A Bat, a Ball, a Boy and a Big Smile

Having just attended a baseball outing for little boys ages three through six, I was immediately aware of the numerous life lessons depicted in the hour at the park. We had two teams interacting; to say that they were playing against each other is something of a stretch. But in the spirit of the tradition-laden and most noble sport of baseball, it was a meeting of the green and purple teams.

Because of the ages and corresponding abilities (or inabilities, if you were so negatively inclined), all of the conventional baseball rules were (happily) suspended. There were no outs. There were no strikeouts. The kids (and their parents) didn't count runs scored. And most importantly, every effort was to be applauded.

Swinging and making contact with the bat was the supreme accomplishment. But swinging and not making contact was almost as good. In fact, each little boy had to make contact before the next batter approached the plate.

In the spirit of making it possible for everyone to win, the least agile of batters was gently and generously offered a T-ball. And sure enough, with that accommodation, every hitter experienced the delight of aluminum contacting hard rubber. I did manage to suppress a giggle when the coach reminded the T-ball batter to keep his eye on the ball. Although the ball wasn't likely to be moving very much, my experience with golf would suggest that this is indeed a priority.

The fact that every detail defining baseball in its pristine form was conveniently overlooked was cause for celebration. There is time enough in each of these little boys' lives for losing, whether it be for being called out at first or arriving at a base where someone else was already standing. It was wonderful to watch little boys sliding into home plate; the fact that the ball was somewhere in the next zip code was altogether immaterial.

And so, what are the lessons? Every effort is worthwhile, whether it produces immediate team results or makes you feel that you've done your best. No-one needs to lose in order for everyone to win. Showing up is critically important. Changing roles gives everyone an opportunity to experience participation in the winning. Every little boy played first, second, third and outfield, preventing anyone from being either inept or a celebrity.

Corporate managers should be exposed to this type of team-building where everyone is equal, everyone is lauded for making an effort and the responsibility of the observer is to find the positive in every action, large or small. Way to swing, Dylan. Terrific catch, Ryan. Great job, Noah. Good run, Micah.

When these young men are a little older and have greater hand-eye coordination and bigger biceps, there will be plenty of time to refine a swing or understand the sublime process of tagging a runner who is five seconds late. But for now, thanks are extended to some very wise coaches. These are dads who understand that the lessons learned about self-esteem are much more powerful than the transient recollection of sliding the ball between two outfielders who forgot that they were supposed to stop it from rolling.