Life Lessons I Learned on the Ballfield

Wow, 2020 taught us a lot about perseverance, resilience, and teamwork.  Certainly these are skills we all need to learn in life.  But for many kids and adults, these were all lessons that we learned as kids on the ball fields.  These life lessons made us stronger in a year filled with challenges.

I recently came across a valuable list of life lessons which really struck a chord with me, the type of list you want to pin up above your desk or your nightstand to share with your family, friends and co-workers.  And as I ran down the list, I realized I learned most of these life lessons on the ballfields.

My top 15 favorite life lessons that we learned on the ballfields, courts, turf and more:

1. Return everything you borrow

Be respectful of others and their things. If you borrow something, return it. It is a polite thing to do.

2. Stop blaming people

Control what you can control. Don’t blame others when you don’t get what you want. Figure out what you need to do to work for it. 

3. Admit when you make mistakes

Be accountable. When you make a mistake, own it, learn from it and move on.

4. Give clothes not worn to charity

And you can also give your old clothes to friends as hand me downs. Something you may not want now, others often appreciate it. 

5. Do something nice and try not to get caught

Do things that you would do when no one is watching. Try to do something nice because you are nice, not because it will be posted on social media. 

6. Listen more; talk less

Ah, this is a good life lesson. The ability to listen is a lost art, take the time to do this more. Other people around you will appreciate it. 

7. Strive for excellence, not perfection

No one is perfect, but you can always be the hardest working person in the room, on the field and more. Strive to be excellent but look at #3, as you will always make mistakes. 

8. Be on time. Don’t make excuses

Being on time shows others that you respect their time. And no one likes excuses. We all know things can happen but put your best effort forward. 

9. Be humble

Know that there will be others better than you. Always be humble. 

10. Realize and accept life isn’t fair

Even when you work hard and you do your part, there are parts of life that just aren’t fair. Accept it, learn and move on. 

11. Know when to keep your mouth shut

This is important, there are times when you want to say something but sometimes just listening or walking away is a better alternative. 

12. Go an entire day without criticizing anyone

Just remember that everyone has struggles. People are dealing with things you have no idea about.

13. Learn from the past.  Plan for the future

Learn from the past but don’t dwell on it. Use it as energy, turn it into a positive. 

14. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Take a deep breath and move on. 

15.  It’s all small stuff

And that is a wrap. 

Click here for the full list of “Simple Formula for Living” by Becoming UnBusy

Wishing you all a great new year and safe return to play. 

Ian and the iSport360 Team

Ian Goldberg is a sports dad, coach and the Founder of iSport360.  His SportsTech company has helped over 130,000 youth sport coaches, parents and kids keep their teams connected, active and strong….through the COVID-19 lockdown and as we return to play. Click here to try iSport360 for free.