Help People win

Below are an inspired story from the book "25 Ways to Win With People" by John C. Maxwell (Chapter 25 - Help People Win , Pg. 169-172)

When John Maxwell's nephew, Eric, was seven years old, he got ready to play his first game in his first season of Little League baseball. John and Margaret went to see the game, and of course, John wanted to help Eric win. Here is the story as John often tells it:

You've got to understand, Eric had never played baseball before. He's intimidated, he's scared, he's fearful, he's frightened. And his coach thinks it's the World Series! So Eric walks up to the plate. His helmet is way down over his ears, his uniform is way too big for him, and he can hardly hold the bat. He's petrified. So there he stand, facing the other team's pitcher, who is always the biggest kid. His name is Butch, he's got a big wad of bubble gum in his jaw, and peach fuzz all over his face.
Eric just kind of hugged the bat and closed his eyes and prayed. And that ball went whoosh! Strike one. Whoosh! Strike two. Whoosh! Strike three. I mean, just like that, and when the umpire said “You are out” Eric just looked glad to be alive.

As he walked back to the dugout, parents started yelling at him and the coach was hollering at him. And I'm sitting there thinking, This is my nephew and he's scared.
So I went down to the little fence where Eric was, and I said “Sweetheart, I don't know what they have told you about baseball, but let your Uncle John teach you something. Baseball is a very simple game”
He said “what do you mean?”
I said, “You only have to do one thing. The next time you go up to bat, every time Butch throws the ball, you just swing the bat. That's all you have to do. Butch throws the ball, you swing the bat. Butch throws the ball, you swing the bat”
He looked at me and said “that is all I gotta do?”
I Said “that's all, don't worry about hitting that ball, just swing that bat” And all the sudden a smile broke out on his face, and he said “I can do that”
I said “Sure you can do that! Go Get them , boy”

The next time Eric got up to bat, Butch threw the ball and Erick swung the bat. He missed it by a mile. In face, he swung so late the ball was already in the catcher's glove. I am now beginning to clap my hands. I am saying, “Wonderful swing, Eric, wonderful swing. That-a-boy! Every time Butch throws the ball, you swing the bat”

Butch throws the ball Erick swings the bat. Butch throws the ball, he missing it by about three feet. Finally, he strikes out on the third strike.
I'm on my feet shouting, “Eric McCullogh, that is the finest strikeout I have ever seen in my life. Way to go!”At that point, the coach looks up into the bleachers and gives me a dirty look. And the parents aren't too happy either.
Margaret says “Sweetheart, I'm gonna go to the car and read a book.”
But I don't care, because after this at bat, Eric is smiling.

Now, to be honest, I didn't think Eric was going to get a hit that day. Besides, in Little League baseball, there's no such thing as a hit. If there is any kind of contact, it's not the bat hitting the ball, it is the ball hitting the bat. And if there's one thing I know, it is this: if the ball hits the bat, it doesn't have to go far, it just has to go fair. And in Little League baseball, if the ball goes anywhere in fair territory, you never stop running.

Well, I didn't think it was gonna happen, but it did. The third time up, Butch threw the ball, Eric swings, the ball hits the bat. It wasn't a crack out into center field, it was a thud. As soon as I saw the ball was fair, I'm out of the bleachers and I'm running down the first base line saying “Eric, keep on running, keep on running!”
As Eric goes around first base, I cut across the infield as fast as I can. I am not at third base and I'm saying “Come on, Eric! Come on, Eric!” Eric rounds third base, and together we slide safe in to home. Eric gets up and brushes off his uniform, I get up and brush off my suit, and we walked off the field, I just looked at the coach and gave him a smile.

We went home that day to Eric's home. His parents had to work and didn't get to see the game, but we replayed it for them. I stood in the middle of the living room and I pretended to be Butch, and Eric stood by the piano beach, which was home plate. I threw that pitch, he hit that ball. We went around the bases and Eric slid safe under the piano beach. We all stood up and gave him a standing ovation, and that day we launched Eric into his Little League baseball career.

Eric is all grown up now. But at about the time he was ready to graduate from high school, Erick came out to visit me. And he said “Uncle John, I've got something exciting to tell you. You remember my first Little League baseball game?”
"Of course I do” I said, and we reminisced about it.
"I've never forgotten it” Eric said “And I just wanted to tell you, this year I am going to college on a baseball scholarship”

You don't have to be rich, famous, or talented to help others win. You just need to care and do your best to help them. And know this: when you have the ability to help someone win, you will be that person's friend for life