By
Steve Kallas (posted by Rick Morris)
So,
what do we take away from the brilliant career of Derek Jeter as it relates to
youth sports? Well, here are a couple of
quotes from Jeter’s Yankee Stadium press conference before his final home game
on Thursday, September 25, 2014.
After
admitting that many players have more talent than he has, Derek Jeter said, “I
don’t think anyone played harder. I
don’t. Maybe just as hard.” Later, he said, “Every single day I went out
I tried to have respect for the game and play it as hard as I possibly could.”
For
you big-time, old-time Yankee fans, Jeter’s quotes are a reminder of a quote
from one of the greatest ball players ever:
Joe DiMaggio. When asked, towards
the end of his great career, about why he played so hard in a meaningless game,
DiMaggio said, “Because there is always some kid who may be seeing me for the
first time. I owe him my best.”
SO,
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR YOUNG ATHLETES OF TODAY?
Well,
in a world where many players think it’s optional to run hard to first or where
some players think it’s cool to stand at home and admire a ball they hit (which
may or may not go out), it means that right from wrong dictates that you play
hard all the time, that you always respect the game, that you never give up.
For
Derek Jeter, it was never all about the “Flip” play, or Mr. November, or being
number six on the all-time hits list, or even about five rings. For Derek Jeter, it’s about playing hard,
respecting the game and never giving up.
THAT’S what young people should take away from the career of Derek
Jeter.
And
that’s what you parents should impress upon your young children about the
career of Derek Jeter.
In
a world where most athletes try and make the game about themselves and try to
draw attention to themselves, it was Derek Jeter who deflected the attention
and only wanted to do one thing: help his team win. And, by playing hard, by respecting the game,
and by never giving up, that’s exactly what he did for 20 years.
In
the look-at-me 21st Century, thank goodness we all got a chance to
watch Derek Jeter play baseball.
@
COPYRIGHT 2014 BY STEVE KALLAS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED