This week’s role modeling hero is Armando Galarraga, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. Last week
Galarraga lost a perfect game in the 9th inning due to an umpire’s missed call, but rather than lose his cool and blame the ump for the blunder, he has instead handled the situation with dignity and grace. Talk about terrific role modeling!How about that – a feel-good sports story rather than another “athlete in trouble” clip. Isn’t it really cool to watch Galarraga do exactly what you would want your child to do in an athletic pressure situation? No crying, no tantrum, no fighting, and no appeal. Obviously Galarraga and the rest of the world knows he deserved the perfect game, and everyone is pretty bummed out that he lost it due to an umpires missed call. Galarraga showed a very high level of mental toughness by closing the chapter on a great game and using the experience to learn from and focus on the next game. Thankfully, the media is giving us a gem for the front page, and not another arrest, drug bust, or story of infidelity.Young athletes need to see more of these types of stories, especially since they are learning how to be role models themselves. Unfortunately, the feel-good stories about athletes rarely get this much media attention, making it difficult to model healthy and successful off-field behavior.When I work with young athletes, I use these kinds of examples as teachable moments. By identifying and emphasizing Galarraga’s classy way of handling a very tough situation, kids can learn the importance of poise, control, and focus – three very important “mental toughness” variables. Rather than let his emotions get the best of him and amplify in his mind the significance of one erroneous call, Galarraga has taken a birds-eye view of his entire pitching performance that night, and will use the experience to better himself for his next start.Armando Galarraga may not be a perfect guy, but for one day he displayed some pretty awesome role modeling behavior. If he continues with this type of mindset and focuses on the next game (rather than over-focusing on what cannot be changed), I have no doubt that he will reach his full athletic potential – and possibly throw a perfect game (again) in the future.This great story is already gone from the front page, so be sure to have a conversation with a youngster about the teachable moment we just witnessed.
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