162-2

[NM_Birder]

36. I commend the girls for showing up to any games at all.

Faced with being badly beaten every game they show more guts by showing up than most any winning team. Yes I am aware little league has a mercy rule, I am also aware that even professional sports have the option to employ the mercy rule.

Personally I am more impressed and proud of someone who takes defeat, even horrendous defeat, and keeps heads up and keeps fighting back. People and most especially determined team mates don't appreciate a white knight coming to the rescue, or shielding them with a mercy rule, or "slaughter out" .......... a terrible beating with a determined team is better than a third party taking the drive away and telling them they are losing too badly for anybody to want to watch, and they can't continue.

The story linked to the 162-2 score reveals a group of girls that have the odds stacked against them in social and economic ways, yet they show up as a team and try thier hardest, knowing there is little chance of success. The mercy rule isn't a good lesson in my opinion, and again ....just my opinion, if the girls thought the mercy rule was appropriate, they would have started quitting games long ago. My greatest achievements did not come about with someone else deciding I was not capable of continuing, they came from me not giving up.

Good on them.