“Dad, are you mad?”
“Coop, mad? About what?”
“Well, you lost that radio contest, so I thought you might be mad.”
“Buddy, have you ever seen me mad?”
“Um, yeah Dad.”
“When?”
“Well, when Delaney and I fight or argue or I don’t make my bed or I don’t turn the light off in my room or I don’t clean up my Legos or the Cardinals bunt with a runner on second and nobody out in the first 7 innings of a game or … “
“Okay, okay, I get it. I might get “upset” from time to time, but I don’t get mad about losing a contest or a game or really anything (many friends and family are laughing at that last statement). I might be disappointed, sure, but mad, no, pal, I’m not mad.” (Note: I was a Finalist for a local sports radio contest, winner’s prize was to broadcast live from Jupiter, FL at the St Louis Cardinals Spring Training Facility. Yes, this is on the “Bucket List.”)
“Really? I get mad when I lose.”
“Come here dude, time for a Daddy Talk. This is a good teaching point for a 6-year old. Good for a 37-year old too.”
“Okay”
“Here’s the deal. Losing is a part of life slugger. Did you know that Babe Ruth struck out One Thousand Three Hundred and Thirty Times? That was the record for strikeouts when he stopped playing?”
“He did? I thought Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player of all time?”
“He is Cooper. The Babe also has the 2nd most career home runs behind Hank Aaron who himself struck out even more than the Great Bambino. (Note: We don’t recognize Barry Bond’s Career Home Run Total in our house). You see, “a swing and a miss” or “losing” is a part of life. There’s always going to be a winner and loser. In order to be a winner, you, also, need to know how to lose too. It’s just part of the game. The Cardinals play 162 games right? Do they win them all?”
“No Dad.”
“No Coop. Of course not. But, they give their best effort every game, though, right?”
“Well, I’ve heard you yell at the TV before and say “Guys, what are you doing? And then you say the Cardinals are acting like the 1919 Chicago White Sox, only you call them the Black Sox?”
“Okay, maybe sometimes, I get a little carried away, but that’s only in October, only in the playoffs, and only because I want them to win sooooo badly. But, you’re right, I shouldn’t yell at the TV. It’s not the Zenith’s fault. And, yes, they’re trying very hard to win. As for the 1919 Chicago White Sox, well, that’s a story for another day. Here’s the thing. Did I want to win the contest? Absolutely. Would it have been cool for the four of us to go to Spring Training? Yep times 11 Cardinals World Championships. Would I have been as excited as you are on Christmas morning to interview the Cardinal players? One Hundred Percent, yes, Cooper. But, someone else was better this time. There was another fan that won this game. Does that mean I’m disappointed? Sure. Anytime you want to win something, work hard to earn the prize that comes with winning, and it doesn’t work out, it’s okay to be disappointed, but there’s always a lesson to be learned.”
“What’s the lesson this time?”
“Well, I wasn’t sure until just now, but I think the lesson this time is to show you and your sister how to act after losing or missing out on something you really, really might want. The lesson is to congratulate the winner, realize there’s always another game, play that game again, and do even better next time. And, until that next time, practice, figure out how to be better, so that when that opportunity comes around again, you can win the game. Make sense?”
“So, you’re going to try again?”
“What would have happened if Babe Ruth would have stopped playing baseball each time he struck out?”
“You and I couldn’t have watched the Movie “Sandlot” that’s for sure…”
“Exactly, and Babe Ruth would have never hit all of those home runs.”
“714, right Dad?”
“Well done, Cooper, same as your birth weight, that’s a sign by the way… I’ll explain more on that some other time too”
“The point is, you’re going to strike out. Learn from the swings and misses. Figure out how to hit the ball on the sweet spot next time. Your turn will come back around, and the next time, knock it into James Earl Jones’ backyard. But, the key is to climb back in that box, and try again. Deal?”
“Deal Dad. Hey Dad, since you’re not mad, I just want to tell you that I spilled Orange Juice on your Catcher’s Mitt. But, I now learned to not drink Juice with your most favorite thing in the whole world. I’ll use my other hand next time. I’m not mad though… I’ll just do better next time. See, I’m already learning. Thanks Dad.”
Sincerely,
Dad of a Winner
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Jeff Smith is a Dad first, Coach second. A former Sportscaster and Play-by-Play Announcer, he lives to give his kids the true spirit of sports and a strong foundation as truly good people. No matter what his career path, his priority has always been clear: his family. This site has been lucky enough to have him writing his regular Daddy Diary since its inception.
To connect with Jeff, find him on Twitter.
For more of his incredible writing… read on:
Courage, Size 6: Lessons from the Sidelines
The True Rules of Soccer and Life
The Road to U.S. Citizenship: An American Perspective
A Coaching Philosophy to Live By
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