NOTHING LITTLE ABOUT LITTLE LEAGUE by Larry Stout
NOTHING LITTLE ABOUT LITTLE LEAGUE by Larry Stout 8/24/08
While staying in Riga, I am housed at a set of apartments owned by Stockholm School of Economics. They have a cable hookup which has three English channels – BBC (Basically Bad Communications), CNN (Communist News Network), and NASN (North American Sports Network). I am not kidding about the last one. It mostly features NFL pre-season games and major league baseball games, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they also covered the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. It amazed me that I was sitting in Riga, Latvia, and watching events taking place just eight miles from my home in PA.
Little League Baseball is a true American dream. It was started by a lumberyard clerk by the name of Carol Stotz in 1939, who got tired of the kids arguing on the sandlot by the yard and decided to organize the boys with adult supervision. He had to visit 56 merchants before he could find his first sponsor in order to buy uniforms and equipment. He kept developing his little “league,” eventually even starting a World Series in 1947. From those humble beginnings, Little League baseball is today played by over three million boys and girls in over 100 countries all over the world. What makes it so special is the worldwide tournament, where each local league takes its best players and forms them into a team that will compete for a trip to Williamsport. The complex there seats 40,000 spectators – and for many young boys and even a few girls, making it to the Little League World Series is their greatest dream. They know that just getting to Williamsport makes you a champion.
I believe that Little League is one of the best foundations in America for the building of leadership. In many cases, it is the first time that a young person learns about rules, standards, and obeying authority. They learn about winning and losing, and the meaning of sportsmanship. And they learn to dream. They learn that with vision and heart – sometimes the impossible becomes possible.
I watched those young ball players on television at my apartment, and I could see the excitement in their eyes. They were all proud to be there. They wanted to win, of course, but it was obvious they already saw themselves as winners. Even when they were far behind with little hope of catching up, they played their hearts out. And when the game ended, the players each shook hands and showed they mutually respected each other.
Personally, I cannot think of too many other activities that could better prepare a young boy and girl for their future than playing Little League Baseball. It’s much more than a game!
While staying in Riga, I am housed at a set of apartments owned by Stockholm School of Economics. They have a cable hookup which has three English channels – BBC (Basically Bad Communications), CNN (Communist News Network), and NASN (North American Sports Network). I am not kidding about the last one. It mostly features NFL pre-season games and major league baseball games, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that they also covered the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. It amazed me that I was sitting in Riga, Latvia, and watching events taking place just eight miles from my home in PA.
Little League Baseball is a true American dream. It was started by a lumberyard clerk by the name of Carol Stotz in 1939, who got tired of the kids arguing on the sandlot by the yard and decided to organize the boys with adult supervision. He had to visit 56 merchants before he could find his first sponsor in order to buy uniforms and equipment. He kept developing his little “league,” eventually even starting a World Series in 1947. From those humble beginnings, Little League baseball is today played by over three million boys and girls in over 100 countries all over the world. What makes it so special is the worldwide tournament, where each local league takes its best players and forms them into a team that will compete for a trip to Williamsport. The complex there seats 40,000 spectators – and for many young boys and even a few girls, making it to the Little League World Series is their greatest dream. They know that just getting to Williamsport makes you a champion.
I believe that Little League is one of the best foundations in America for the building of leadership. In many cases, it is the first time that a young person learns about rules, standards, and obeying authority. They learn about winning and losing, and the meaning of sportsmanship. And they learn to dream. They learn that with vision and heart – sometimes the impossible becomes possible.
I watched those young ball players on television at my apartment, and I could see the excitement in their eyes. They were all proud to be there. They wanted to win, of course, but it was obvious they already saw themselves as winners. Even when they were far behind with little hope of catching up, they played their hearts out. And when the game ended, the players each shook hands and showed they mutually respected each other.
Personally, I cannot think of too many other activities that could better prepare a young boy and girl for their future than playing Little League Baseball. It’s much more than a game!
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