you get there. When you visit from year to year, or even season to season, you see how the beach has eroded and changed, some times the sand is built up, some times it is washed away a bit more. Some times the water levels are up, and some times they're down exposing more of the shoreline.

There is something serene, and almost spiritual about lighthouses. I've found they're usually on some of the best beaches – Big Sable, and Point Betsie in MI where the sandy beaches are magnificent and the quiet vistas of Lake Michigan allow you to simply ponder and think. Sanibel Lighthouse on Sanibel Island, FL where just off the beautiful beach laced with the seashells the island is famous for we were in the emerald green water, 25-50 yds from a pod of dolphins. And then to the amazing Portland Head Light in Maine, where I spent hours watching and listening to the waves crash into the rocks at the base of the cliff. Portland was as loud as Big Sable is quiet, but there was still the same type of silence – silence where you can really listen to you heart, your soul, and let your thoughts wander. If only those lighthouses could talk, and share their stories. They’ve seen it all, they’ve weathered the storms, and they’ve guided sailors to their destination, and you can almost sense that the lighthouses themselves have a soul. There is a peace and a serenity at these monuments that I do not feel elsewhere, that I wish everyone could experience. A mysticism that seems to draw you to them. 

So back at Big Sable – I turned around and ran the 2 miles back to the beach where Kristy and Joseph were – hot, sweaty and covered in sand. It was a tough run, running through sand, and rocks, so my feet and legs were sore.  I quickly grabbed Joseph to go to the water and I dove right into Lake Michigan and the cool water. I have never felt so alive as I did at that moment. The tiredness of my muscles from the tough run, the feel of a hot, hard work-out, replaced with the exhilaration and freshness of jumping headfirst into the 68 degree waters of that great lake. At that time, I felt like one of those dolphins in Sanibel, and I could not hide the joy inside of me. I felt cleansed. I felt refreshed. 

You see, life is a lot like that run. You run to the light sometimes. Other times you run away from it. Sometimes the path to the light is tough and curved, other times it's smooth and straight. But at the end of the day, when you're exhausted, filthy and the run of life has beat you up, just let your cares and worries go, and dive in and surrender to yourself, to what is good, to what you know is right. Let the waters of life cleanse and refresh you, and begin again. That old lighthouse in your life will continue to stand strong. And when you're ready, turn around and run back to the light.