LIFE'S LIKE BASEBALL; BASEBALL'S LIKE LIFE

As a baseball coach I like to try and instill things in my player's heads. Many of the lessons I like to teach are about baseball. Some are the simple things like respect, attitude and hard work, while other are the more in depth aspects of the game. Many lessons learned on the ball field also apply to real life. That's one of the things that make games great.

One of the first lessons that can be taught is commitment. Once you commit to the team, if you quit or give up you're not only letting yourself down, but your letting down your teammates who chose to make the same commitment as you. Whether its tee ball or high school and beyond, that is a great lesson to be taught.

The next lesson is about teamwork. In order for a team to be successful, it must work as one unit. We have all been to baseball practice and had defensive bunt plays implemented. What happens on that play if one player doesn't take care of his responsibility, like if the second baseman doesn't cover first? The play fails and the runner is safe. Or giving yourself up by laying down the sacrifice bunt. That's not the play that garners the headline but without the sacrifice, the runner from second would never score on the next batters single. It's not always just about individuals.

Another lesson that I truly believe in is respect. It's respect for the game by tucking your shirt in and keeping your hat on forward on the field. It's respect for the opponent by shaking hands after the game. It's respect for the umpire by not arguing with him and thanking him for his time. And it's respect for your teammates and coaches. Throughout life you will also have teammates or co-workers and also will have bosses. They earlier you learn to respect them, the more successful your career will be.

Two other lessons that children, and some adults, need to learn is not only how to win, but also how to lose. While I didn't hate that my five year old got a certificate for tee ball, life, as in sports, there are winners and losers. I remember his first week of kindergarten last year, he lost a contest and didn't win the prize. He was devastated as many five year olds would be. It actually made me happier that he had to experience losing the contest and how to get over it. Learning how to lose is an important thing for youngsters to learn!!

There are so many lessons to learn and it what makes team sports great. Coming together as a team to win a championship or overcoming adversity can be as important to a young man as taking Algebra (and Algebra sucks!)

When on the ball field, make sure you listen and learn. Make sure you hustle and respect the game. And just like I end every pregame speech, make sure you have fun. Games are meant to be fun and so is life. It may throw you a curve ball, but just go with it, just like you're taught as a hitter.

In my opinion baseball is the best game in the world. It's part of me. Without it I wouldn't be who I am today. And I'm proud of that.

 Oh ya, and Go Yankees!



 --Dan Lucia
BYB Senior Writer
Twitter: @DManLucia



   



You've made BYB the fastest growing Yankees fan site in history. Now shop at the Bleeding Yankee Blue store!  Follow me on Twitter @BleednYankeeBlu and LIKE Bleeding Yankee Blue on Facebook!  Also, don't forget to check out the BYB Hub!