McDowell County Schools superintendent on the Little League World Series and making an impact
Are you watching the Little League World Series? I have to admit, I have been absolutely glued to the TV each evening, watching young men and women who love the game of baseball but haven’t forgotten how to have fun playing ball with laughter, tears, excitement and an absolute love of the game.
Tracy Grit
There is something special about watching these young athletes play. They are competitive, but they are also kids. They celebrate one another, encourage one another, and seem to understand that the experience is about much more than winning a baseball game.
Around the park, the kids are riding cardboard sleds down the hills, and of course, there is ice cream, hot dogs, peanuts, Cracker Jacks and all the other ballpark food you can imagine. When they aren’t playing ball or sledding down the hill, they cheer on the other teams and hang out in rooms filled with ping-pong tables, gyms and video game rooms. As a kid, I couldn’t imagine anything better.
It reminds me that sometimes the most meaningful experiences in a child’s life aren’t complicated. They are often the simple moments, like playing a game, laughing with friends, having someone cheer you on, or having an adult take the time to listen.
On Sunday night, the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers played the Sunday Night Little League Classic game. As a Braves fan, I am happy to report they won! But winning and losing aside, I want to focus on what happened before the game.
As the teams arrived, the Little Leaguers greeted them. The Major League players rode the team bus back with the kids to the rec room, watched some of the Little League games and spent time with the kids. The Little Leaguers were brought into the broadcast booth to call parts of the game, and the big-league players had the opportunity to remember what it was like to simply have fun playing ball. They even brought back former Little Leaguers who had played in the World Series years ago to talk with the current players about their experiences and how those memories helped shape their lives.
Over the years, I have watched this event, and I have to say, it remains one of the purest programs you will ever watch on television. Perhaps that is because it reminds us of something important: kids need adults who are willing to show up.
Folks, it doesn’t take the Little League World Series for you to have a positive experience with a child. As we begin another school year, I want to encourage the adults in our community to consider volunteering at one of our schools.
We are blessed to live in a wonderful community, and we have so many people with talents, experiences, stories and skills that could make a difference in a child's life. Maybe you can read with a student, help with math, share your career or hobby, assist with an activity, mentor a student or simply be another caring adult who knows a child’s name and asks how their day is going. You don’t have to be a teacher to make a difference in a school. You just have to be willing to show up, share your time and care about kids.
Of course, when it comes to welcoming volunteers into our schools, student safety comes first. Every volunteer must complete the district’s required volunteer process, which includes a background check. This step helps ensure that the adults working with our students are appropriate and that our schools remain safe places for children to learn and grow. Once that process is complete, volunteers can get involved in many ways.
And who knows? You may get as much out of the experience as the student does.
That is what I love about watching the Little League World Series. The young players are dreaming about what might be possible in their lives. The professional players are given the opportunity to look back at where they started. For a few days, everyone seems to remember that before there were stadiums, contracts, trophies and championships, there was a kid who simply loved to play ball.
Our schools are full of those kids.
They are dreaming, learning, growing and figuring out who they will become. They need teachers and school staff, but they also need community members who are willing to step into their world and say, “I believe in you.”
So, as you watch the Little League World Series this year, I hope you’ll enjoy the baseball, the cardboard sleds, the hot dogs and ice cream, and all the excitement that comes with it. But I also hope you’ll think about the bigger lessons playing out on those fields.
Every child deserves a place where they are known, encouraged, supported and reminded that someone believes in them.
You can help create that experience right here in our hometown.
If you would like to volunteer at one of our schools, simply reach out to the school you would like to support and ask to speak with the principal. Our principals and school staff will help you find a meaningful way to get involved and guide you through the volunteer process.
Come join us. Show up. Cheer on a child. Share a little of your time.
You might just discover your own Little League experience right here at home.
Tracy Grit is superintendent of McDowell County Schools.
