Way back in the day when I managed a traveling softball team, I'd hold try-outs and lots of hopeful girls would come to the fields with bats, gloves, and balls each holding hope in their hearts that they were "good enough" to make the team. Some were good, and some were average, and some were not so good and then there were the ones with the grit. The one that wanted to be a part of the team so bad you could almost taste the sweat of their desire.
In the end, it all came down to me making the call as to who would stay and who would go. Of course I would discuss it with my assistant, but the call was mine. I knew, that with each child I cut, I could have decreased the confidence of yet another child. I hated it. Each prospective player was given a phone call as to whether or not they made the team. The ones that didn't make the team were given an explanation with encouragement as to what to work on for the following year. The ones that did make the team were given the date for their first practice and information was mailed out to their parents, including the fact that while they were on "my" field" they were "my children." I also included the fact that vacations were considered the "weekends" that we would be traveling and that no extended vacations were acceptable. The player made a commitment to me, to the other players, and to herself to complete what she started. Nothing less would be accepted. Yes, with the very first correspondence I gave every player the opportunity to decide that they did now want to play with this lunatic.
I don't manage softball anymore, but I believe I need to make some cuts. Once again, I am the sole decider of what cuts I need to make. I have spoken with my assistant (husband), but the ultimate cuts will be mine. I need to cut out the negative influences in my life and concentrate on the positive.
Some of the negative influences that I have allowed to enter into my being are my 4 step siblings. (First time I've ever called them "step".) As of today, those negative influences will be gone, or at least put away for a very long time. I can not make them love me or even like me; that being said, I can not change what is, but I can change my reaction to "what is." I am not going to think about what I will say, or how I will react if I happen to meet one of them in a local establishment. I'm not even sure that "hello" will even be an option.
I guess that's a start..........Funny....isn't there a song that says....... "the first cut is the deepest."
Way back in the day when I managed a traveling softball team, I'd hold try-outs and lots of hopeful girls would come to the fields with bats, gloves, and balls each holding hope in their hearts that they were "good enough" to make the team. Some were good, and some were average, and some were not so good and then there were the ones with the grit. The one that wanted to be a part of the team so bad you could almost taste the sweat of their desire.
In the end, it all came down to me making the call as to who would stay and who would go. Of course I would discuss it with my assistant, but the call was mine. I knew, that with each child I cut, I could have decreased the confidence of yet another child. I hated it. Each prospective player was given a phone call as to whether or not they made the team. The ones that didn't make the team were given an explanation with encouragement as to what to work on for the following year. The ones that did make the team were given the date for their first practice and information was mailed out to their parents, including the fact that while they were on "my" field" they were "my children." I also included the fact that vacations were considered the "weekends" that we would be traveling and that no extended vacations were acceptable. The player made a commitment to me, to the other players, and to herself to complete what she started. Nothing less would be accepted. Yes, with the very first correspondence I gave every player the opportunity to decide that they did now want to play with this lunatic.
I don't manage softball anymore, but I believe I need to make some cuts. Once again, I am the sole decider of what cuts I need to make. I have spoken with my assistant (husband), but the ultimate cuts will be mine. I need to cut out the negative influences in my life and concentrate on the positive.
Some of the negative influences that I have allowed to enter into my being are my 4 step siblings. (First time I've ever called them "step".) As of today, those negative influences will be gone, or at least put away for a very long time. I can not make them love me or even like me; that being said, I can not change what is, but I can change my reaction to "what is." I am not going to think about what I will say, or how I will react if I happen to meet one of them in a local establishment. I'm not even sure that "hello" will even be an option.
I guess that's a start..........Funny....isn't there a song that says....... "the first cut is the deepest."