My Dad was many things that I admired; an Air Force pilot that talked me through every intricate detail of how paper airplanes flew, an architect who I watched draw designs for structures made of steel and concrete, an athlete who played multi sports well, and a father with an afro and a dashiki that demanded respect from a society that had not yet established a value for men of color. We would share opposite pages of superhero coloring books. He would always fill-in faces of characters with brown skin. “Superman is not Black”, I’d say. He’d look at me with a questioning face, “Maybe your superman is not Black, but mine is”. From that moment I wanted to be superman. In 1976, my Dad took me and my first baseball glove to Pottawatomie Park on Chicago’s north side to play catch. It was a chilly Chicago early spring day. But despite the hatred I hold today for cold weather baseball, on this day, my first opportunity to field pop=ups and ground balls thrown from my dads right arm, I could barely feel the bitter, sharp, wind penetrating my zipped jacket or my cold and we runny nose, or the numbing fingers of my exposed hand. It was the day my superhero, brown -skinned Dad taught me how to utilize one of his superpowers; It was the day I fell in love with baseball. Today I still approach sports from the perspective of my lesson learned from early childhood experiences with my father through those of my extended family in college. I still lace up my cleats and head out to the softball fields several days a week. Washington Park and the 16” softball movement haws served as a communal refuge for many with similar upbringings. Talent, like superhero powers, lives within individuals. However, the drive that is needed to pull those powers to the forefront, to maximize the impact of those powers, are motivated by those caring adults who make true connections to players through sports. James Jackson, founder of the Flames Softball team was and remains like a second father to me. He taught me the right way to play the game of softball. Sherman Nelson, my coach during my 9 years with Young Guns softball, picked up where Dr. J left off and helped put my talents on the biggest stages. I tried to become the same influence for the younger guys that came up after me on and off the field bringing the Flames back and competing at the highest level, moving on to play with Team 23/Rack City at the highest level and then returning Young Guns and transitioning that young talent into High Y and again playing at the highest level. Softball was a big part of who I have become today. I love this great game and all of the great people I have met along the way. I hope I have given as much to the game as it has to me.
