Life IS Sport

Life Keeps Score

A few nights ago, I took my wife and son out for dinner at our favorite neighborhood burger joint and during our meal, some friends of ours walked in with their two kids. After exchanging pleasantries, our friends little boy came over and said, "I played baseball today but we don't keep score." Now my friends little boy is just repeating what he has been told by his coach but this really irritated me.

This statement took me back twelve years to the YMCA soccer fields where as a college sophmore, I coached 5-6 year olds. I will never forget the coaches orientation meeting where it was explained that in the 5-6 year old league, the score would not be kept.

What?! I immediately asked why. I can't remember the answer in its entirety because I was truly in shock but it contained the most politically correct, mamby pamby, neurotic philosophical phrase ever attributed to sports..."we want the kids to know they are all winners, there are no losers."

Sooooo, why do you keep score in the next division up? Something drastically changes in one to two years to where a kid can process the score and losing? BAAAUUUHHH! We are sending mixed signals to kids and I believe the first one you send is the one that sticks.

This kind of rule is why we have a generation of young people entering the work force and the real world with a sense of entitlement only to have their world view and psyche shattered when someone else gets the promotion and there aren't any orange slices in a tupperware dish to console you. Look, one of the most valuable lessons a person should learn is that you will lose or fail in the course of your life and that how you respond to losing or failure is the key to success.

I rebelled and huddled my team together in the middle of the field after each goal, whether for or against, and let them know what the score was. I will never forget the faces of those prescious little kids. At that tender age, they were motivated when we were behind, happy when we won and sad when we lost. The best teaching comes after failure and they responded when I told them " ...keep their chins up, I am proud of you. You did your best and we will win the next one."

The bottome line is, there are winners and losers in life and winners lose and losers win. Losing does not have to define you, it should refine you.

He walked his talk

Yesterday was Jackie Robinson Day in baseball, marking the 60th Anniversary of Robinson's Major League debut.

To this point in my life, I have not read or watched much on Robinson's career and life but leading up to this weekend, I dove into everything I could get to and I am glad I did. As a father of a biracial son, Jackie Robinson means alot more to me now.

Most of the coverage focused on Robinson's revolutionary impact on civil rights but I was moved more by the accounts of his attributes, actions and one powerful quote.

By all accounts, Jackie Robinson was kind and humble man who at the height of his career became a pen pal to a young boy in Milwaukee and stayed in touch until his death. Robinson also exemplified dignity while practicing the Biblical command of "turning the other cheek". This principle is scarce in an age where professional athletes choke their coaches, punch cameramen and brawl with the fans.

Today's professional athletes have no idea what Robinson had to endure and they would do themselves a service by learning more about the man and emulating his character and actions.

It was the following quote by Robinson that affected me the most. "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."

Beyond its simplistic yet powerful wisdom, this quote reveals the humility and perspective of an ordinary man who, thrust into extraordinarily difficult circumstances, faced the challenge courageously and became a great man and a legendary leader.

You don't have to be powerful, rich or famous to have an impact in your world so may these words from Jackie Robinson inspire us all to love more people and make a difference in others lives.

Reporting from Augusta

I was privileged to make my fifth trip to the hallowed grounds of Augusta National this week with three of my closest friends in the world. Gabe, Brad & Jeff. We have all been multiple times but agreed that this experience is one that never gets old. Here are a few memories and observations from our time in Augusta.

Augusta actually smells like a giant bag of Spring scented potpourri.

Every time I enter the course I have a "Field of Dreams " moment and ask, "Is this heaven?" No Coleman, its the Masters.

If you have never been, believe me when I tell you the fairways look like carpet and you could putt on them.

We snorted enough pollen to make Keith Richards jealous.

The four of us consumed over 20,000 calories of food and beverages for under twenty bucks...combined!

There is no other place in the world where you can actually enjoy a cold sandwich than the Masters.

We spent most of the day sunning ourselves like stuffed walruses in our front row, bunker side seats at the par three 16th.

Speaking of walruses, I thought Fuzzy Zoeller had the biggest gut of the day until Craig Stadler waddled by. Seriously, how does he swing? View this photo

The tradition of skipping shots across the pond onto the green at 16 has to be the most fun tradition in all of golf. Here is an extra BOOOOHHHHH to all of the pros who only take one shot at it and if they don't get across, they quit.

Vijay Singh skipped his shot so hard his ball hit the water once and then traveled across the green 3 inches off the ground, hitting a guy in the knee at warp speed. It is the only time I have ever seen Vijay smile.

My favorite moment was when some fat old rich guy (who looked like a supporting actor from the Sopranos) that got to play a practice round with former winner Sandy Lyle, hit the slice of the century off the 6th tee into the gallery at the 16th green. He never came over to get the ball.

It never ceases to amaze me how close the gallery is to these players. Forget the pressure of trying to win. How about the pressure to never shank a line drive into the crowd? If I played with people that close to me I would go to jail for involuntary manslaughter.

Best Dressed. Johan Edfors hands down. I had barely heard of the guy and had never seen him play but he looked good on the practice green sporting a brown military hat with a gold Puma logo, brown shirt and pants with gold Puma shoes. What can brown do for you? Nothin. If I wore that outfit I would look like a UPS driver who stole Michael Johnson's track shoes. View this photo

Worst dressed. Henrik Stenson. I felt bad for him because it looked like he dried his pants on high heat, REAL snug with the 50's era high water effect. Kinda reminded me of the big kid in 6th grade who grew a ton in the Summer but his mom didn't buy him new pants for school.

Finally, The Masters will never be the same without Arnie and Jack out on the course.