Tue, Nov 10 2009
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Published July 23, 2008 09:47 pm - In sports, winning and losing is inevitable. It's the nature of the beast. A Bob Ettinger column: How they played the game Teams won, lost with class in tournament BOB ETTINGER Star Beacon In sports, winning and losing is inevitable. It's the nature of the beast.
Scores are kept and statistics are recorded. We hail the victors and feel for those on the wrong end of the final score. The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat and all that. But winning and losing is not all that sports is. That's especially true when it comes to sports where our young people are concerned. You see, sports is a great opportunity to teach. Of course, success and the strive for is important. But it goes far deeper than that. In getting caught up in the result, we forget that our young athletes can learn skills that are far more important than how to win or lose. We forget that some things, like losing and winning with class, learning teamwork, how to be a team player and being a good sport is important in every day life. Attributes, I myself, learned from playing football and baseball for my dad and a number of other coaches along the way, and still use every day whether I'm on the job or picking up a glove for a slow-pitch softball game. There are some, and thankfully, they are leaders of young people, that haven't forgotten those lessons. As a sports writer, I can get to be extremely cynical at times. It's the nature of having to sit and observe and to ask questions. But this weekend, while watching the action at the 2008 Ohio Jaguars Summer Showcase, I was treated to some very good examples of people that haven't forgotten those simple things. I witnessed Ohio Jaguars manager Scott Francis with his team, the 18-and-under Ohio Jaguars. In the championship game, the Jaguars were on the wrong end of a 1-0 score and were scratching and clawing for every base runner they could get. In one inning, they had two runners reach base and a third, Jenn Tennant, laid down a beautiful bunt, attempting to move the runners. The bunt was so good, the Tri-County Hurricanes had no play on her and she was safe at first. But it was ruled that Tennant had been hit by the ball in fair territory. She was called out and the runners sent back to their original bases. The play, controversial at the time because of the tight score, could well have cost the Jaguars a run in the inning. But instead of raising a fuss, Francis calmly talked to the umpires about what they saw and what they ruled. His team, though upset, said very little. The call stood. But instead of offering that as an excuse after the loss, by that 1-0 count, Francis never mentioned it. He never asked, "what if ?" His players, disgusted with the loss, put the blame on themselves and talked of how they didn't make good on their opportunities. They gave credit to the Hurricanes for the win. Francis set an example. His players followed. 
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