This weekend at my daughter’s soccer game I snapped a picture of this:
What’s so special about it? Well, these girls are waiting for their next shift, just hanging out. So what? Look closely. They are all hanging out together, girls from both teams. They aren’t concerned at all about the fact that they are rivals for the hour. They are just having fun.
Recently I was having a conversation with a good friend whose son plays rep baseball. She was bursting with pride about her son’s team. But not for the reasons you might expect. Were they a winning team? Yes. Did they work hard? Of course. But what had her most proud was this note sent to the parents from her son’s coach:
I would like to share with you feedback I received from the coach of the team we played last weekend, which I’ll be sharing with our players. Basically, the other coaches and team were very impressed with our players’ conduct on and off the field and are very much looking forward to their next game against us, notwithstanding the lopsided score. In my mind, this is the exact feedback I would like to be receiving and I think we can collectively be impressed and proud of what our children have achieved so far. I also feel this is reflective of the attitude the parents are bringing and, on behalf of all of us coaches and your children, I would like to thank you for your support and dedication to the team.
The “lopsided score”? Her son’s team had won by at least 10 runs. They could have been cocky and self-congratulatory but, instead, these boys were gracious and kind and great citizens of the game. They were good sports and the reward was much greater than a victory. These boys and their parents should be incredibly proud. Plus, this will always serve them well in life. It feels good to come out on top but it feels great to make your opponent feel good about themselves and their effort in the process.
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