Adults often make the mistake of prematurely-judging
young people as to what profession it looks like they will eventually be
involved in. Little Amy struggles in math but becomes a scientist. Little
Johnny repeatedly fails his Friday spelling tests and morphs into a successful
non-fiction novel author. I was getting C’s in math until the eighth grade when
my teacher helped me make sense of it all and finished two years of college
calculus. Born in The Netherlands, I struggled with English writing. I have six
published books to date and I’m writing blogs.
Experienced adults have learned not to
judge a book by its cover when it comes to youth. There may be some occasional “indicators,”
but they know young people will surprise you and often prove you wrong.
Coach Wooden was no exception. Bill
Walton was one of UCLA’s all-time most valuable players and it was relatively safe
for Coach Wooden to predict he would become one of the NBA’s greats. But when,
after the NBA, Walton decided to become a television basketball commentator, it
surprised many he became one of the best, considering throughout college and
well into the pros, Bill had a stuttering issue. But Coach Wooden was not
surprised at all.
During a UCLA player reunion, when
Coach was asked by the MC, “Are you surprised Bill Walton became a commentator?,
he responded, “As many of us know, Bill stuttered quite a bit when at UCLA, so
much so, he refused to get in front of a camera for interviews. I am not
surprised, knowing Bill, he overcame this difficulty. But now we can’t shut him
up.”
The Game of Life
Swen Nater
The Little League game was about to
begin,
On a perfectly, wonderful day.
One team sprinted out
With a spirited shout,
For the boys were excited to play.
As their coach saw the field, with
his players in place,
A vision took over his sight.
Each Little League lad
Grew the age of a dad,
Complete with the beard and the
height.
His pitcher, an artist, composed to
create
On a canvas awaiting and bare.
His stroke on the ball
Made it spin and then fall
When it curved and it carved through
the air.
His catcher, a general, positioned in
place,
Was leading the rest of the pack.
On his signal and sign,
They joined to combine,
With a quick and successful attack.
His shortstop, a surgeon, whose
quickness and skill,
When it seemed as though death cast its
fate,
On the double, he caught,
What the grave almost got,
And threw lifelessness out at the
plate.
His outfield consisted of no lesser
men:
Three statesmen with not one
reproach.
On third was a preacher,
And on second, a teacher,
On first was a Little League
coach.
As the vision grew fainter, the coach
stopped and thought.
The epiphany cut like a knife.
Baseball was more
Than a game and a score;
It was practice for the game of life.
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