While it is likely a result of some subtle lessons from my college coach father, I’ve always believed that sports are not just entertainment, but that they also carry important life lessons.  This never proved to be more true than over the past few weeks of the Giant baseball season.  Through out the 2010 season fans of the San Francisco Giants’ have witnessed an undervalued and over matched team overcome enormous obstacles.  While their pitching is on par with the best in the league they bring an offense that lacks a major slugger.   We watched the Phillies bring All Star’s Utley, Howard and Werth to the plate, while the misfit Giants splattered journeymen and rookies through out their line up.  They say good pitching wins championships, but that’s just something teams with good hitters say.  However, you already know the outcome.  The Giants have won the National League Championship and now they’re continuing their dream season into the World Series where they continue to be branded as underdogs.  This brand burns cleanly into the team skin of the Giants, as it’s the only feeling they have known this year.  This team was picked to finish 3rd in the N.L. West let along the entire National League and now they have climbed the mountain.  I’ve watched this group develop since April and it was not always pretty, but certain things have struck me as the season matured through the summer and into the early fall.  Now more than ever do I believe that there are life lessons to be extracted from this team and as a teacher or a parent or just as a boss there may be ways to implement such techniques to create any cohesive and successful effort.

First, the media loves to talk about the “weirdness” of the group and how they’re a bunch of misfits.  This intrigues not only the national press, but also a San Francisco fan base that prides itself on an eccentric cultural history.  Their most notable player, Tim Lincecum, is a two time Cy Young Award winner, but is also a pot smoking, long-haired hippy.  He pitches funny and swears consistently in post-game interviews.  Their closing pitcher is likely a little insane and continues to give some of the most bizarre interviews I’ve seen in years.   The key is that there must be an air of trust amongst the team because they feel like they can be themselves.  So often in peer pressure filled situations (read elite level sports teams) participants feel forced to fit in and be a typical jock or play a role.  Here it seems someone on the team or maybe a few made it acceptable to be your weird self.  Dye your beard, wear a red thong to loosen people up, and just enjoy your job.  The lesson here for those of you scoring at home is to create and ensure an environment of acceptance.  While this is not easy, it facilitates a place where team members or students can be themselves and perform to the best of their ability.  Further, it fosters community and it allows a little bit of fun.  When work becomes fun and you trust those around you, guess what, it’s not really work anymore.

Next, this Giants team has been resilient.  Players and media alike have overused the word, but it’s the perfect adjective.  They don’t get down, they get even or even better, they get ahead.  The players themselves have even individually reinvented entire careers as we’ve seen veterans such as Andres Torres, Aubrey Huff, and Pat Burrell have very solid seasons.  Another example is the Tim Lincecum’s mid-season self-assessment.  In July it looked like Lincecum was going to have an off year and just have a mediocre season.  This likely would have been an acceptable result to most professionals who may have chalked it up to “off” year, especially after winning baseballs pitching crown for consecutive year’s prior.  However, he is a perfect example of looking at one’s personal routine, going back to your strengths and refusing to accept mediocrity.  Lincecum seemed to have a “Michael Jackson Man in the Mirror” moment and he made the change.  The lesson here is that it is never over.  Your career does not have to end because others say it’s over.  Your season or year does not have to be a waste because the first few months were rocky.  It’s October 26, 2010 today and you could still have the best year ever.  Just pull a Timmy and get back to what made you happy in the past.  Get back to the foundation and get your swagger back.  This team and these players are a resilient group and I believe it is those individual examples of resilience from Timmy to Andres Torres that fostered a larger team version.  If you don’t give up, then others won’t either.

Finally, this group is selfless.   A team is a group of individuals that puts a common goal before the individual glory.   Radio talk shows and announcers have consistently commented on the amazing job the manager, Bruce Bochy, has done with the team.  However, it takes an ego-less team to pull off some of the things he has done.  He constantly makes changes, plays some individuals sparingly, but then expects the world from those he has demoted.  This can only be done with a team that wants to win for each other and disregards personal preference.  Further, their selfless behavior can be seen after their mistakes and after their successes.  There is understanding and support in the former and more often pure elation in the latter.  Once a team gets on a roll like that it creates an unbelievable feeling of trust.  Not only trust in each other, but also you begin to believe in yourself as well because your teammates believe in you.  This manager has done a great job with strategic maneuvers, but he has probably done a better job allowing the group mold themselves.  In the end, a group like this can more easily controlled because trust is at the foundation of each relationship, both top-down and amongst one’s peers.

In conclusion, the 2010 Giants are not just a baseball team.  They’re a lesson plan, a business model, and an inspiration to individuals to Never Give Up.  When I hear school administrators or parents complain that sports are not as valuable as education, I simply cringe.  While I agree that a good education is important it should not be separated from athletics or the arts or day-to-day lesson of social awareness when in fact education can be found everywhere especially in the 2010 Giants dugout.

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