The Last Two Innings

While listening to a sports show a few days ago, I learned about Willie Mays’ upbringing. As some of you might have heard, the Hall of Fame baseball player passed away on June 18 at the age of 93.

In the interview, Mays discussed how he developed his love for the game of baseball …

“You know … when I was a little boy, my father did everything possible to get me in the game. Although I was very young, he convinced the adult players that I should play the last two innings of every game. This opportunity is all I needed to get my start as a baseball player.”

From a personal level, this is a wonderful story about how a father introduced his son to America’s pastime.

However, I believe there is a bigger message here that gives us all an opportunity to benefit.

Getting in the Game

As parents, we work hard to help our children succeed. We run them around town to sports events, dance competitions, and we even take them to countless birthday parties.

We want to make sure that our kids have every opportunity to succeed, and making sacrifices is part of the game.

I know of some parents here in San Antonio who travel to all parts of the United States just so their kids can participate in club sports competitions, such as soccer and volleyball.

One friend shared with me that they recently participated in a volleyball tournament held in Orlando, Florida. While he was concerned about the investments in time and money, he wanted to do as much as possible for his teenage daughter to improve her skills and possibly compete for a college scholarship.

A university student from Seattle shared with me that some parents are making the decision to move from Washington to Texas. They’ve heard that football is king in Texas, and they want their boys to have every possible advantage.

Keep it Going

Unfortunately, it seems to me that helping others is often limited to our kids. Wouldn’t it be nice if we went the extra mile to help others as well, such as other family members, friends, colleagues, and even total strangers?

From my 30+ years in the workforce, I’ve learned that there is too much of the “Us vs. Them” mentality. There is a feeling that helping other people succeed will somehow prevent us from advancing.

Yet … the leadership research indicates just the opposite. The literature is clear that when we help others do well in their careers, we will also reap the benefits.

When we give someone a chance to participate, they will eventually gain the skills and confidence to perform well. Most people, just like the young Willie Mays, are merely looking for the opportunity to be part of the team.

The beautiful part about this story is that it does not matter what we have done in the past.

The fact is that we can start today to show kindness to others, and before long, we might just become superstars.

Homework Inquiry

During the next week, here’s your homework inquiry: How will you reach out and lend a hand to someone?