Great Example Of Sportsmanship Shown In Local Little League Game

Edmonson Voice Sports
Little League sports don't usually make the news unless an amazing feat has been accomplished or a big tournament championship has been claimed, but sometimes it's the small things that people need to know about.

It's important to note that the folks in charge of our local Parks and Rec and members of the Baseball/Softball Board are doing a great job of putting our kids first. That's not always been the case here, but over the last few years, there have been major improvements to our local programs. 
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​There are always going to be coaches that selfishly choose to live vicariously through their children and team members and will do whatever it takes to win, no matter what, how, or why. However; that wasn't the case during a local game last night. 

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This particular game was 3/4 of the way through, according to the time limit, and the winning team was ahead by a huge margin. Within the allowed time left, it was almost impossible for the losing team to come back and win. The winning team was at bat and continued to draw walks from the opposing pitcher, who was tired and having a difficult time throwing strikes. 

The defensive team really had no other pitching option at this point and was forced to rely on a very tired pitcher that had put forth an amazing physical and mental effort. After a few more runs were walked in and the 7th or 8th straight batter had reached base, the winning team decided to step up their game in a unique way.

In this particular league, if a base runner leaves the base before the ball leaves the pitcher's hand, the runner is out. The coaches of the offense could see that the opposing pitcher was exhausted and ordered their base runners to leave the bases before the ball left the pitcher's hand, resulting in the outs needed to end the inning.
​The losing team was able to bat again, reaching base and scoring some runs. Yes, they lost, but it wasn't a blowout, and both teams ended the game with smiles.

​We won't name the coaches, league, or teams in last night's game, as it doesn't matter. What matters is all coaches should follow this example and try to practice this idea when possible.

The head coach said, "Why take a kid who's having a rough time and beat them down into the ground? We're supposed to be teaching these kids how to play, not just how to win." 

Twenty years from now, it's doubtful anyone will ever remember the score of last night's game, or who got a hit, or who struck out or walked. It's very likely, however, that someone will remember a solid act of sportsmanship that helped the game end on a positive note.