Everything’s Coming Up Rainbows

May 1, 2011

By Valerie J. Calderon

There was certainly the requisite dust, dirt, and grime, but in addition, a welcome rainbow circled a brilliant sun today at the River Cities Global Sports Qualifier baseball tournament in Council Bluffs, Iowa this weekend.  There was a good deal of God’s promise wrapped up in that rainbow (congrats Q and J), and the afternoon ended with promise turning to victory for the Omaha Pacesetter 13s.

There’s a lot to catch up on when your team just finished a winning weekend and is 17 and 0 in tournament play and 20 and 0 overall. I’ll skip even trying to hit all the highlights and beg forgiveness for those I miss in advance. So here goes.

Make no mistake. The Omaha Pacesetter 13s are a gutsy, talented team; however, they have shown something more impressive that is necessary to succeed and win in the USSSA major division. They are learning to win when not everything is going their way. They have won with grace (recall the big second win over the Sioux City Shockers to get to the championship game at the MAA Tournament); they have come from behind, and they have beat strong opponents who come to play and who play to win. Kudos goes to a Renegade (http://www.usssa.com/sports/Team3.asp?TeamID=1580749) team who forced us to overcome our largest deficit yet in bracket play in order to advance in the River Cities tournament and to a Cardinals pitcher who for the only time this season held us to a single run in a 1 to 0 victory in bracket play.

Big hits (book-ended by Jack who hit a home-run and two triples in the opening pool play game Friday night and two CLUTCH hits for the championship win in the bottom of the seventh from Nate and Drew), awful pretty pitching (yes, pretty) from Q, Nick, Jonny, Mitch, Nate, Jack, and Drew (almost everyone), big defensive plays (a diving catch in shallow left by Will, Logan’s relentless work behind the plate, and a smooth 5-4-3 double play—otherwise known as an L-N-M—come to mind), and aggressive base running (can’t even begin to guess stolen bases) are some of the elements of success. Congratulations, coaches. There is no question that your expertise in pitch calling, base running, and defensive schemes are sinking in.

Tonight the boys celebrated their River Cities Global Sports Qualifier win at Quaker Steak (of course). When Brownie, who successfully closed several tournament games, including the championship, walked in to the restaurant, his team gave him a standing ovation. O.K. They were egged on by the promise of dessert just a bit, but it really is indicative of how they celebrate one another’s successes.

Only teenage boys who are confident, secure, and well, kind, have the ability to shower praise on others. It’s a refreshing, and downright heartwarming thing to see a fiercely competitive bunch still demonstrate respect and appreciation for each other. They are growing in their understanding of the talent and contributions each one brings to the team, and they seem to know what will bring that talent out in one another. And that lesson is worth twenty more wins. (But feel free to go ahead and rack those up.)

The Pacesetters 13s know they have much yet to perfect. But I do like the promise a rainbow ring brings.