July 2023 Hub

By:DaveScott

ManagerLeoDurocheroftheBrooklynDodgersutteredthesewordstodescribe baseball'sgreatMelOttandhisGiantsteamwhentheywereinlastplaceduringthe 1946season.

Itisaphrasethatwascommonplaceinsocietyforalongtime.Ihaveheardafew coachesuseitovertheyearsandoftenwonderedwhytheywouldeven considersayingit.

Inanintensegame,Iguessintheheatofthemoment,theymay havesaidittoinstillakillerinstinctinagroupofathletes. Growingupinthe70sand80scultureofsports,Ithinksome ofustookitasgospel,tooyoungtounderstandthatyou couldbebothaniceguyorgirlandwinorlose.

Ialwaysfiguredthatifyoupractisedandplayedhard, continuedtolearnthegame,andplayedrespectfully oftheotherteam,alltherestwouldtakecareofitself.

Theideaofanycoachistofirsthelpdevelopgood people,bethey,kidsoradults.Understandingtheir mindsetandskillsetanddoingitinapositive formattolearnandbecomeanexcellentallaroundperson.Ifwinningisyouronlyconcern, thenyouaresorelymissingoutonthepositive aspectsoflife.

Itwasinanerawherefewunderstoodtheword empathy,whichistheabilitytosenseother people'semotions,coupledwithbeingableto understandorimaginewhatsomeoneelsemight bethinkingorfeeling.Itisempathywhich,once youcancomprehenditsvaluewithinthesport,be itwinningorlosing,changestheperceptionof"nice folksfinishlast"to"humblefolksappreciateall."

Mylastpointonthistopicisthatweneedtobeable towinandloseandunderstandthatwewilllearn positivelessonsfrombothoutcomes.Sure,thewinners maygetthetrophythistime,andyougohomeemptyhanded,butthatmaydriveyoutolearnfromyourmistakes (oryouropponent'stechniques),workharderanddevelop moreskillsforthegame.

Wedon'talwayswineveryaspectoflife,butwelearn,moveon,and lookforwardtothenextchallenge.Folks,youmaywinorloseand sometimeseventieinlife,butneverdoubtyouwanttobethebestversion ofyourselfthatyoucanbe.Friendlyfolksalwaysunderstand!