Pete Rose passed away this week, and while debates carry on about whether his gambling issues should continue to keep him out of the Hall of Fame, it is important to remember Rose for his on-field play and determination. Sadly, because of all the controversy that surrounds Rose, most kids today have no idea about why Rose was called “Charlie Hustle,” nor do they fully realize how much effort and hustle contributes to overall life success. Sure, Rose may have had some natural abilities, but what made him great was his 100% effort on every play — including sprinting to first base after being walked. Whatever Rose lacked in God-given talent he more than made up for it with hustle, and that is an incredibly powerful message for parents and coaches to teach kids.
Kids control attitude & effort!
OK, so Pete Rose hustled, what’s so big about that? A lot, actually. While we often see kids today slow-walk onto the field, just think how impressive it is to see a kid race out there looking like he or she can’t wait to play. Do you think that is impressive to coaches? When kids hustle their focus improves, as does their resiliency — qualities that help kids reach their full potential. Having a great attitude and hustling also allows kids to make plays on the field they might not have otherwise, thus leading to an increase in self-confidence — another variable that mediates success. But there is yet another layer to the importance of attitude and effort that goes beyond optics and self confidence, and it may be the most important reason to use Rose as an example of success.
Specifically, attitude and effort are 100% under the control of every kid who plays sports.
Unlike height, weight, and other pre-determined biological qualities, all kids can choose their attitude, as well as choose to hustle. Pete Rose chose to lock in to play, and he chose to run out every hit. Pete Rose chose to dive head-first, and he chose to sprint to first base, even on plays where clearly he had no chance. Setting aside the gambling controversy for a moment, and tell me there isn’t a coach out there who wouldn’t love to see that kind of Pete Rose effort from every kid on the team? If there is one thing I have learned from spending my entire professional career in sports it is that every coach looks for — and rewards — kids who show up with a great attitude and work hard on every play.
While it may be unlikely that your child “hustles” his or her way into a sports hall of fame one day, what we do know is that effort and attitude will help your child play better, feel better, and ultimately maximize the value of the youth sport experience.
Final thoughts
The late Pete Rose was indeed a controversial figure, and his problems with gambling have clouded many of the great contributions he made to baseball. Rose last played baseball in 1986, leaving generations of kids with the impression that all Rose did was bet on sports, when in fact his on-field play should be modeled by all young athletes working to be their best. The Hall of Fame has decided to keep Rose out, but I encourage all parents and coaches to examine the many ways in which you can use Rose’s on-field attitude and effort to show just how much of success is really left up to each individual and how bad you want to be the best.
drstankovich.com
