A Little Motivation

"Coach Mo, it's your turn!  Let's see those homeruns!"

It's the end of practice.  The young men on the team have never taken the game of baseball seriously.  When baseball season came along, they saw it as a fun way to miss class, to hang out.  Whether they won or most often lost, they played the game.  This year, my son is their coach.  He lives and breathes baseball.  He sees this opportunity to coach as a way to help young men progress in their sport, their leadership, their growth as a man.  Jacob has made a deal with the players that at the end of each practice, he will go to bat and hit one more homerun than they have.  Nothing like a little competition!

The first time Jacob hit at the end of practice, he hit four pitches.  The third one bounced over the outfield fence.  The fourth easily sailed over the wall.

Jacob played his first t-ball game when he was three years old.  Blonde, brown-eyed with his tiny red baseball t-shirt and his baseball pants that were the smallest we could find but still had the knee patch at Jacob's ankle.  He stepped up to the plate.  First pitch, he swung and hit the ball down the left-field line.  Dropping his bat, he took off running.  He didn't know that in this league the players only ran one baselength at a time, so when he approached first base, he kept on trucking, rounding first base and heading to second.  Those little feet picking up the dirt.  Parents and friends and family were yelling and cheering!  Calling out for Jacob to stop.  While the other team players were trying to field the ball, Jacob rounded second and headed to third.  The mound of little boys has fielded the ball at this time, but there is no stopping Jacob now.  On to home, he goes!  As he approached home plate, he slid in even though there was not a throw he needed to avoid.  Bless his heart!  He had watched his father and I play softball so he knew how the game worked.  He didn't need to advance one base at a time.

At the end of his college baseball days, Jacob was invited to play on an independent league ball team.  He was closer to his dream of playing pro ball.  After a while, he came home and knew coaching was his next step.

Jacob steps up to the plate.  The assistant coach is getting ready to pitch to him.  None of his players hit a homerun during practice so per their agreement he only has to hit one over the wall.  Today, he receives two pitches.  The second one went over!  Great job giving your players a little motivation to improve and to take your game seriously.