Always Run It Out: Teaching Kids Perseverance
A childhood baseball lesson became a lifelong philosophy: Always Run It Out. From an unforgettable bunt grand slam to academics, athletics, and opening White Tiger Dojo, sometimes the greatest victories come from simply refusing to quit.
BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ: When I was a kid, in the early '80s, I started playing baseball. Our coaches had a saying that stuck with me and became a guiding philosophy:
Always Run It Out!
I was never the smartest kid, the strongest kid, or the most athletic kid, but I just never quit.
Maybe it was Han Solo's influence on me as well: "Never tell me the odds."
When I was with the smart kids, I "ran it out."
When I was with the bigger kids (that was everyone), I "ran it out."
When I was with the athletic kids, I literally "ran it out."
The Baseball Lesson That Stayed With Me
Story time: I played baseball from ages 8 to 12, and I had two defining moments that stick with me today.
The first story is that I ran it out right into the first baseman's knee and ended up with a half-dollar-sized blood clot that sidelined me for a month.
The second story is hilariously triumphant.
Although I am predominantly right-handed, I tended to bat left-handed 90% of the time unless I was getting too many pitches on the inside. However, I was an extremely accurate bunter.
We're in the last inning. I have a full count (3 balls and 2 strikes), and if I'm out, the game is over.
Did I mention we're down by two, and the bases are loaded?
Yes, that kind of pressure on an 11-year-old was pretty intense.
My coach, who was also my best friend's dad, tells me to swing away. But I'm not confident I can guarantee a hit, so I step in front of the plate and bunt the ball down the first baseline.
I run it out.
They overthrow to first.
I round second.
They overthrow to third.
I make my way home for a bunt "grand slam."
My coach is screaming at me, but he's drowned out by my friends screaming at me for solidifying the win.
I'm not saying that every time I ran it out magic happened, but I will tell you that every time magic happened, it's because I ran it out.
Perseverance Beyond the Baseball Field
This attitude found me accepting a slot on my high school Academic Decathlon team.
This attitude had me bench pressing more than some kids 25–50% heavier and certainly taller than me.
This attitude put me in the starting lineup on our high school lacrosse team.
This attitude had me move from 130th out of 350 students my senior year in high school to 100th in the first four months.
This attitude had me pull off a 3.3 GPA in my first semester of college, even though I had mononucleosis for the first month of classes. I didn't drop one class.
This attitude had me open White Tiger Dojo at 40 years old, and at 52, I'm still chasing 4–6-year-olds around the mat, after 30 years of full-time teaching.
Teaching Kids to Run It Out
I don't expect every child who walks through my doors to be the strongest, fastest, or most talented. I expect them to learn that their effort is something they can control.
This is the type of attitude I bring to my classes, your kids, and our community.
So what are you doing to "run it out" today?