A reminder to love

My last lesson the other night was a little boy who obviously didn't want to be here. We were working on his throwing and he wasn't talking to me or even looking at me as I kept trying to get him to focus on the task. After a few minutes I finally walked up to him and got on my knees and asked, "What is wrong? Is everything alright?" He looked at me and I could see he was about to cry. I asked again, "Is everything alright?" With tears starting he finally said, "Yes...I just hate baseball!"
"You hate baseball?! Then why are you here?" I asked. With his head down and his voice trembling a bit he answered, "Because I love my dad...and he loves baseball and wants me to play."

It took me a second to soak in his answer and then I said, "That...that is the greatest thing I have heard all day!" He looked up at me and I could tell he was confused by my comment. I put my hand on his shoulder and said, "There is nothing greater in this world than to love someone so much that you would sacrifice your time and your own desires for them. You are doing something that many guys would never do. I'm impressed! Don't ever change!"

After this moment, we had a great time playing baseball. He started smiling and laughing and acted like he really was enjoying his time learning how to catch, throw, and hit a baseball. When he was leaving with his dad he turned back to me and said, "Thanks coach Mark! See you next week!"

I love this job.