He wrote this piece last year, but I had to recently pull it out and reread it to our kids as a "reminder" to them to get a grip and stop whining about how "unfair" things are.
Like my friend, Renee Mainous, says, "Life's simply not fair! The fair is something that comes around once a year......"(and now I can't remember the rest, but it was cute....sure wish I could remember the rest of it.) ha!!
Anyway, my youngest son, Slade, (or "Gator" as we lovingly call him) has recently had trouble with his inability to control his "baseball temper" when he strikes out.....or misses a play......or whatever else might happen that he feels responsible for. He'll come back to the dugout all mad and huffy....(even tearful sometimes)...and we all know as Tom Hanks so eloquently put it in "A League of Their On"....."There's NO crying in baseball"! (ha)
Slade will literally call me over to the dugout to whine and complain about the umpires call! "Really, Gator?! Seriously, bud, that call is over and done with....nothing you can do about it now......so buck up! Turn the page! Change the channel.....do whatever you need to do and get on with it....but, you better stop this pouting right now, or things will NOT be so great for you, I can promise you that." I say as I huff back to the stands frustrated. Grrr..... (ha!)
Anyway, after the tournament, Slade's coach talked to the boys about being able to move on from a personal frustration..... "You NEVER let the other team see you rattled. THIS can only help THEM ....and ultimately, HURT you. Control your emotions," was the basic message from their coach.
Here is the piece Kevin wrote last year that I pulled out to read to Gator (and the other two)...but especially to my little "caboose". He needed it the most at this point.
Kevin wrote:
"Never lie. Never cheat. Never steal. Don't whine. Don't complain. Don't make excuses." ~~ John Wooden
These are six simple rules to live by that are all very important, but we're going to focus on the last three:
*Don't Whine!
*Don't Complain!
*Don't Make Excuses!
Why? Because it does absolutely no good! In fact, it only makes matters worse. If you feel that the umpire made a bad call on a third strike, does it d any good to throw your hands up, stomp around, go back to the dugout and throw your helmet? Absolutely not. You have no control over what has already happened. The call is made, you are out, and you stomping around and acting like a baby is not going to make the umpire change his call. What did you do with the other two strikes? The odds of an umpire making three bad calls in one at-bat are slim, which means the other two strike are all on you. So 2/3's of the strike-out are your fault and only 1/3 is the umps fault. Instead of focusing on something of which you have no control and cannot change, focus on what you can control, which is your play in the field and your next at-bat.
If you take that strike-out onto the field with you, you will not be at your best which will likely lead to an error. Now you've let your team down twice! You struck out. Big deal! Everyone strikes out. It's part of the game. "You should do your best, and if the results were unsatisfactory, keep quiet about it and work harder next time." ~Joshua Wooden.....(John Wooden's father)
One of the things I love about sports is that so many of the lessons we learn in sports also apply to life. If something doesn't go your way in life, and there will be many times that it doesn't, very rarely will it do you any good to whine, complain, or make excuses. All you can do is learn from it and move on.
"Blaming, cursing, hating doesn't help you, it hurts you." ~ Joshua Wooden
And lastly, DON'T MAKE EXCUSES! "Excuses are like hiney-holes....everybody has one and they all stink!" ~ (Coach Kevin quote)
Coach Kevin
**Okay, debated on putting my husband's last quote in here....but decided to leave his message as is and in it's entirety. Gross analogy, but good point. Ha!
Anyway, have a great day and think about these 6 simple rules.
They are goodies!
Teri
Ahhh! Teri Netterville, this is great stuff! I am printing it out right for my two (but especially for my little "caboose" also). You talkin' about a pouter. She is so-o-o-o-o-o intense, but the crying in the dugout after a strikeout MUST stop or we, too, have made it clear - WE WILL GIVE HER SOMETHING TO CRY ABOUT!!! Since she loves to read and is great at comprehending the direct and the abstract, I think this will do her a world of good.
ReplyDeleteLots of love, Tammy Z. Moore
I'm so happy you can use this...
ReplyDeleteIt's one of my favorite's of his too.
Just last night at Slade's practice, Slade called me over to the fence to complain about something his coach said to him. All I could do was look him in the eyes (through the fence) and say, "Gator...you better buck up, son. Your coach tells you things for good reason....for your own good.....to help make you better...stronger! So you stop being so doggone sensitive and listen to the man. He knows what he's talking about. Prove to him and to yourself that you can take 'constructive criticism' and use it to make you better, son!"
I think he got the message.
Bottom line: We, as parents, have the obligation and responsibility to continue guiding, correcting, teaching and encouraging our kids to act in the best and appropriate manner...because, quite frankly, they feel what they feel.....but...we just gotta keep it real.
Love to you my friend!
A-A-A-A-MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!,my friend! I have always told and made sure all 3 of my children KNEW that I was not only their greatest fan, I am their greatest critic. So they never have to worry about anyone blowing them up too much or taking them down too low. That way they can remain just right there in the middle on stable, humble ground. Until we chat again . . . stay beautifully blessed! TZM
ReplyDelete