Hitting Out of the Ballpark

You probably hear a lot about soccer moms these days. But to me this sport only corners a small territory. For I not only covered soccer, but carted four children, and often their friends, to baseball, softball, basketball and for a nice change-up, to dance rehearsals and recitals. Weekends and evenings were tightly scheduled with ball playing and ballet shoe. Rushing about to glimpse a notable moment on some field, somewhere, I would get there just in time to miss it. Worse than this was to forget to retrieve them all, leaving one child benched and waiting and waiting .... but no worries, the coach always stayed!

Then we would hurry home to cold casserole and turn on the sports channel. To what? You guessed it - more sports. All eyes would be fixed on baseball, especially the Cleveland Indians, my husband's home team. We had favorite players.  Mine was Jim Thome. I know there are many others, but to me he embodied the sport. He was a well-honed player, who embraced the elements of the game fair and square. Even tempered, he rallied under the pressure, careful to maintain positive posturing even when challenged. His gifting, which delighted many, were those clear cuts of the bat to sailing home runs. Yet he was always the team player, humility and team spirit witnessed in this accomplishment.

There was a lesson learned here.

The field boasts a, contoured lush carpet, bases are evenly swept, the pitcher's mound aptly fashioned. The rules are in place, the scoreboard ready to make an accounting. In proper clean attire, the players are readied. They warm-up, settle in, huddle. They  are positioned in designated places in the field, as the ball is thrown. Certain possibilities then come into play. Swinging at balls three times, the batter is benched, momentum halted. Smacking or watching foul balls times allows forward movement, of conquering base after base with little excitement. Then comes a welcomed base hit. Commandeering the bases, the player is challenged by obstacle upon obstacle. Will he make it home? That would be a sweet moment. Intense in intent, players step- up their guard, cheering and cajoling each other on to victory. Then another player steps up to bat and the perfect throw cracks the wood as the ball sails over heads, over cars, over trees.

An even sweeter moment. This is team play at its best.

Valuable lessons are learned as life is played around a professional field or a weedy sand lot. As Mom, I embraced each child's experience as they applied all their effort and talent on the playing field. Oh, how I loved to watch them win and carry home the winning moment. But far more important was realizing fair play, team work, and a positive attitude. There is so much effort in life with doing and becoming. Yielding to a team spirit can prompt support and connection ... squeeze out the goodness in each child, bringing each other home. And continue to play forward fair ethics into their college years, vocational aspirations, relationships and overall personal growth, which they have done very well.

So for many years I had to deal with with traveling long roads, washing tons of soiled uniforms, tending to many cuts and bruises, and watch tons of televised sports events.

But it was all worth it. Because I'm proud to have been a soccer Mom.

... and that's how I live it.