The Home Run King

The Home Run King  (Back to the little dragons home page)    

Greg really liked school and did very well in all his classes.  He liked every class except PE, because he wasn't good at sports.  In fact, he was so bad at baseball that the other kids made fun of him.  However, Greg's parents often told him, "Don't worry Greg, sports aren't all that important.  When you grow up you are going to be an engineer or a doctor.  You'll be very successful, and everyone will respect you."  Greg thought this was great.  "Just wait and see," he thought.  "When I grow up, all those guys will be sorry for picking on me."

One day at PE they were about to play baseball, and they started out choosing teams.  Greg was the last to be chosen.  Some of them tried to argue with the coach saying it wasn't fair to have a loser like Greg on their side.  The coach told them to stop complaining and play ball.  They put Greg out in right field, and told him he would be last to bat.

Greg stood in the outfield while the other side was at bat.  He was glad no one hit a ball past the first baseman so he didn't have to move much.  Eventually, Greg's turn at bat came around.  He didn't get to bat very often, and he was very nervous.  He was trembling because he was afraid he would strike out just like he always did, and then the kids would all laugh at him and call him names.  "Please don't miss, please don't miss", he said to himself over and over, but it didn't help.  Greg struck out!

"I told you he'd strike out," laughed Larry, who was bigger than Greg.

Greg heard what Larry said, and yelled back at him, "At least I'm not stupid like you!  I'm going to be famous when I grow up, and you'll still be stupid!"

Larry could dish it out, be he couldn't take it.  He began to beat up on Greg.  Luckily, the coach saw the fight and broke it up.  "There will be no fighting here.  You know the rules."

Larry was unscratched, but Greg had a black eye and several bruises.  He was humiliated.  No one sympathized with him, and he began to think that being smart wasn't such a blessing.

When Greg's parents saw his black eye that evening, they were very concerned, and disappointed in Greg for getting into a fight.  They talked about the problem for a long time before they went to sleep that night.

Next morning at breakfast, Greg's dad said, "We're worried because you can't defend yourself, Greg.  Your mom and I think it will be helpful for you to go to martial arts classes, so you can learn self defense."

"They'll make fun of me just like all other kids!  Don't make me go!" Greg pleaded, but his parents were firm in their decision.

The first day Greg went to class at the martial arts school, the weather was cold and miserable, and Greg felt just like the weather!  But martial arts lessons were very different from what he had expected.  After he got over his feeling that he was an outsider, he actually started to have a good time. The instructor gave him a white uniform to wear, and led him into a room where there were about twenty other boys and girls.  The instructor showed the students how to exercise their legs and do front kicks.  No one had ever taken the time to teach him how to use his arm and leg muscles before.

Another thing Greg learned was that no one in martial arts class ever makes fun of anyone else.  About half way through the class, the instructor asked everyone to sit by the mat.  Then he asked several of the kids to show their forms.  Greg didn't know what this meant, but he was glad he didn't have to stand in front of the instructor and all the other kids, kicking and punching in a pattern he could barely recognize, much less do from memory.  When one student couldn't remember how to do the form, Greg was surprised when the others supported him, saying, "You're learning Mike!  Good try!  You'll get it next time!"  Greg wanted to be part of a group like this.  Even if he never learned to defend himself, it would be a nice change to hear encouraging words as he tried!

Greg continued to come to the martial arts school twice a week for several months, all through the winter.  When spring came around, he was surprised to realize he was getting pretty good.  His instructor taught him that the mind and body must work together as one.  He learned that exercising both the body and the mind bring life into balance.  Up until then, Greg had always thought that his body was his enemy.  He thought he would always be uncoordinated and weak.  Boy was he wrong!  He was becoming stronger, both in body and mind.  He was in charge of his own life. Most important of all, he was really beginning to feel good about himself.

It had been months since Greg's PE class played baseball because winter had driven everyone inside.  Now that the warm spring weather had arrived, the class went outside to play baseball.  When it came time to choose teams, Greg was the last one chosen, as usual, but this time he just smiled to himself.

When his turn finally came to grab a bat, he told himself, "Relax, and do your best.  Concentrate on the ball.  This is nothing but an opportunity."  The pitcher sent the first ball across the plate.  Greg swung hard, but he missed it.  The other players began to make fun of Greg, but he ignored them.  "Concentrate on the ball," he told himself with a smile.  "You are the man!"  The next pitch seemed to be wide, so Greg didn't swing.  The umpire called a strike.

"Watch the ball.  You can do it," he said to himself.  He didn't even hear some of his teammates jeering at him.  He concentrated.  The pitcher wound up and released the ball.  Greg watched the ball as it came towards him, almost as if it were in slow motion.  The ball looked very big.  He heard the beautiful clean sound as his bat met the ball, and he watched as it flew higher and higher, over the right fielder, then over the right field fence.  He had hit a home run!  He circled the bases, smiling at his teammates.  As he crossed home plate, his teammates surrounded him, cheering and patting him on the back.  Even Larry congratulated him.

"How'd you do it?!" Larry asked with admiration.  "I had no idea you were that strong!"

"Larry," Greg replied."There are quite a few things about me you don'tknow."       

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