The Eye Doctor

Fourteen years ago, I went to the eye doctor. He told me I was soft, I didn’t work hard, I wasn’t very good at baseball, and he didn’t need me. He told me I needed to go see the Wizard of Oz because I had no heart. I didn’t end up going to see the Wizard, but I did continue going back to the eye doctor every morning at 5:30 during the summer months where I was broken down both physically and mentally. Every day I would have to do dive backs at 5:34 a.m. in the dark on the wet dewy grass, run hills, hundreds of burpees, dive for balls in the outfield, make perfect throws, and hear about every little mistake I made and how it cost our team. For the first time in my life I started to hear; then later, I began to see that it’s NOT ok.

The eye doctor then took me to Omaha, where I received my new lenses. I found out he was right, my vision and hearing had been clouded and blurred for years and I didn’t even know it. I could finally see clearly, this was what it was supposed to look like. The eye doctor showed me what the next level looks like in all facets of my life. The eye doctor showed me faith, focus, intensity, and what true commitment is. He showed me what’s possible if you have a detailed plan, you commit to that plan, and are willing to suffer to pay the price. I thank God every night before I go to bed for the eye doctor’s impact on my life, I feel very blessed for my vision and my hearing.

Think about your life. Has there ever been a person that totally rocked your world and opened your eyes? Has there ever been a moment in your life where you knew that your old life was over and you’d never look at life the same again? Take a minute and think about that. When I was diagnosed with ADHD this summer my doctor and I had a long conversation about what is called the lens of focus. If you have had a bunch of negative experiences in your life, you will tend to see and hear a lot of negative things in your world. If you have had a great experience that really impacted your life, you will tend to see and hear a lot of positive things.

For example, two people could sit and watch a baseball game together. At the end of the game the person with the positive experience would say the Yankees lost tonight, but man they play hard, they barreled up a lot of balls, and are really capable of being special this year, whereas the person with the negative experience would say the Yankees are terrible, they can’t hit, this year will be awful. Both people may have been in the same ballpark, but they watched two completely different games. It’s funny now, fourteen years later after going to see the eye doctor, I am really starting to see how fortunate I am to have had such a great experience.

On Friday, the Warriors will play Iowa Western, the reigning national champions of the NJCAA, in Game 1 of the Super-Regional. The four-team Super Regional features Kaskaskia College, South Suburban, Iowa Western, and our Wabash Valley Warriors. The winner goes to the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado. This week I have had a lot of calls from friends and family congratulating me on our team making it to this Super Regional. I love hearing from buddies about how great it is we made it this far but how it’s too bad you have to play Iowa Western in the first round, and how well-rounded and great of a club South Suburban is, and how great Kaskaskia’s pitching staff and offense is. Great moments are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. I see is opportunity, I love my friends but I think we are watching a different game. Thanks Eye Doctor!

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(photos courtesy of Dustin Coffman)