10/10/2025
For all those parents of youth baseball, let last night's ending to the Phillies/Dodgers be a lesson.
The game is hard. Arguably, the most difficult sport in the world to be consistently good at.
Beyond the mere physical skill aspect, the game is as much if not more mental than physical.
Last night, we saw a professional player in a high pressure moment allow the panic to set in and make a mistake.
He's being chastised by the fans, many of who enjoy the game but don't truly understand how difficult it is.
He was comforted by those around him who truly know the game.
The isolation and aloneness he must have felt in that moment must have been soul crushing.
We've seen multiple physical errors in these playoffs by the people at the top of this game.
The pro players have pressure from thousands who don't know them personally.
Your player can feel that same level of pressure from you because with you it's personal.
So the next time your 12 year old makes a bad throw, boots a grounder in the field or does something dumb on the bases, have some grace and patience and remember it's part of the game.
-Christopher Rice
📸 Yong Kim
