"A man has to have goals - for a day, for a lifetime - and that was mine, to have people say, 'There goes Ted Williams, the greatest hitter who ever lived.'" - Ted Williams

"Well, boys, it's a round ball and a round bat and you got to hit the ball square."  - Joe Schultz

The reporter asked him:  'Why did you play so hard?'

"Because there might have been somebody in the stands today who'd never seen me play before, and might never see me again."  - Joe DiMaggio 

"Every day is a new opportunity.  You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again.  That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is." - Bob Feller

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Honor The Game this season

ROOTS of Positive Play

Courtesy of www.positivecoach.org

R is for Rules
Rules allow us to keep the game fair. If we win by ignoring or violating the rules, what is the value of our victory?

O is for Opponents
Without an opponent, there would be no competition. Rather than demeaning a strong opponent, we need to honor strong opponents because they challenge us to do our best. Coaches showing respect for opposing coaches and players sets the tone for the rest of the team.

O is for Officials
Respecting officials, even when we disagree with their calls, may be the toughest part of Honoring the Game. We must remember that officials are not perfect (just like coaches, athletes and parents!).

T is for Teammates
It's easy for young athletes to think solely about their own performance, but we want athletes to realize that being part of a team requires thinking about and respecting one's teammates.

S is for Self
Athletes should be encouraged to live up to their own highest personal standard of Honoring the Game, even when their opponents are not.

Alone At The Plate

He pulls on a helmet, picks up the bat,

and walks to the plate, "gotta hit and that's that."

The crowd starts to yell, the game's on the line,

last inning, two outs, the score's nine to nine.

Dad yells, "Go get it," Mom wrings her hands,

coach hollers, "hit it," but alone there he stands.

Heros are made in seconds such as this,

but he's just a little boy, what if he should miss?

Years after this game's ended and he's little no more,

will he remember the outcome or even the score?

No he'll have forgotten if he was out, hit, or a run,

he'll only look back on his friends and the fun.

So cheer this boy on, alone with his fate;

help him remember with fondness this stand at the plate.

Spend your time wisely and help in his quest

to be a hitter with confidence and always his best.

And when the game's over, this boy can stand tall,

for you've helped him prepare to give it his all!

Algonquin Area Youth Organization (A.A.Y.O.)

Baseball/Softball

P.O. Box 265

Algonquin, Illinois 60102

  

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