What Matters Most

"I’m not trying to grow grass, I’m trying to grow kids."
– Amos Alonzo Stagg

The centerpiece of Ripken Baseball in Aberdeen, where thousands of youngsters come every year to celebrate the game and learn from one of its masters, is not named after the Iron Man himself. That distinction belongs to the minor league stadium just a few hundred yards away.

The focal point, where the Cal Ripken World Series games were played last week, is a scaled down stadium modeled after Camden Yards. It holds 5,000 spectators but even more important, it holds the dreams of the many young ballplayers from around the world whose love of the game brought them to play with the best in their age group.

That Field of Dreams is known as Cal Sr.’s Yard. Both name and purpose honor the man who understood that teaching the fundamentals of baseball provided valuable lessons not only in the sport, but in life. The Cal Sr. Foundation, which is responsible for the facility and many of the programs it supports, reflects the role baseball plays in building community and giving opportunity to those who may be otherwise disadvantaged in their lives.

There was a suspended delay between games due to a thunderstorm threat when Team Terry arrived, so I had the opportunity to wander the complex. The layout is amazing, with ballfields incorporating the elements of several of the classics (even a “Green Monster” for the faux Fenway) It must seem like a fantasy to those kids who love the sport and identify with its history. There’s also a Wrigley Field and a Memorial Stadium and, most recently, a Yankee Stadium. Outfitted with lights and regulation in size, the new field is used by the summer college league.

Picnic pavilions and tables located throughout the complex contribute to the family friendliness of the facility. But the most intriguing feature (at least to me) is right in the center of the activities.

Along the upper concourse, just beyond a concession stand, is a vegetable patch where peas, corn and squash were enjoying the light sprinkle. A small plaque by the gate shows Cal Sr. and his wife Val in their family vegetable garden many years ago. The message, from Cal, Jr. and Billy, relates their dad’s philosophy about the importance of nurturing children as they grow, just as you would a garden.

This same theme is carried throughout the complex with signs about the principles of Ripken baseball –keep practicing, ask if you don’t understand, work hard, and have fun.

Which brings me back to Amos Alonzo Stagg, the Grand Old Man of college football. His belief in the importance of sports in developing character made him a leader organizing baseball, basketball and football programs in the early 20th century. Towards the end of his life, he was watching a group of youngsters playing football on his front lawn. One of his neighbors mentioned that it would probably ruin the grass if they didn’t stop.

To which Mr. Stagg replied what was most important to him – growing kids.

That’s the message I took from my visit to Ripken Baseball . Cal Sr’s lessons are still being taught, and their value is seen in the success of that wonderful facility and the joy of the kids who learn there.