To the Editor:

Being a football fan, I confess to not watching baseball on TV. The exception is the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. I love seeing the enthusiasm of these kids and came to realize that there is much for adults to learn from these 11-13-year-olds.

Honesty: once instance among many stands out. A second baseman failed to tag a runner in a close play at second. His coach came out to seek a review while the second baseman ran over to his coach to admit his lack of a tag.

Responsibility: in an environment that few seem to accept personal responsibility for anything, these kids were great. No one seemed to avoid a mea culpa where it was due. No finger-pointing or blaming someone else. It was refreshing.

Empathy: kids from Puerto Rice, Panama, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Canada and Spain interacted with kids from Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, Idaho, New York, Texas. The proved again that we have much more in common than we wrongly assume. My own travels with the U.S. Army have shown me that ignorance is the largest stumbling block to understanding one another. These kids were fantastic representatives of their respective cultures. Smiles and handshakes were seen regularly.

Meritocracy: these kids got to Williamsport by talent. They did not get there by who they knew, or who their parents were, the color of their skin, or the language that they speak.

Teamwork: the teams that worked together seamlessly fared better. They were together to encourage each other and sometimes console each other as the situation dictated.

These Little Leaguers demonstrated social dynamics taught by organizations from IBM to the U.S. Army. We could all stand to learn their lessons and hope they retain those special values.

P.S. We still need a statue of George Washington. City Council needs to form an ad hoc committee to submit proposal.

 

Joe Phipps

Washington