Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Using Courage to Fight Adversity

By Ray Glier

On a Sunday afternoon recently, it was interesting to see the two reactions to failure by kids on the baseball field.

There were the kids who grounded out and ran back to the dugout.

Then there were the kids who grounded out and had to be told to run back to the dugout.
They were weeping, or angry, or just sullen.

It was the twin face of courage/resilience and despair/hopelessness. Kids need to be reminded that failure comes with the territory in baseball and basketball.

We played on a Decatur Rec team this winter that won 11 straight games and then lost to a Henry County All-Star team. It was too much for one player. He stormed off the floor after the game and would not shake hands with the other team.

It’s not just sportsmanship. It’s more than that. It’s having Courage to face adversity.

We’re going to see examples of how to handle defeat in these NBA playoffs. There are going to be games when one side collapses down the stretch and has to pick itself up…or doesn’t.

These are the guys who have trained themselves to fight back and show some courage. Keep playing. That should be the motto. If you get down 20, keep playing. Respect the game and respect yourself by not laughing about the deficit or playing lazily.

A scout told me about a college baseball game recently where a pitcher who has a lot of ability was hit hard and gave up a bucket of runs. He left the game in dismay and was greeted by a swarm of teammates near the third base line and was told, “Get ‘em next time. It’s ok.”

That’s no way to teach courage.

The pitcher should get a quick pat on the back from the coach for his effort, but he also has to be reminded that he will get another chance and to keep his head up so he sees that next chance when it arrives. Learning courage is not about being coddled. It’s about being guided in the right direction.