I had the pleasure of watching the movie, "The Million Dollar Arm," and to me it is one of the most inspirational sports movies I have seen.
If you haven't seen it, it's worth your time. It’s about an agent/promoter for professional athletes who was down on his gaming and in near desperation of becoming a has-been in his profession.
Baseball seems to be the most effective topic with movies about sports. John Hamm, of one of the most popular TV series, "Mad Men," plays the part of J.B. Bernstein, the agent whom this true story is based on, and of course has a bit of Hollywood in it. Hamm is basically the lead character, but the story is about a gamble he and his associates take to get their business up and back to a running success.
In the short of it all, he ventures to India in search of cricket pitchers, who are called bowlers, with the thought that they could learn to pitch in Major League Baseball.
His partner, Ash Vasudevan, played by the actor Aasif Mandvi, an American Indian with his heritage from India, is an avid cricket fan, India's No. 1 sport. He suggested to J.B. the idea to look at bowlers as possible MLB prospects.
I will mention a little more about what develops, but I don't want to spoil the story if you haven't seen the movie. My focus is about how people, through sports, develop confidence and a trust in those who believe in them. This movie is all inspiring of how determination wins over lost hope.
There is so much that we can do for each other no matter what our race, national heritage, lineage, gender, or whatever else can be injected into this statement. This is about what it means to be human without the selfish goal of personal achievement
In other words, without the ego.
I'm not saying we shouldn't try to be the best we can be, for ourselves. What I'm saying is that there is more to it. The saying "pay-it-forward" is what the movie "Million Dollar Arm" encompasses as a message when connecting with others. The story's message is on target on what can happen through the personal connection of people who are involved in sports.
In my early years as a basketball coach, I was a young cocky coach who thought I could do anything with a team by having them fall in line like soldiers and do what I was teaching to perfection. I never considered where these kids were coming from and what they had to deal with in their daily lives.
Basketball wasn't the end-all.
I will admit that after my first 3-4 years, as a maturing coach, I had a few players who taught me a different philosophy, which I truly believe in and live by to this day.
I have learned never to yell at my players for making mistakes, and I don't believe in punishing them for their lack of performance in practice or a game. I don't think kids make mistakes on purpose, so why use any punitive measures like running in order to get them to respond? Don't get me wrong, running is necessary, but it works much better when it's incorporated in drills.
It doesn't work in a negative way, nor does any other form of punishment. It becomes a philosophy that is a no-win situation for those involved, and the results can be that the players will dread coming to practice. The disaster of discrediting a player in front of others just doesn't work.
It’s harmful!
Encouragement is the best methodology, and using praise pays in dividends. What's wrong with making someone feel good about themselves? Xs and Os are secondary because a coach must first be a mentor, a leader, and more than what a coach might realize, they are generally viewed iconically by the players.
This is real and this is what inspiration sums up to be when someone believes in his, or her, athletes. It's a philosophy that inspires the players to want to do their best. Patience is the key because there is no time limit on how long it might take!
The obvious formula is simple. Teaching and coaching are synonymous because there is no substitute for how the student-athlete is portrayed as an individual and for their needs. It all sums up for the good of the team. A coach should "never" give up on her, or his, players and team!
This is what "The Million Dollar Arm" did for me. It brought out the true meaning of the human spirit and the importance of what defines a mentor. Believing in people can do nothing but good things through trust and encouragement.
See the movie. It’s a true story of the human spirit.
