Lesson for a Lifetime

 

 

I can remember it as if it were yesterday. I was 8 years old, and my mother had just signed me up for Little League.  I had just received my first baseball glove for Christmas and I haven’t used it yet. The first practice was at Legion field in Bridgewater MA. The field was located just behind the William Middle School, which was the school I was attending.  I was so excited I couldn’t stop talking, I remember my mother telling me” calm down”. The field was huge, with bleachers to either side of home base. The entire perimeter of the field was fenced in.  This was the first time I have ever been on a baseball field.  All the other kids were exhibiting the same enthusiasm that I was experiencing. There was a lot of screaming, yelling, and running going on. Before the practice even started I made a new friend. His name was Bobby Brady, he was a year older than me and missing a front tooth.  I always remember him because of the TV character on the Brady Bunch, and he was the best athlete on the field.

 My coach’s name was Mr. Pacheco. He was a giant of a man, probably 6’4 250 to 275 pounds. He had wild blond curly hair almost like straw, and crooked teeth. His hands were so big they were as large as my baseball glove. He had a very deep voice and at first yelled a lot, it seemed mostly at me. And I’m not ashamed to say I was petrified of him. But as I got to know him he was really just a big teddy bear, lot of bark and no bite. My biggest problem was I was afraid of the ball, come to think of it I was afraid of almost everything back then.  Whether   I was hitting or fielding, where ever the ball was going, I was going the other way. The first game I warmed the bench for the first four innings, but in the 5^th Coach put me in to bat. I could here in the background the cheers of my mother, and the coach yelling “stand in there, hang tough.” I was never so scared in my life, my knees were trembling and I thought I was going to throw up. I stepped into the batter’s box and look up at the pitcher, He looked like he was at least ten years old. He was much taller than I. And he threw hard and fast, I jump out of the batter’s box every pitch he threw, and I was called out on strikes. I walk back to the dugout with my head hanging low. I could hear my teammates laughing and making jokes about me as I entered. On the way home, that evening my mother asked me why am I so afraid of the ball. I told her I didn’t know, I just am. She told me in the best way she could. ”You know it’s a little embarrassing to see you jump out of the way of the ball all the time. It makes you look like a baby.” I told her I was sorry and I would try to do better. But what I was really feeling was, maybe she should stand there and let someone throw a ball right at her face, and see how it feels.

Two days later we had a practice in the morning, before the game that evening. Coach Pacheco told me to put on the catchers equipment. I told him I have never played as a catcher. He replied “all you have to do is catch the ball, now get in there”. I didn’t want to but I did. The equipment was heavy, the chest protector was cutting into my sides when I moved my arm. The helmet and face protector were also heavy and made it harder to see through. I put on the glove and it was lose on my hand, and I was sweating. The glove was much heavier than I was used to. But I was more concerned with being hit by the ball, or worse the bat. But to my amazement it wasn’t that bad. The first pitch nocked the glove right off my hand. I put the glove back on, this time twisting my fingers in tighter. Then the pitcher threw the ball and I caught it, I saw it all the way into the glove. I was starting to feel a little comfortable and confident.  And then it happened, a foul tip off the bat right to my shoulder. It stun me hard at first, a stinging from my shoulder to my chest. Next pitch was in the dirt, and then into my stomach, I heard the coach say. “Good block.” I wasn’t trying to block anything, it just hit me, and it didn’t hurt at all. I felt like I was getting the hang of this. Coach yelled to me from the bench “the balls not as scary anymore is it”. I replied no sir, though I wasn’t as confident as he was. Next was batting practice, while I was standing there waiting for my turn, coach turned to me and said. ”You played better today”. In my shy way I shrugged my shoulders and said yes. And I thought to myself, he was right I did play better today.  When I got up to bat, I didn’t hit the ball, but I also didn’t jump out of the batter’s box, and I keep my eyes open and even took a swing at the ball.

That night the sun was just starting to go down. I was feeling hungry and the smell of hamburgers and french fries was in the air. Like before I was warming the bench. It was the top of the fourth inning, we had runners on 2^nd and 3^rd base. I heard the coach yell out, “Brow get your helmet on, you’re on deck.” I went and got my helmet, and I was standing in the on deck circle while Bobby struck out. It made me feel better that he struck out, that way when I did I wouldn’t feel so bad. Next thing I here is the Umpire saying batter up. I steped into the box, my knees were once again shaking. First pitch went screamed right over my head, ball one. Second pitch also right over my head, ball two, I heard in the background the other coach telling the pitcher to slow down and just throw the ball over the plate, and my mother screaming. ” Come on Richie!” I took a step back out of the box, coach Pacheco told me “stand in there, if it looks good swing.” I could hear my mother and my teammates cheering me on. I think it was at that exact moment that I realized, that I wasn’t afraid anymore, and that I have nothing to fear. With the bat on my shoulder, I choked up on the bat. Adjusting my hands and tightening my grip. I stared toward the pitcher, watching him fig it with the ball. He looked annoyed that he threw away the first two balls. He went into his wined up and threw the ball. For the first time I could see the ball, I didn’t swing the bat that hard but it hit it right on the sweet spot. I ripped it between 1^st and 2^nd base. I was in such shock, I didn’t even run, I remember hearing the coach telling me to run. With all the parents and my teammate cheering, the only one I could here was my mother.” run Richie run, you did it, you did it!” The ball rolled all the way to the corner of right field. I was running as fast as I could, almost falling rounding 1^st base. I made it to 2^nd safely, and scored 2 runs. I looked over at my mother, she was on the sideline by 1^st base, and she look so proud jumping and clapping. Then the tears just started flowing, I had no control over them. I did it, I got a hit, and a double as a matter of fact. I didn’t have to stay out there for long, the next batter struck out.  We went on to win the game. It was a great day, a day that changed how a faced my fears for the rest of my life.

I wonder if Coach Pacheco new what a wonderful thing he did for me that day. He taught me to face my fears, to leap without looking, and to always believe in myself. I will be forever in his debt for that. Since that day I have never feared doing something new, or anything I was afraid of. It was a lesson that lasted a life time.