The Little League Pledge
A spiritual lesson
The Little League Pledge rings in both the ear and heart of any person who has played Little League Baseball.
The words can bring back memories of standing on those white, foul lines and looking out at the American flag, eyeing up the opposing team, being filled with butterflies, dreaming of hitting a home run, spitting sunflower seeds in the dugout, warming up the arm with dad in the backyard, and handing mom one’s dirty socks after the game.
The pledge does more than just recall memories though - it challenges us to step out of ourselves and into reality.
Consider the words, “I trust in God. I love my country and will respect its laws. I will play fair and strive to win, but win or lose - I will always do my best.”
It is interesting to note the order of this pledge: God, country, laws, playing fair, striving to win, and doing one’s best. The self – I will always do my best – comes only at the end.
The greatest spiritual masters throughout Christian history have all agreed upon this pivotal spiritual truth: your life is not about you. It is the same truth that The Little League Pledge encourages to foster in each ball player.
St. Thomas Aquinas, the great theologian and philosopher of the 13th century, defined love as willing the good of the other as the other. The heart of the spiritual life is not about you - it is about the other.
We also read these words in Scripture, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). Remember – love is to will the good of the other, it is not directed toward the self.
The Little League Pledge seeks to place the young ball player in right alignment with reality: God is first, not me. Lastly, notice how the game has yet to begin, and already baseball is forming the young ball player for life.
Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie from St. Marys, PA. He pitched for the Elk Catholic Crusaders in 2010-2011 and coached St. Marys Little League for 4 years. He was a pitcher for the 2009 St. Marys Senior League State Championship team. His favorite team is the Pittsburgh Pirates and favorite baseball player is Tim Lincecum.
