You've probably heard about Mo'ne Davis, the 12 year old pitching phenom. Beyond the more obvious importance of Mo’ne Davis’ journey to the Little League World Series for the advancement of women and girls in sports, Mo’ne’s success is a huge win for play. I’ve been prepping for my talk this month at the upcoming TEDMED, where I’m kicking off a session entitled “Play: It’s Not a waste of Time.” No, really. My talk is on why play matters – its values to individuals and groups – and a look at society’s nagging ambivalence about it.
Little league in the United States is notoriously competitive, and the stories about coaches and parents gone too far are legion. My friend Jim Thompson and his team at the Positive Coaching Alliance have done some amazing work around changing the conversation from “win at all costs” to “better athletes, better people,” but youth sports still spend too much time in the shadow of professional sports.
Which makes Mo’ne’s journey somewhat unique. There may come a time when women will be welcomed into professional baseball, but for now, Mo’ne is playing in the truest sense of ‘play’ as defined by the dictionary: a pleasurable activity undertaken for no apparent purpose.
Play matters because even though there is “no apparent purpose,” it leads us to experiences that encourage us to learn and grow. Play matters because people matter, and it reminds us of how much we need one another. Mo’ne’s journey to the Little League World Series matters for exactly these same reasons, and we are lucky to have her around this Fall reminding us that sometimes doing something you love, with people you care about, is an extraordinary way to make a difference.
CC Photo via Airman Magazine, cropped to fit.
