The Little League Field. It was the pride of our little community. The best little league stadium and field in the state. Hundreds of community volunteers worked all year around, but especially in early spring and throughout the summer to guarantee that the stadium and the field were in the best shape possible. Sports photographers from all over the state would come by and take pictures. The outfield grass looked like my neighbor’s perfect front lawn, no weeds, no bare spots, it was a perfect carpet of grass. The infield was carefully manicured. The dark orange clay base of the base pads would shine through the top layer of light tan dirt when the setting sun hit it in the early evening. It had a grass infield which was not common for little league fields and a ball hit in the infield never took a bad bounce. The green outfield fence recognized all the local businesses that either sponsored teams or donated materials. One sign said hit it here and win a pig. I never could figure out why anyone would want a pig. The centerfield scoreboard was huge. It contained the league standings and kept all up to date on the score of the current game. Volunteers worked the centerfield scoreboard. Volunteers worked upstairs in the two story building behind home plate announcing the game, keeping the scorebooks, playing music before the game and between innings, and turning on the stadium lights when it began to get dark. On the first floor of the building was the concession stand always run by the team moms. It had the best popcorn in the world. On one side of the building were the pictures of the current teams with coaches and players, all smiling and all full of hope. The green spectator stands went down each baseline to the beginning of the outfield. They were always full of our sisters, brothers, parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and plenty of people from our community who didn’t have children playing.
There were 3 state championship flags in centerfield and we were hoping to add another one this year. It was time for All-Star season that summer. Coaches George, Rusty, and Cliff had taken time off their jobs and even vacation time to work with us. We were with them more than our parents those wonderful few weeks. They worked us twice a day for two weeks to prepare for our first tournament game. One loss and you are out, you had to play each game perfectly. Their guidance paid off. Four wins later we were leaving for the state tournament from the parking lot at our little league field. Our parents dropped us off and we put our suitcases in the cars of those who were going to drive us to Beckley. We hugged our parents and said good bye. They said they would see us tomorrow at the game.
The 5 cars loaded with 14 twelve year olds pulled out of the parking lot. Don, Danny, Tony, and I were riding with Coach George. The other guys on our All-Star team were riding with Coach Rusty and Coach Cliff and a couple of parent volunteers. We loved Coach George even though he was tough on us. We all knew he had been a US Marine. We had so much respect for him. After a few minutes in the car, he asked, “So, are you guys excited about starting junior high school after Labor Day?”
We weren’t really thinking about school at that point in the summer, but honestly we were all a bit nervous about starting the 7th grade but only Danny was willing to admit it to Coach. Coach knew we were all nervous. He asked us why we were nervous.
Danny replied, “Well Coach, we’ll be at the high school buildings with older kids and the classes will be harder.”
Coach responded to Danny but we knew that he was talking to all of us. “You guys have learned so much this summer about listening, hard work, sacrifice, the importance of team, learning from mistakes, taking responsibility, and giving 100% effort. This is what will make you guys successful next year and in the future. I know this for a fact, you guys are ready.”
That made us feel pretty good. All of our coaches treated us like their own sons and taught us like their own sons. We not only learned baseball that summer, we learned lifelong skills. We started talking among ourselves about starting junior high. About an hour into the drive, Coach George asked, “You guys want to hear my music or your music on this trip?”
“Our music!” We all shouted in unison. He turned the radio to WKEE.
“Wild Thing” by the Troggs came on immediately. “Turn it up Coach!” We all yelled and all 4 of us in the car started singing at the top of our lungs. “Wild thing, I think I love you!” Coach George just shook his head and laughed out loud. By the end of the song he was singing with us. We were 12 years old and having the time of our lives.
We arrived in Beckley and met the local families we would stay with during the tournament. The next day when we started arriving at the ballpark, we were all shocked at the size of the crowd. It looked like more than half of our home town had made the trip to see us play. We couldn’t and didn’t let them down. We beat the host Beckley team and the next day we played Martinsburg in the state championship. I think all of our home town was there for the championship game. We won the game by one run and brought home our 4th state championship in 7 years.
When we arrived back home the next day we all met at the little field and it was packed with so many people from the community. Coach George spoke to us. “You guys have so much to be proud of and you need to celebrate. We are so very proud of you. But, remember this. This is important. At some point in the future, you need to thank all the people who helped get you here. People like your Dad and Mom and the rest of your family, your coaches, those that followed you to all your tournament games, those that ran the concession stand and worked on the field all year, and so many others. They sacrificed and gave so much to you so you can have this wonderful moment in your life, a moment you will never forget. So don’t forget to tell them thank you.”
Years later in the small town I that I called home, as President of the Little League I was asked to give a talk to our kids who had just won a state championship. I repeated the same speech that Coach George had given to us so many years before…
This short story is for my All-Star teammates and lifelong friends Tommy Jarrell, Paul Wilson, Randy Maynard, Kenny Hoback, Jimmy Hanlon, Jimmy Robertson, Dave Ransbottom, Tony Bocook, Gary Arthur, Roger Harless, Dane Moore, Danny Young, Don Money, and Tim McKenzie who learned so much about life that summer. It is also for our All-Star Coaches or life teachers George “Jug” Johnson, Charles “Rusty” Bash, and Cliff Young.
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