Before any game begins, an umpire must utter the famous words “Play Ball!”
The definition of play is defined as “engaged in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.”
We are told to play with a ball. Play the game and have fun.
It doesn’t matter the level that you eventually play at. Careers are usually ended with the phrase, “I just wasn’t having fun anymore.”
That level of fun can sometimes be determined by our successes and failures. We obviously have more fun when we are finding success. But the idea of playing and having fun needs to remain a fixture in all ballplayer’s minds and hearts.
We play shortstop. We play first baseball. We play centerfield.
We don’t work shortstop. We don’t work first base. We don’t work centerfield.
Play leads to fun and fun usually leads to increased success. Whenever we enter any situation looking to have fun, the results are usually improved.
Yes – there will be times when the game will beat you up and take some of the fun away from you. There will be times when it is more difficult. But we need to remember that we are playing a game.
Never forget to have fun on a baseball field.
Your career is often too quick to spend anytime dreading the negative. The best who have ever played this game looked like they were enjoying the game and that enjoyment turned into a love.
I hope you will always remember the words uttered by every umpire and instill that level of play into this game.
Go out and play –
Until Next Time,