The Value of Hard Work

This weekend, I watched again a memorable movie that resonates in my mind when I think of breaking new ground, teamwork, commitment, and persistence.  This time, it was with my youngest daughter who had never seen the movie before.

"A League of Their Own" is an intriguing story about the formation of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPL) during World War II.  Professional men’s baseball paused while the players were pressed into war service.  The club owners - fearing a loss of revenue - formed a partnership to establish the AAGPL and recruited women from across the country to play in the Midwest.   

It was a long shot to pull it off, though, one that didn’t start out well.  Attendance at games was low as people were just so fixed on what defined a woman’s role at the time.  The league started out as a highly sexist, short-term venture (only during the war) to drive attendance and revenue.  But it was through the actual acceptance of these women as highly capable athletes that eventually drew crowds and interest. 

One of my favorite movie lines underscores the theme of the movie so well:  “If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.  It’s the hard that makes it great.”   The ability to see beyond the present and look into the possible is the wisdom in this simple phrase. 

In the movie, everyone is transformed by the experience - the league owners and general manager, the star player-turned-manager of the Rockford Peaches, and the fans.  In fact, the idea of women playing professional sports (or working in factories) transformed the perception of women around the world that opened up many opportunities to follow.

And this is what makes the movie a gem to watch with a teenage daughter to teach life lessons, or to watch again and refresh ourselves of the eternal value of hard work in tackling the unknown.