Last month was all about chickens, so let’s switch things up and talk about goats. My column, however, will not be about the goats that start off as adorable furry kids with a curious and playful nature. Nor will it focus on the ornery and obnoxious adult creatures that can produce some flavorful milk but can also wreak havoc on a paint job while attempting to climb onto the hood of a new car.
Instead, we will talk about goats in terms of the “Greatest Of All Time.” Some may say that there’s only one GOAT. My son, Alex, will often refer to Tom Brady as “The GOAT.” He knows that I definitely don’t agree, but we’ll save that discussion for another time.
In my mind, there are many GOAT’s and each has their own contributions and attributes. One of the GOAT’s in my memory is my high school softball coach, Bill Devore. While I won’t overshadow the amazing tenure of the current West Greene softball coach, my friend Bill Simms, Coach Devore held fifteen years (1977-1991) as head coach and led his team to two section championships.
If you’re wondering why I consider Coach Devore a GOAT, it’s because of the lessons I learned from him. I will always remember some of the things he talked about, but as a young student athlete, I never realized that the things he told us didn’t only pertain to softball, they were, in fact, life lessons.
For example, one of his speeches given at practice started with the statement that, “Some of the best players might only have adequate skills. But, if they lack skill, they make up for it with knowledge. You have to stay focused on that field. Every time the ball is pitched, you need to know what you will do if that ball comes to you. What’s the count? Where are the runners? Where is the play?”
I never realized until much later that Coach Devore’s words didn’t just apply to the game. Those same words meant something to life. Be ready. Use the skills you have and gather knowledge and information. Have intentionality and have a plan for what you will do when you have choices to make.
One of my sister’s favorite signals to get after she reached base was when the coach gave her the sign to “steal the catcher.” If you don’t know what that means, the best explanation is that the catcher is falling into a basic routine of returning the ball directly to the pitcher without checking the runners. So, the catcher gets the pitch, the base runner has a huge lead, and the catcher throws the ball back to the pitcher. The runner then steals the next base pretty quickly and often before the pitcher realizes it. My sister, Daisy, was either fast enough or maybe sneaky enough or maybe a bit of both, but Coach liked to send that signal to her all the time. Life lesson? Don’t fall into a mundane routine that blocks out everything happening around you. Be aware of your surroundings and ready to make a move when you need to.
So, here’s a piece of my mind- when you’re in the batter’s box with a full count and the pitcher of Life throws you a curve ball, you have two options. You can stand and watch and hope for the best OR you can act like Coach Devore just gave you the signal… and swing away! Life is too precious to stand and watch. Take a SWING!
