My First Lesson Learned in Little League

My First Lesson Learned in Little League
(This is a draft of the first chapter of my book, tentatively titled, "Life Lessons Learned in Little League")
My first formal competitive team was the Baytown, TX East Little League Gators. Mr. Warren and Mr. Donnelly were my coaches. They were excellent for teaching young, beginning hardballers. I also have to give credit to my dad. He played pitch with me. He hit grounders to me. He made sure I was ready for tryouts. I could not have had a better beginning to my athletic career. The very first lesson Mr. Warren taught us and Dad reemphasized was to hustle. Not just some of the time, but whenever practicing or competing. Run on and off of the field between innings. Run out grounders. Give your all. When you are practicing, don't cut corners.
These are lessons that stuck with me thoughout my athletic career. I was not blessed with the greatest of natural abilities. I was, however, blessed with some generally decent skills and a good brain. And I was taught to hustle. Hustle was the edge that allowed me to be considered a better than average athlete at the sports I tried. I didn't run the fastest or throw the hardest nor was I the best hitter. No, I wasn't a superstar but I was a vital cog on almost every team in every sport that I played. Did I have the greatest skills? Again no, but due to my hustle, I made up for it.
How does this first lesson that Dad and Mr. Warren taught become a Life Lesson? I thought back on the roller coaster that has been my adult life. There have been times in my life that I was on top of the world, with bosses and co-workers telling me that the world was mine for the taking. There have been other times when I struggled in my career and in my life. It was during a time of struggle that I was searching for answers as to why sometimes everything seems to come so easy for me and at other times, I felt like an incompetent fool.
It was actually when I had to release (fire) a temporary employee at work, that it hit me. The worker asked why he was being let go. I gave the standard speech that he was a temp and we just no longer needed him. He knew better and continued to push as to the reason for his release. He was smarter than our average temp. He had started out impressively and was a quick learner. Unfortunately for his job assignment, he stopped putting in an effort. He was just going through the motions. In other words, he quit hustling.
It was then that I remembered something that happened to me a few years ago that showed me how hustling was an important necessity in all parts of my life, not just in my sporting life. I was hired by a retail operation that was opening a new store. As we were going through the set up process, I got a reputation as someone who worked my tail off all day long and someone who could get the job done. One day, one of the building contractors who was still working on the store gave me a compliment that really did wonders for me. He told me I was going to be someone special whether for this company or for another if this job didn't work out. I asked him why he thought that. He response was simple but powerful. "You bust your tail. You work like you care."
During that time of reflection, I realized that I had the most success in my life when I hustled. I had success when I worked my tail off. I had success at things in which I might not be the most talented, but because I hustled.
Hustle will overcome deficiencies. Hustle wil get you past those that may have more natural talent. Hustle will get you noticed. Hustle when you don't think anyone is watching. Hustle when you are "practicing" and it will make it easier to hustle when you are playing the "game."
There are many lessons that I learned playing Little League baseball. Many that could have a great impact on your life. But if there is nothing else that I can pass on to you to help you to get a leg up in this world, it would be to HUSTLE!
Keep Smiling!!

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