Two years ago, my sons Lincoln and Charlie joined our town's spring baseball league, a big deal with 12 teams.
We entered the playoffs as the 10th seed, with no expectations of making a run.
Yet, we defied the odds, advancing through upset after upset until we found ourselves in the semifinals against the top-seeded team. This team had the league's three best players, coached by their fathers, and had been undefeated for the past three seasons.
For a mental image of their team – think the Yankees in "The Bad News Bears."
The games are six innings long, with a cap of five runs per inning. By the bottom of the fifth, we were down 8-2. With our backs against the wall, we scored five runs, closing the gap to 8-7. Just as the momentum had turned, the opposing coach halted the game.
To our shock, the league commissioner arrived to inspect my son Charlie's bat to determine if it was legal or had too much "oomph." More oomph? I didn't even know that was a thing. They accused us of intentionally using an illegal bat. What?
Charlie was only seven years old. I was furious. It seemed absurd that we were being scrutinized over something as trivial as a child's bat, especially when the other team had been ahead by six runs just an inning earlier. If the concern was about fairness and safety, why hadn't this been addressed sooner?
Ultimately, we lost 8-7, but the real lesson came afterward. At the handshake line, I confronted the coach in front of the whole town, questioning the fairness of the situation. It got heated – really heated. Looking back, it probably wasn't a good look for either of us. I did more than just raise my voice...
In the end, it's not about winning or losing but how we handle the challenges we face. Little league baseball should be about teaching kids’ sportsmanship, enjoying the game, and building character.
The accusations and drama surrounding a seven-year-old's bat were a stark reminder that sometimes, what matters most is how we conduct ourselves in the face of adversity.
