Does anybody remember Mariano Rivera? Baseball fans surely recollect this professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees from 1995 to 2013. He was nicknamed “Mo” and “Sandman” and spent his career as relief pitcher serving as the Yankees’ closer for 17 seasons.

Go back a few years ago to Rivera as a poor Panama City kid. Here he was using a cardboard baseball glove, a tree branch for a bat, and a baseball wrapped in tape. How much practice did it take for him to develop muscles to throw a ball one day at 92.4 miles per hour? How much love to practice the game did it take to one day be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame (2019)? Perhaps the best cut fastball ever delivered by a big leaguer ever, he didn’t want to be remembered for all those stats adding to his fame. No, he said he wanted to be remembered for always being there for the others. That’s humility-- never wanting to forget the value of the other team members—nor his humble beginnings.

You’d think most Hall of Famers start out with shiny new balls, the best leather ball gloves, and baseball bats endorsed by the best athlete’s that money can buy. But, the truth is, these all are good; however, we learn the love of the game and the determination in the heart has EVERYTHING to do with whether one will become an outstanding athlete—not in the shape of his beginner’s equipment.

This is why adults should encourage youngsters all they can. One bad, discouraging treatment can last a lifetime. I know that for sure. I know a boy who was laughed at when he was trying to read with a slight stutter. Now in his elderly years, he says he still wouldn’t read aloud, even though he lost his stutter while young. Those few giggles taunted him for over 60 years now.

While working with kids and youth, remember hearts are still tender. Even joking—without any intent of seriousness—can still pierce a heart with long-lasting effects. Topics of personal appearances, home situations, and lack of accomplishments should be taboo for joking or insulting anyone. Effects of these belittling treatments are known to even be some of the reasons one turns to suicide.

Offer kids and youth hope with character-building Scriptures on the Bible. Build their confidence. Teach them about overcomers like Mariano Rivera. There are hundreds, probably thousands of overcomers to research and share how they made their dreams come true and/ or how they made things happen to make this world a better place.

So, is there value in the first baseball gear Rivera used? Is there value in the make-shift microphone ones use to “pretend” they are on stage? Or the pen that is used to make sketches, or write stories or poems to uplift people? There is if the people hone their craft, practice their skills, until one day, they bravely offer their works to the professionals. They realize they may be rejected many times, but that doesn’t stop them. They are open to learn from rejections to keep trying. Yes, rejections are a part of many wannabees. Just research the lives of the baseball players…beginning with Mariano Rivera from Panama.