In youth baseball, other sports and life in general a winning attitude is a must. Sometimes there is a fine line that is drawn between a winning attitude and a bad attitude.  As a winner in baseball or another sport you may have bragging rights but an over inflated ego that leads you to put down your opponent in an offensive, egotistical matter shows one as a bore

The other evening the Babe Ruth baseball team my grandson plays on lost a game to another youth baseball team that has been having an excellent season. The players on the other Babe Ruth team are skilled baseball players and overall the team appears to do a good job of backing up and encouraging the players on their team.  In the last inning our team came up on the short end by 2 points.

During the baseball game our players supported each other during offense and defense. The boys believed in themselves and they believed that they could win. Yes, the scoreboard showed them the loser but their attitude during the game kept the score tight and they were able to walk away maintaining their pride. While disappointed with the loss they had played a fine game.  We were proud of our players for they went up against a tough team and played a great game. The boys had indeed exhibited a winning attitude even in defeat.

At the end of that game a boy from the winning team came up to one of our players and said, “You guys are worse than _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.” (The team name is left out for giving it serves no purpose.) Unfortunately this was not the first time that I have heard that pompous attitude from a player or a coach. When I hear such a comment it makes it difficult to respect a player, coach or team regardless of how well they play.

Another time we were at a baseball game where the players were larger and older than the players on our team. Walking across the field a couple of the boys on the older team boasted, “We are going to pound you little squirts into the ground.” Let me tell you, those little squirts went in there as the underdog in size and age, continually encouraged each other while playing to the best of their ability. I am sure I do not need to tell you who got pounded into the ground but I will give you a hint, it was not the little squirts.

As each of you thinks back I am sure that you can think of a number of circumstances where during, before or following a game you witnessed a lack of sportsmanship or misguided sportsmanship or boasting and it would be great for you to share your stories.  At times those doing the bragging or showing the lack of sportsmanship may have been the winner on the scoreboard yet in the minds of those around them they were seen as a bore and not a winner.

~Terry W~