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I took a week off last week, to watch one of my favorite baseball players – my son!
He went to Cooperstown, NY known for the Baseball Hall of Fame – and the biggest 12-year-old baseball tournament in the United States. Teams come from all over… there was a team from as far as Australia!
The downside to this is… there are teams from California and Texas, where players can play year-round – unlike in NJ.
Unfortunately, two of their first games were against a California team. The players were huge, compared to our kids. And they threw the ball FAST.
My son’s team was a bit intimidated. You could tell they felt small… because they played small. They hardly took any swings, watching that ball whiz by when up at bat.
Needless to say, they lost their first game.
As the second game started… things didn’t look so good either. The team’s energy was down, almost defeated before they started.
How do you help turn your team around from this?
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength."
I asked my son later on… What were you thinking? What did you do after that first game?
He told me, “I was a leader. I knew we could do better. So I cheered for everyone. And I decided to do my best. To help everyone else see they could too.”
And that’s exactly what he did.
His team took the field first. As catcher, he made a bold play – throwing out a runner trying to steal third.
Then, in his second at-bat… he hit the team’s first home run that tournament!
This was a big deal. It was only his 4th ever home run. Unlike some of his other teammates, he wasn’t known for home runs.
In fact… he is one of the smallest kids on the team. He stands a full head and a half shorter than the other home run hitters and looks as skinny as a rail.
But strength has nothing to do with size.
That home run wouldn’t be his last. He went on to hit 3 more home runs… 4 total throughout the tournament. He was one of the leading home run hitters on his team!
Importantly, after that second game… my son’s team went on to win the next 4 games and really show up as their best.
I am so proud of my son. He helped to show so many around him that:
Leadership isn’t telling others what to do…
Lead by showing the way.
Leadership isn’t about what people see in you…
Lead using the power you have from within.
“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”
– Arnold Schwarzenegger
Austrian and American actor, businessman, filmmaker, and politician
