Breathe in, Breathe out

As I watched Alex's baseball team play Keota in North Liberty, I could feel the frustration in the air. At first, the game was close. They were ahead, then we were, then them, then us, until at some point, the frustration of making mistakes - three dropped pop flies, overthrows to bases, being a step too slow to tag out a runner at home, pitches hitting two batters - just overwhelmed the team until it became a 15-4 defeat. In the ride home, Alex was clearly frustrated with how he had done. He was the pitcher that hit two kids, that dropped two of the three pop flies while playing left field. He wasn't the only one to make mistakes or to be frustrated. The next event for Alex's team is Friday's practice. I'd like to think that each player, including Alex, can find a way to set aside the game last night and to focus on the next game.

Another team that needs to do the same type of searching is the Indiana Pacers. For the second year in a row, they are in the NBA Eastern finals against the Miami Heat. The portion of the game I saw was a lot like Alex's baseball game. There were simple mistakes - bad passes, missed easy shots - that seemed to frustrate Indiana as Miami's LeBron James took over, like he normally does in a basketball game. As he imposed his will by dribbling around players and driving to the rim without any Indiana player able to stop him, what was an Indiana lead evaporated into a Miami Heat 10 point lead. The next event for the Indiana Pacers is their game 3 in Miami. I'd like to think that each player can find a way to set aside the game last night and to focus on the next game.