UGANDA MAKES LITTLE LEAGUE HISTORY

It took a year longer than they'd hoped, but the Uganda Little League team finally made it to Williamsport for the Little League World Series.  Last year, the team qualified for the tournament, but was not allowed to  travel to the United States when their visas were denied.

It's been a whirlwind of activity for the 11-13 year olds from the little African nation.  But it was worth it.  Not only for them, but others as well.

Leave it to some kids from Indiana to show the world what friendship is all about.  The Little League All-Star team from New Castle, Indiana is rooming with the team from Uganda for the tourney.  When the boys from the states found out the boys from abroad did not have anything, even shoes, they wanted to "give back", said Indiana team mother Chasity Durick.  "They are blessed and they wanted to give back to the boys of Africa that are playing with them".  Car after car dropped off everything, from hats, to cleats, to sock to clothes.  Just when the pile started to dwindle, more people showed up.  It didn't take long to fill 12 bags, one for every player on the Uganda team.  Durick said no matter what happens in Williamsport on the scoreboard, everybody is learning life-long lessons not taught on the field.  "It's so much more than just baseball", she said.

A ride Uganda Little Leaguers will never forget

On the field, history was made.....the Uganda team battled back and beat a team from Gresham, Oregon in a consolation game, 3-2.  The win marked the first win for a team from Africa in the famed event.  "This was so great", Henry Odong, the Uganda team manager said after the historic win.  Uganda finished the series with a 1-2 record but plan on playing some friendship games.

The above mentioned story is but one reason I love the Little League World Series, now in it's 66th season.  Year after year, we are shown determination and tenacity at its finest from our world's youth.  We see life before us as in the example of one New Jersey youngster who showed true grit.   Dan Ruggiero's grandfather suffered a stroke on Friday on the eve of the Parsipanny-Troy East's first game.  "My wife came to the game and that's when I found out", said coach Mike Ruggiero, Dan's father.  "We agreed not to tell Daniel until after that".  Joseph Kayal died before the Ruggiero's could get to his beside after Saturday's win over Oregon.  40 minutes out and he passed.  "So we didn't get there in time, said Mike.  With a heavy heart and a determination to win, Dan returned to Williamsport for Monday's game.  Throughout the game, he etched "JK" in the sand in remembrance.  Unfortunately, New Jersey lost to California 5-4 in extra innings.  "He's got the best experience of his life and then coupled along with losing his grandfather......", said New Jersey League president John Bucciarelli.

It's stories like these two that will leave their memories forever.  It doesn't make any difference what country you're from or the color of your skin, baseball has shown the depth of its game and how big it has become.
 
Little League is now the world's largest organized youth sports program.  The program currently involves nearly 180,000 teams across the world and more than 35 million people are believed to have played or volunteered for a Little League program.

And that's why I love hearing these words...."PLAY BALL".


Thanks for reading,

John


         

WHO'S YOUR CHAMPION?

We've just seen thousands of images from the Games of the 30th Olympiad.  Some gut-wrenching, some exhilarating, others that made you want to cry and then there were some that made you shake your head with wonder.  Wonder, in why would an athlete on a world-wide stage like the Olympics are, showcase themselves in such a stupid manner.

So, who is your champion?  Your personal favorite.  Jordan Wieber comes to mind.  How easy would it have been for Wieber, a favorite to win the all-around gymnastics crown, to melt down when she didn't qualify for competition.  Was she crushed in seeing her Olympic dreams fall apart?  No doubt.  But she held it together and proved throughout the team and individual portion of the Games, that she's a pretty terrific young lady.  I'm sure she won the hearts of many viewers with the attitude she put forth.

Or perhaps there's someone else.  Not just for the results they produced, but for the actions they displayed.  Could it have been Gabby Douglas, or maybe LoLo Jones?  Could it be Michael Phelps, the man with 22 Olympic swimming medals to his name....only 18 being Gold.  Eighteen.....unbelievable!!!  How about Oscar Pistorius the track and field man from South Africa?  Oscar's story was a special one.  After having both legs amputated before his 1st birthday, he could have given up on any Olympic dream he might have had.  But not the case.  I know, I know, he didn't win....but that's not the point.  In my eyes, he's a champion. Not only did he compete at a high level, he was humbled by just being able to compete.  That's an image I will always remember.

And then there are those who think it's all about them.  Gifted athletes who think more of themselves than anyone else.  Like ..Usain Bolt.  He might be the best 100 and 200 meter track man of all-time.  His records would certainly indicate that.  But I don't care for his actions.  Am I critical of a person who is confident in their abilities?  Not in the least.  Just not to that extent.  The finger wagging and silencing gestures are a might much for me.  In time, he will be humbled.  Just like those before him....athletes like Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson.

When I think of a champion, here is my definition.  Look under the name "Dan".  Because this is what it's all about.

"At the 1994 Winter Olympics, held in Hamar, Norway, the name Dan took on a very special meaning.

At his first Olympics in 1984 as an eighteen year old, speedskater Dan Jansen finished fourth in the 500 meters, beaten for a bronze medal by only one hundredths of a second, and he finished sixteenth in the 1,000.

A Moment to Remember 

At his second Olympics in Calgary in 1988, on the morning he was to skate the 500 meters, he received a phone call from America.  His twenty-seven year old sister, Jane, had been fighting leukemia for over a year.  She was dying.  Dan spoke to her over the phone, but she was too sick to say anything in return.  Their brother, Mike, relayed Jane's message:  She wanted Dan to race for her.  Before Dan skated that afternoon, however, he received the news that Jane had died.  When he took to the ice, perhaps he tried too hard for his sister.  In the 500 meters, he slipped and fell in the first turn.  He had never fallen before in a race.  Four days later in the 1,000, he fell again, this time of all places, in the straightaway.

At his third Olympics in 1992, he was expected to win the 500 meters, where he had already set world records.  For four years he had been regarded as the best sprinter in the world.  But he had trouble in the final turn and he finished fourth.  In the 1,000 he tied for twenty-sixth.

At his fourth Olympics in 1994, Dan again was expected to win the 500 meters, which was his specialty.  Again tragedy struck.  He didn't fall, but in the beginning of the final turn he fleetingly lost control of his left skate and put his hand down slowing him just enough to finish in eighth place.  Afterward, he apologized to his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

He had one race left, the 1,000 meter.  One more race and then he would retire.  At the midway point of the race, the clock showed he was skating at a world record pace, and the crowd, including his wife and father, cheered.  But with 200 meters to go, the hearts of the fans skipped a beat.  Dan Jansen slipped.  He didn't fall, but he slipped, touched his hand to the ice, regained control and kept skating.  When Dan crossed the finish line, he looked at the scoreboard and saw WR beside his name-World Record.  In his last race race, Dan had finally won the Gold Medal.

Later that day as he stood on the award stand, Dan looked heavenward and acknowledged his late sister, Jane.  Dan was asked to skate a victory lap.  The lights were turned out, and a single spotlight illuminated his last lap around the Olympic track, with a Gold Medal around his neck, roses in one arm and his baby daughter named Jane in his other arm.

In the closing ceremony of the 1994 Olympics, Dan was chosen to carry the U.S. Flag"

That year, our youngest child was born. It didn't take me long to suggest a middle name to my wife.  It was unanimous.  Daniel.  In honor of Dan.....the man who truly depicts what a Champion is and what the word is about.  That's my kind of Champion.

Thanks for reading,

John  

QUICK HITS: OLYMPICS, BASEBALL AND NEW BASKETBALL LEAGUE

As we pass the halfway mark of the 30th Olympic Games, I have to ask you.  What sport or event have you enjoyed the most? Basketball?  Track and Field? Volleyball? Swimming? or maybe it's been the Gymnastics.  So far, I'd have to say for me, it's been a toss-up between swimming and gymnastics.  Frankly, I've enjoyed women's swimming better than the men.  And where the heck is baseball and softball?  I know the Olympic brass decided to bump both sports, but why would you leave badminton?  And they cheat too!!!

What a glorious night it was when the so called "Fab Five" grabbed the team title in gymnastics. And then two days later, Gabby Douglas snagged the all-around title.  I know quite a few people that didn't want to know the outcome of the the all-around because they wanted to watch the tape delay that night.  I'm still mystified as to NBC's reasoning to only stream the live coverage in the morning and run a tape delay that night.  Isn't Wimbledon shown live?  Like in Breakfast at Wimbledon.  And what a bummer for McKayla Maroney who fell in her lone individual event, the vault.  Maroney, considered the best vaulter in the world,  finished second.  She was a true treat to watch in the team competition.

The athlete I'm truly looking forward to seeing is LoLo Jones.  If ever an athlete needed some good news, it would be her....but through all her trials and tribulations, she has been a true professional.  She kind of reminds me of speed skater Dan Jansen who won a Gold Medal in his last Olympic race after suffering one setback after another.  Jones, who turned 30 on Sunday, will be competing in the 100-meter hurdles.  Round 1 begins on Monday (today).  Best to you LoLo....and not just because you're from Des Moines, Iowa, either.  You've been a class competitor for a long time!!

Will Jones finally be rewarded with Gold?

Major League Baseball is entering the long grueling days of August and September.  It's going to be a run to the finish line for many teams.  For sure, the two wild card teams that will be eligible for post-season play this season will make things even that much more interesting in both the American and National Leagues.  I missed big-time on choosing the all-star winner, but I'll take a stab at the teams I see playing in October.  In the National I think it will be Washington, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and San Francisco and in the American, it looks like New York, Chicago, Detroit, Texas and LA.

There's a new professional sports league a brewing.  It's called the Basketball Alumni Legends League (The-BALL) intended to give players in similar circumstances an opportunity to pursue their on-court aspirations while remaining relatively close to their college home.  

Still in the early stages, The-Ball's soft launch is planned for next summer with a full schedule in prominent East Coast cities such as the District of Columbia, New York and Philadelphia.  Richmond and Charlotte are to be in place the following year. The league operates only in the summer to accommodate players who also may play overseas or in the NBA's D-League.  The inaugural games took place this past weekend in a showcase between teams representing the nation's capital and Philadelphia. Just what we need, another league.

Thanks for reading,

John