As a parent and coach in the Aurora Parks and Recreation Baseball League I want to congratulate Coach Ken and his team on setting a good example of sportsmanship that we all can learn from.

After a long fought (extra innings) battle with coach Ken's team, my team was defeated in the first round of the playoffs. Our kids, exhausted and disappointed left the field trying to hold their heads up. My son was having difficulty accepting this loss. It seems that no matter how many times you say you are proud of him, it didn't overcome the feeling of this game being the last game of a well played season. This called for drastic measures we took him for ice cream.

Upon arriving at the local ice cream shop we slipped in line and looked over at Coach Ken's victorious team. That's when it happened. Coach Ken saw us, came over and took hold of my son's hand and put him in line with his team to buy his ice cream. He congratulated my son on a great game and my son lit up with joy. The kid's welcomed my son in at their picnic table (9 red shirts and 1 Green) and they discussed the game. There were laughs and pats on the back to each other as they relived all of the plays that made them baseball legends.
This simple gesture from Coach Ken taught good sportsmanship.

As parents we get so caught up in winning the games that we fail to see that the best victories are the friendships that these kids have. It didn't matter that on the field these kids were rivals giving it their all for the parents and fans that were cheering for them. At the end it was about sharing an ice cream.

Thank You Coach Ken-You and your team are a real class act!

Don Kennis