Out Of Nowhere, There is Baseball
This is a more recent piece about the power of baseball in other countries. Specifically, this looks at the coach and he reminded me a bit of Lou Sweet. Read, comment, reflect. What are your thoughts on George and his baseball project?
Hope minicourse was lovely.
Joseph Kakkis
ReplyDeleteI believe that George's mission to spread baseball in Uganda is a prime example of how baseball goes beyond being just a game. It is able to unite people and create connections that would otherwise not exist. Recently, Uganda has been going through some very tough circumstances, yet George's open practices create a space for kids to be just kids. George himself seems to be a good, hardworking man who does what he does for the love of the game. This project is his volunteer work in a way as he also works construction, but he always seems to find time to help others in his community. Through the ordinary game of baseball, he did some that I feel is quite extraordinary. There is a line or two in the article about the possibility of a Ugandan pro ballplayer. Based off the story of the first Indian ballplayers, i believe that George's dream will eventually be fulfilled, and it will be, at least in part, due to him. Based off their win against US troops, I think that that dream will materialize sooner rather than later. I also truly admire how he followed through (baseball double meaning haha) on something that was shown to him as a child and continued to pursue it in adulthood. His example provides hope for other Ugandan children to pursue what they want in life and succeed to the level he has. Baseball players such as Derrek Lee and Jimmy Rollins both have recognized him as a leader, so his project is definitely gaining ground. Dream big, and eventually, that dream will become a reality.
George's baseball project, like other similar baseball-related endeavors, seems to be without any kind of financial incentive. We saw it especially with Ray's field and journey, but it is also visible to a certain extent with Sweet. Sweet isn't exactly being offered a huge bonus for coaching the baseball team, and he's taking on a lot of responsibility and a sizable time commitment. Still, Sweet and George share a passion for baseball cultivated during their youth, and they both adopt a more friendly approach to coaching. Both exemplify the polar opposite of the drill-sergeant-esque, shouting, forever angry coach. Their bonds with the players extend beyond baseball, and the kids they coach come to view them not as superiors but almost as equals in a way. Sweet barbecues with his players, and George takes them in when they don't have a place to sleep. Despite coaching in radically different places, they both exhibit the same kind of coaching style with the same kind of success. This speaks to the universality of baseball, and about how it can affect just about anybody, something we also saw in Kinsellas' Shoeless Joe and in Macon.
ReplyDelete- Sam R.
While George’s gift of baseball doesn’t solve Uganda’s financial, political and other such difficulties, it gives the children he coaches a happy distraction from the atrocities around them. In a world plagued by “HIV-AIDS, malaria [and] the regime of President Museveni” and other everyday difficulties, all the Ugandan children really need is something to smile about and make them forget their problems. As we have all read or experienced, baseball has this magical quality. While George can’t solve most of the children’s problems, he can make them happy and even given them a promising future. Considering George has taken teams to the Little League World Series, he shows experience as a very talented coach, one that could catch the attention of recruiters to hopefully take his players out of the Ugandan slums. In the end, George is doing the best he can and in my opinion, this is a great project as it is probably the most one man could do for these children in such a position.
ReplyDeleteI think this piece really speaks to the uniting power of baseball; it is not for the rich or poor, but rather, it is simply human. George is an inspiring guy. Evidently, he doesn't need financial compensation for coaching to make it a worthwhile use of his time. It is fulfilling in and of itself, it seems. It is people like him who create hope and joy amidst chaos and poverty. By passing on the game that he was taught as a child, he is continuing a legacy that clearly serves a purpose, and fosters genuine happiness in kids who might not otherwise have that opportunity, given the meager resources and opportunities. I also think it is very cool how the guy who wrote this article, John Miller, talks about how similar George's practices are to those he ran in Brussels. This just speaks to baseball's ability to transcend any sort of social, geographical, and racial differences and enrich just about any community. It sounds like George's practices are fun, messy, and everything that a kid from Uganda might need in order to forget about the harsh realities, even if for just a moment.
ReplyDeleteMorgan
George loves baseball, but so do millions of others. The MLB would not exist without these lovers of the baseball square (Trahan's words not mine) and the players that occupy it. And many share their love. They give away tickets, coach a little league game or two, have a World Series party. This is where George begins to leave the others. The many of youth in George's community have to worry about a lot more than just baseball. Many do not have clothes or shoes let alone cleats. And he still manages to bring them together and play ball. He is able to channel the effects of the World Cup or even the Olympics on the small baseball fields. Just as the worries of the world pause for these huge events (such as pausing WW2 and having the olympics in Nazi Germany) the youth are able to forget about "HIV-AIDS, malaria [and] the regime" while they play. And they are able to play a sport in the same way on the same kind of field that kids in the United States do. They achieve something that John expresses, "In many wealthy, privileged American towns, [is] a hard thing to find." And although money is an issue, as it is on any level (now many countries fight to not host the olympics because it is so expensive) , George is still consistently getting passionate kids out on the field. And in John's words, "[George is] already winning".
ReplyDelete- B-Wood a.k.a. I_BE_BWOOD or @bwoody_woodson
DeleteThis Ugandan team is an example of how far baseball has spread around the world. Seeing that this movement has being supported by both major leaguers and a Japanese aid agency proves that baseball is becoming a global undertaking, as it were, giving children around the world a chance to play the game. It is inspiring to see George Mukhobe’s dream come to life. George parallels Coach Sweet in the sense that they both believe that baseball is supposed to be fun (like a game should be), and treat it as such by allowing the kids to participate based on their level of dedication and love for the game. While he wants his players to become the best that they can, he prefers that they have fun in doing so rather than putting them through hell like many coaches choose to do. He also understands and accepts that parents and players may not always agree with his style, focusing on coaching rather than these distractions. What intrigues me most about George is that he is not coaching to simply give the kids a chance to play baseball, but rather for his own love of the game. He believes coaching is his calling and a way of connecting to the game he loves, one that he believes needs to be shared and taught throughout the rest of Africa. I really admire his dedication and passion.
ReplyDeleteGriff
This story demonstrates the power of baseball to transcend poverty and other obstacles. It also sheds light on a powerful coach who is able to bring together the younger community in Uganda. Although America has surely done enough to influence and violate Africa and its people, this is one sport that appears de-polarized and non-political. Playing baseball isn’t about anything besides the love of the game. George makes baseball accessible for the kids, and teaches them basic skills like teamwork that they may have not otherwise learned. The range of children from early tweens to early twenties reminded me even more of the mismatched Macon team in One Shot at Forever. The fields and equipment that the Macon team and Ugandan players use, draw another parallel with both teams making due with what they have. Sweet and George seem extremely similar as well, in their ability to bring together dedicated and competitive young people, and teach them lifelong lessons. The two coaches additionally share a lighthearted perspective on their role in coaching the children, and both seem humble despite the influential role the have in their community.
ReplyDeleteAlly
I think that this project is a perfect example of how a game can help people to overcome obstacles in their lives, or at the very least give them something to use to cope with the obstacles. What George is doing is amazing- teaching kids about baseball and giving them something to succeed in but also teaching them valuable life lessons and exposing them to different people and ideas. He’s similar to Sweet in the sense that they both just love people. They don’t go about coaching by yelling at players and telling them what they’re doing wrong in demeaning ways, they coach by getting to know the players, showing the kids that they have someone in their lives that cares about them, and by giving them something to succeed in rather than telling them what they’re not succeeding in. George’s passion is something that I wish more people had and the kids that he coaches are extremely lucky to be able to experience his passion.
ReplyDeleteEverything George Mukhobe is doing for these people is incredible. It gives them a chance to escape the negativity accompanied with everyday life. It gives people a chance to look forward to something; a chance to learn something new; a chance to possibly love something. All Of that is great. but what strike me as the most amazing thing is how humble George is and how in touch he is with what is actually happening. He came from the slums and worked hard to share his love with kids in similar situations to his. He easily could have just given in and those kids could have gone back to their normal lives, but he didn't and now these kids can look forward to something fun. Equally as important, though, is how George recognizes how baseball does not actually solve any of the true problems (HIV/AIDS, malaria, etc). Instead he knows that baseball is merely an enjoyable retreat away from those problems. George is an amazing man and in the end I agree with author John Miller, George is "already winning".
ReplyDelete-Connor Roach
While reading this article, I noticed many similarities between George and Sweet. Both coaches manage to make something out of nothing. Macon High lacks clear talent, and George lacks equipment and many other necessities; This makes both of them an obvious underdog. Despite being an underdog, George is able to encapsulate the unifying qualities in baseball. Even though George lacks supplies that a little league team in a more developed country would have, he still creates a community through baseball for kids who probably need it the most. Miller points out that the kids George are coaching face challenges that are unseen by kids in first world countries; however, baseball becomes an outlet for these kids, and by attending baseball practice they are able to forget some of their troubles. This makes baseball invaluable to the kids.
ReplyDeleteI think that George's story is inspiring for people around the world who may or may not face the same hardships that people in his town of Uganda face. George's passion for baseball and his ability to organize the sport in his town of Uganda is uplifting in itself, but his ability to provide happiness to the children in his town is even more inspiring. His ability to provide the children with a release from the difficulties that they may face off of the field is something that should be admired and emulated around the world. George's story shows how baseball, regardless of where it is played, can provide a release for reality for the time being. It provides an emotion for many that may not be able to be attained in their life. George also understands that the development of baseball in Uganda is the least of its worries, its rather a release from the worries and a way to cope with them. I think that George's story is respectable in many different ways, and shows how baseball can be uplifting in even the most impoverished towns with little ability to find something enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteAlthough George and others recognize that giving the opportunity to play baseball to the kids and adults in Uganda will not solve the different political, economic, and financial issues, it does offer a productive distraction and useful coping mechanism from the horrors in their lives. George is offering these people something they might have never learned, baseball, and he is teaching them critical life skills outside of baseball they would not have learned at home. Similar to Sweet, George gives and creates an incredible opportunity for the people, which he creates out of nothing. Both George and Sweet obviously lacked gear, supplies, and, last but not least, talent. However, they ultimately end up creating a tight knit community and escape for the people. To me George’s story sticks out for it represents the very limited amount of people in this world who are truly passionate and dedicated to helping others and only receive personal gratification as a result.
ReplyDeleteSamantha
George's power as a baseball coach in Uganda epitomizes the power that some sort of escape, where on can experience pure happiness, can have on an individual or community. From an outsider looking in, a successful baseball practice may seem like a small feat, but the respect George demands and the passion he is instilling in these kids is about more than baseball. In general, sports teach kids how to be dedicated, passionate, competitive, and determined, but George is able to provide much more with his role as a coach. Miller subtly reveals the truth about baseball the power of baseball in Uganda. The problems in a baseball game are minuscule in comparison to many of the problems in Uganda, but Baseball provides an opportunity for the kids to overcome a set of adversities - something that isn't necessarily an option in the rest of their lives. George is extremely similar to Sweet in the sense that they create something beautiful out of almost nothing and create a safe bubble within a toxic environment.
ReplyDelete-Chloë
In my opinion, George's project epitomizes the spirit of baseball. George teaches the game through his own love for the sport, and it seems that those he teaches realize the power of baseball. Through George, young students of the game are able to learn the values of baseball, the most important aspect being fun. As John Miller points out, fun is an aspect of baseball that is not always prominent, even in wealthy parts of America. Much like Sweet, George is able to create a fun learning environment from almost nothing, further proving that baseball is a game that is driven by a passion for the sport. Baseball in Uganda is raw, with players and coaches who share a love of the game, who live to throw and catch, hit and run. The harsh, unforgiving environment that surrounds George's baseball bubble, attests to George's ability to share his love. He has created a haven for many budding players, a way for these kids to escape from the adversity in their life. Most importantly, George loves the game.
ReplyDeleteAngus Strawbridge
George's attitude towards the game of baseball and how to present it to Uganda has a direct relation to Rays idea of baseball. Baseball is seen more as an activity that brings people together. It is a game where people can have fun and forget about all of the stressful things in life. Although the MLB incorporates the importance of money within baseball and how that can affect the game, I think stories such as George's, remind us that anyone can play baseball, no matter how much money they or how much skill they have. George brings the idea that Baseball is a lot more than just a game, it is a way to connect with others, creating a family like community. With all of the struggles that people of all ages face while living in Uganda, Baseball is their escape. It is something that allows them to have joy. I think George's story is also very touching because it shows his passion for teaching with the only reward being pleasing others. George comes off as a very selfless man who wants to better the community around him and he does this through baseball. While blending his passion for baseball and his country, George creates a healthy atmosphere that brings attention to the fact that baseball can be enjoyed by anyone and that it forms an environment much more healthy than the one they live in through their daily lives
ReplyDelete- Cooper
I believe that there is a clear comparison that can be made between Sweet and his program to George and his program. Both are lacking in funding and in equipment and neither team can be expected to do well just bsed off of appearances. Contrary to their apperences both teams are able to beat the teams that have an advantage over them. The Ugandan team is able to beat the American military team, whose players have most likely grown up with baseball their entire lives and the Ugandan team is under equipped and should not even have a chance of winning. Similarly Sweet and his team are able to beat the big bad schools that have enough players to actually cut people. Both coaches also have similar coaching styles. Neither of them command athority, they both know that when they speak their players will listen because they want to learn.
ReplyDeleteGeorge’s baseball project exemplifies the "do something because you love it” attitude. While he comments that it would be nice to have better facilities for practice, George focuses on providing a safe space for the kids of the community to come together and forget all of the other problems they may be facing, allowing them to unite over their love for baseball. I think George’s response to the question about coping with patrons, politics and parents epitomizes the entire structure of his baseball program. The goal of each practice is just for kids to have fun, develop a love for baseball and forget about various problems they are dealing with. In an area where there are so many issues facing these children, baseball gives them something to look forward to, believe in, and just enjoy. Even if it doesn’t end up being baseball they want to pursue, I think that instilling this mindset of doing things because you like them in kids is so important as the habits they develop early in their lives are the ones they carry with them. Because of this, George’s influence on the kids will span much farther than just the baseball realm.
ReplyDelete-Katarina