In talking with Tommy Wilson over at the Banks County Parks and Recreation Department about the local All-Star teams and their progress in the postseason, my mind drifted back to my own days on the playing field.
Make no mistake about it, it was a different time and seemingly a different life when I was a carefree youngster playing baseball at the recreation level. Youth sports, at least in my hometown, was not the huge deal it is today. Oh, we had a few people who took it seriously, but for the most part we were able to enjoy being kids out on the baseball field.
I freely admit I was never a standout player. I did my best to become one but I was never named to an All-Star team (although there was one season when I thought I had a legitimate chance at being selected). I was never the best player on my team.
Still, I learned a great deal about the sport during my five years playing recreation baseball. I learned about the rules of the game and how there is more to it than simply swinging a bat or catching a ball. I learned about team work and how it takes all nine players on the field working together to be successful. I learned that no player is perfect and that we were all going to make mistakes.
I played one year of Pee Wee level baseball followed by four years of Little League competition. I quickly learned during my first attempt at playing just how difficult the game was. It wasn’t anywhere near as easy as it looked on television. Just making contact with the baseball with the bat took the highest amount of effort and having the necessary skills to stop a grounder and make a throw to first was never a guarantee.
During my year on the Pee Wee Falcons one of my classmates was our best player. Years later he would become the best athlete in our school and even at an early age it was easy to see how much natural athletic ability he had. He never seemed to drop a throw and he always seemed to connect when standing in the batter’s box. I was amazed at how he made it look so easy. Years later when we reached high school, he was still making it look easy whether on the football field, the basketball court or the golf course. Some athletes simply have that magical ingredient to succeed.
That’s why I still enjoy hearing about the accomplishments of those who compete at the recreation level. Be it softball or baseball, these young athletes are learning important lessons about winning and losing, about team work and other important lessons which hopefully they will take with them during the rest of their athletic careers.
If the young athletes who are playing on the recreation fields today take as much away from their experience as I did many moons ago, then it will have all been worth it. Knowing the coaches working with them, I’m sure they will be able to.
Chris Bridges is sports editor of The Banks County News. Contact him at 706-367-2745 or by e-mail at chris@mainstreetnews.com.
