It's That Time Of Year

School has not quite ended even though graduation was held around the area for most high schools Saturday.  Teachers still have work days to complete their contracts.Since we are near the end you hear of the Bernie Capps retirement, Alan Hess getting a head job in football in Indiana.  I heave heard a rumor for more than a month of a bombshell of a rumor that if it is true we should hear in the next few days.  It is not about anyone in our area now.

UNC is headed to Omaha.  I thought that the Tar Heels were going to have their hands full with Stanford but the Heels win two straight.  Mike Fox's mother death last weekend I think that sometimes teams find motivation from places that you would never expect.

I have had the pleasure several times to be near Mike Fox over the years and quite frankly I can not find anything that I don't like about him.  I may have told this story in the past about my first meeting with him.

My son Brooks attended a baseball camp at Wesleyan while Mike was coach there.  Always on Friday afternoons parents were invited to come watch their children play in a quickie tournament.  A pitcher and catcher from Wesleyan did all the pitching and catching and all the players were divided  into teams of four.

When batting you got one swing and the games lasted 20 minutes each maybe.  If I remember you played every team once so you might play four or five games in a matter of two or three hours. I thought after watching the first round of games that Brook's team was as good as any.

During the second game the lad that played first base on Brook's team slapped another team mate right in front of every parent and Mike was supervising the games from behind the catcher  walked over to the  young man and grab him behind his neck and marched him over to where every parent was seated and told him to sit there until they were finished and to not move a muscle.  I had thought  he is probably going to kill him right in front of every body.

Now a man short I don't think Brook's team won any other game that afternoon. When it was all over he gather all the players up like a coach does and with parents listening and thank them for being at the camp and he used it the moment to teach them about being good team mates and oh by the way that young man was still seated where Mike had told him not to move from.

Mike after all the other players started packing up went over to the young  man and I think probably they had a private discussion  which I am sure will last with that young man the rest of his life.  I shook Mike's hand and thanked  him  for the teaching moment that he had given the players and the parents.

Since Mike Fox has moved on to North Carolina I have not seen or heard anything that would make me think that his methods of teaching are any different today than back then.   Most of you know I pull for the Wolf Pack but when they are not playing I will pulled for every other local team.  I sure would love for Mike Fox to bring that Plaque home to Chapel Hill as NCAA CHAMPS..

We All Need To Serve

There was an article in Sunday's Telegram talking about parents and Grandparents who follow after their children on the ball field.  The hard core parents have traveled thousands of miles on weekends  and during the week in the endeavor.

Along the way I run across some very dedicated people who support other families as well as their own.  Wednesday night walking out of the ball park I talked with Bill Reece who follows his grand son through out his athletic life whether it has been on a little league field, Babe Ruth or at Northern Nash.  He was there  without a grandson on the field he was there just to enjoy the game.

Baseball despite what all the expert analyzers say is a very good sport to socialize.  You can sit beside someone and talk between pitches and not worry about the first row standing up which leads to everyone else having to stand just to see.

You can get just as high on a ball game as any drug made and the consequence after the game is the enjoyment of talking about it to others that were not there.  Whether alcohol or drugs there is a point that you need it again where as I can talk about last night's game for three days until I can get to another one.   Baseball is a good habit to have.

Up in the press box I keep a score book, run the scoreboard and announce player names.  Every time I pronounce a players name wrong  every mother knows I did and tell me about it most of the time. When I came down from the box Wednesday Bill was right there when I started walking and we had a nice conversation heading to our cars.  You know at Nash Central it is a rather long walk.

Bill always thanks me for supporting our kids and he said to me that he heard a  visiting parent say the other night about the Rocky Mount PA man.  I thought as he was saying, this oh boy here it comes  somebody ripped me about something I said about their child.'

"I don't know what church the PA man preaches at but when you come to a Post 58 games he prays better than any one else".

I don't know if I ever received a better compliment in my life.  Unlike the  school system where they are scared to say anything that might insult someone on any issue they stay in the middle which upsets everyone.   The American Legion believes God comes first.  Not only is there  a prayer before the game but each and every player pledges to be good sports while they play the game. 

I think this is my sixth year as the PA man for Legion ball.  It makes life simpler for the PA man to pray while introducing the players.  It is a tall  order to walk up to the top of the football stands  pray and then head back down.  Most need to catch their breath when they make it to the top. 

I enjoy sports so it is not a drudgery for me to sit in the press box not only be a part of  the game but enjoy the action as it unfolds.  To be able to think some words that I might have said that came from my heart actually may have helped someone else at that moment makes it all worth while.

We all need regardless of what Faith you claim to serve.  I have been asked many times in my life why do you do it.  I do it because there is enjoyment  and a high  you receive being around others.  The old saying "It is better to give than receive".  There is so much satisfaction in giving.  There is a line in the Jaycee's  Creed  that says.  Service to Humanity is the best work of life.

See ya at a ball game !