Lessons From The Chicago Little League Cheating Scandal

If you have not heard, a Little League team from Chicago had their international championship stripped away and given to the runner up team today because the coaches and administrators of the team lied and cheated in the registration process. (My cynical side immediately asked why anyone would be surprised by cheating in Illinois - and Chicago - but that's another topic.)

The details are not important at this point so please don't get hung up correcting detail, look at the big picture issues.  This was not - as so many are wont to say when they get caught - a "Mistake". It was deliberate cheating and misleading families and kids into believing everything was done right. Those responsible have been fired, so that's that for now.

I want to say I heard the headline and basic facts on ESPC (some call it ESPN but since they are the most PC group in the media I changed their call letters). I will hear their spin later, but for now this is all mine!

First, I feel awful for the kids. I believe they played great baseball but they won their games on an unlevel field...at least until another team is exposed for the same crime.

Next, this was the first all African American team to achieve what they did. And, I fear these kids will become pawns for the race baiters who crawl out from under their rocks at such times.
My concern for those kids is that they will draw the right conclusions from this tragedy. They will be exposed, I a certain, to leaders who want to make this a race issue. You know the old, "If this were a white team from the suburbs this would not be happening" speeches.

The vipers who hiss the loudest are the racists in my view. They will no doubt do their best to turn this into a victim issue, "us against them" kind of thing like they did in Ferguson and New York earlier this year. They are happiest when rage replaces reason, and they gain speaker's fees for inciting innocent people to "get even".

So what are the lessons these kids should learn? That's not an easy task but here are three big ones:

1) You were robbed by people you trusted. That does not mean you can never trust leaders again, but you need to learn who you can trust. People who talk big, promise everything for nothing and care less about you than themselves are people to avoid.  Parents should be the first line of trust, but unfortunately, not all parents are trustworthy. Jesus said it well: Be harmless as a dove yet wise as a serpent.

Part of maturing is mastering the art of learning who you can trust and who you can't. Trust is not something you should give away all at once. It is built a brick at a time. Making and keeping small promises, as Stephen Covey says, is how we build trust.

Even good people will occasionally stop building well, or even knock a  few bricks down, but watch out for anyone who promises the world when it is not theirs to give. Trust is a valuable commodity we need in our lives...lest we become paranoid and reclusive.

2) This is not about you. If you played according to the rules with personal integrity you are not to blame. You are not required to relinquish your memories or your pride in what you achieved. Don't let anyone turn you into a victim by making you feel you got treated unfairly, especially because of your race. Cling to your feelings of joy that come from being part of something good, not a false shame that isn't your property.

3) When you have a chance to be a leader, at any level, be trustworthy at all times, even when you are out of sight. Partner with people who have integrity and a proven record of being trustworthy. Accountability and transparency are critical tools for every leader. Accept your responsibility and carry the trust of others with care. If you slip, be honest and start from there to rebuild trust as Covey suggests above.  Remember, each of us has the ability to help or hurt, build or destroy each day by our behavior and decisions. Our choices do matter.

Those are a few ideas of how to turn disappointment into something valuable. That may be the most important skill anyone can learn in life, because disappointments comes at us all with great regularity. If these kids can learn that at their age, they have a leg up on life.

There are more lessons I'm sure, but it's time to quit.  

Jack
February 11, 2015