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Just a Game
Learning Not to Keep Score
By Mark Stackpole
At the end of the game, the players had done a lot right, which was impressive. Coach Mark had clearly focused on the fundamentals of fielding, throwing and hitting. More importantly, he also clearly had his sights on the most important fundamental of them all. At this level, it is not a sporting event at all. It is a game. A game that should be played for fun. A true baseball man, a true coach and a true father, he had brought to the field exactly what he wanted from his players and their parents. Everyone involved responded in kind – laughs and cheers greeted every play and every player at every juncture of the game. There were no miscues, no errors, no pressure and not even I could tell you what the final score was. (Though I believe it to be something like 14 to 9 in favor of our team. Shhhh!)
Eventually, of course, all of this will change. As the players get older and more experienced, expectations will rise and winning will become more and more important. Competition will heat up. There will be heroes and goats, starters and benchwarmers, cheers and jeers. The realities and hardships of life wll creep into the game, which is not necessarily a bad thing. It's just a little sad is all. After all, you can only get that first hit once, and then you have to begin figuring out how to get the next one. It doesn't take long for this game to become a sporting event, and sooner or later, everyone will know the final score and how well you played.
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