Playing Little League® growing up made my childhood really fun. It’s about getting on the field, playing with friends, learning the basics of the game, and realizing “Hey, I like playing this game.” That’s where the love of the game starts. That’s what sparks the drive to become great.
My husband coaches my daughters’ Little League teams, and my oldest daughter’s team made it to the state tournament a couple of years ago when she was 10. At that age, you can’t go to a Region tournament or to a World Series, so the State tournament is the highest point. Watching that run of games with them was not only a fun experience for the family, but it’s where my daughter started to realize that softball was something she wanted to play competitively. She pitched every game for her All-Star team, which comes with a little bit more pressure. One round after another, and they ended up coming second in the state. I still have the video on my phone of her after the game, she has her hands folded and tears streaming down her face right after the loss in the championship. The beauty of that moment is that yes, we want our kids to have fun, but if you have a love and passion for the game that will carry you to the next level, it is also okay to feel those emotions of the moment, and that is where competitors are built, in those moments of pressure and loss.
Confidence is built through preparation. It’s important to understand that they are playing a game of failure. It’s a really tough game. They are going to get out seven times out of 10. So, it’s about helping them stay levelheaded and feel both confident and mentally tough in moments of pressure, whether it’s on the pitching mound or in the batter’s box. It’s important to remind them that what they say to themselves in those moments really matters, especially in moments of failure and pressure. Kids are so quick to say something negative about their performance. When my girls do this, I ask them, “Can you control what you just did,” and the answer is always no. Don’t focus on the past. How are we being present and what comes next? That’s a hard switch for a kid to make in a game, so it’s just a constant reminder to keep putting in the work, stay positive, take a deep breath, and remember that you get to play this game. It’s an opportunity.
As a parent, opportunities will also pop up as your kid goes through the program. If you get to step into that coach role, whether it’s in the backyard or at a Little League game, it’s important to sometimes take the personal piece out of it and remember how hard the sport is. At the end of the day, this is not life or death. Growing up, especially at the college level, I did feel that pressure, so I try to remind them as a parent and coach the importance of this. I still love my kids the same, regardless of the outcome of the game. It’s all about focusing on attitude and effort. If we can control those two things, then every opportunity is another opportunity to learn and grow as a player, whether it’s hitting a game-winning home run or making an error when the game is on the line. It’s about having the perspective as a coach and parent that everything is about learning and growing. It’s not easy coaching your kids, but that perspective is everything, and if you believe it, so will they.
Compared to when I started playing, there is a lot more pressure to be great at an earlier age and to focus on one sport rather than playing multiple. I love that my kids play sports outside of softball. Man, I wish I had a handbook to help us balance it all, and when we get a night where we are all at home eating dinner together, I feel grounded in that moment. But you also have to embrace the craziness and really enjoy where your feet are at. I try to stay true to that because we are always on the go, and when you add my job with ESPN, which includes travel every week, I can feel like a chicken with my head cut off. But at the end of the day, the work is the work, and you find time to get your kid that extra training time, especially if they love the sport as much as my daughters love softball. For my youngest daughter, it is her second season with Little League, and it’s so cool to see how much she already loves it and how excited she gets to go to practice. The same goes for my oldest daughter. But now she has to make more decisions about which practice to go to when she has a night with multiple at the same time. To me, Little League reminds her that she is playing a game with her buddies versus having to focus on a win. We do our best to juggle it all because I’m going to let my daughters play other sports, like basketball, if she is a beast under the boards. The things you learn from other sports can help blossom skills in the sport that you might consider the one you love the most and want to excel in at the next level.
One thing I have learned over the years is the pressure my daughters face outside of the normal wins and losses. Two years ago, my oldest, Maddie, was at the ballpark just waiting for her game to start, and she overheard a pitcher on the opposing team say, “I can’t wait to strike out Danielle Lawrie’s kid.” Maddie came over and told me about it, and I said, “Listen, honey, you are going to get that no matter what. Whether you are my kid or not, if you are an elite player in your sport, you’re always going to have a different target on your back.” At the end of the day, I remind her that my journey was my journey, and her journey is hers. I’ve been very fortunate to play this game at multiple levels and do a lot of cool things that made me who I am today. I love how this sport helped me. I want my kids to learn these lessons and be confident females without chasing what I did, like going to play at Washington or getting a certain accolade. What will be, will be, and the important thing to ask ourselves along the way is, what are we learning about us as people throughout the journey?
Little League is where the journey begins. It is where you get to figure out if baseball or softball is something you can fall in love with. No one just starts walking; you have to learn from tummy time as a baby to crawling, and then walking. To me, that’s what Little League is like. You figure out the basics of the game, you learn to have fun, and you figure out if this game is something that you love. At the end of the day, if you love something enough and you work hard, then you continue to get better at it. And even if you don’t want to play at the next level, Little League is great for that, too. You get to be outside, get some vitamin D, and hang out with your friends.
In Little League, you learn a lot about yourself as a parent. When kids start to play sports, you learn a lot about your kids. What sport do they love, how is their mentality when they get in the car after a game, how do they react to a win or loss, and do they want to go to practice and work hard? All of those things are bigger picture things that add up and continue to help them in everyday life, whether it is in their classroom or at a friend’s house. Kids learn stuff through playing sports, and Little League serves as that foundation. At the Little League Softball® World Series, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) athletes spend time at the park. That’s a big deal to the younger girls because they get to see these pros and meet them. It goes into the “if you can see it, you can be it” mentality. When these girls get to see professionals like Carley Hoover, who started in Little League, then they get this extra belief that anything can happen.
For new parents going into a Little League season for the first time, enjoy watching your kid learn the fundamentals of the game. Remember that the coaches out there on the field are most likely volunteer parents. So, give the coaches some grace and trust that you can let your kid go across the lines and have fun. When you’re first starting, enjoy the moment when they grab their gear, put on their caps, and walk out the door with light and excitement in their eyes. The practice and games you are sending them off to are not the World Series, so just watch your kid go off, gain confidence, and enjoy the experience.
NOTE: If you know of a Little League graduate who would fit into any of these categories and is not listed, please complete the Little League Alumni Submission form. To learn more about former Little Leaguers who have gone on to incredible careers, visit LittleLeague.org/Alumni.