The Devil Is In The Details

For some reason I’ve always enjoyed watching the Olympics. Even though I was only four years old at the time, I recall watching the 1960 Rome Olympics. I don’t remember much, but I do remember watching. Many of my male friends dread the winter Olympics because of the focus on figure skating. I don’t share that feeling. Figure skating has always been one of my favorite sports to watch. The combination of athleticism and grace are amazing. It’s also where I learned to watch the feet. During a routine, the ice skating analysts always comment on the position of the skaters’ feet, and slow motion analysis clearly shows either where critical errors were made or why the skater was successful. Over time I found myself watching only the feet and discovered that footwork is one of the most important aspects of athletics. If the footwork isn’t right, then nothing else works. Later, I was able to use this insight when I began coaching youth baseball.

I love baseball, and coached for almost ten years. Any player that has ever played for me has heard me talk about how important fundamentals are. Even if a player knows how to throw, run, catch, or hit, there is always room for improvement, and that improvement always starts with the feet. Footwork is the most fundamental skill a player can master, yet so few do. I think the reason is because it is boring. When a young player steps in the batter’s box the only thought running through his mind is grip it and rip it. He doesn’t understand the importance of properly placing and using his feet. Furthermore, very few players want to do the drills necessary to master the proper footwork. Yet, the more experienced a player becomes, the more important his footwork becomes. This is because our feet are the only part of our body that is in contact with the ground. In the act of hitting a ball, the ground is the only thing that doesn’t move. The ball is moving, our entire body is moving, and the bat is moving. The only constant is the ground. The extent to which an athlete has trained his body in the fundamentals of how to transmit power from his feet to the bat and into the ball will determine his success. A lack of mastery of the details leads to a failure, frustration, and ultimately causes the player to leave the game.

Being married for over thirty four years and raising children has taught me there are fundamentals needed to successfully live out the vocation of being a husband and father. They are the details of life that, unfortunately, many find boring. Details like getting up every morning and going to work, whether I feel like it or not. Working diligently at my profession so I can earn a living sufficient to provide for the family with which I have been blessed. Teaching our children to be respectful, productive members of society, and passing our faith on to them. However, the most important thing I can do for our children is love their mother. The details of love are sometimes exciting, and often as boring as learning the proper footwork needed to hit a baseball. There are dozens of ways to say “I love you”, many of which don’t involve hearts and flowers. Marriage details such as cleaning up after myself, emptying and refilling the dishwasher, or cooking dinner when my wife has had a rough day are all ways to express my love, but only if done with a servants heart and the desire for absolutely nothing in return. Otherwise it’s not an expression of love, but rather an expression of “what’s in it for me?”. Without the proper attention to these details, the love begins to sneak out of a marriage, and when that happens the enemy begins to sneak in.