As the last game of the season drew to a close, Coach Newfield called Kayla over. “Kayla, I am impressed by the improvement you have made since the start of the season. Don’t worry about this game; this season was just the warmup. I have complete faith in you being our starting pitcher next season.” Kayla nodded. “I know, coach. But I really wanted to win this one! We were almost there!” Coach Newfield smiled. “Don’t blame yourself. You pitched well, just not perfectly. You couldn’t bat for all our players, and we only scored one run. There wasn’t much else you could do. Remember, I have full faith in you.”
Earning the starting pitcher spot on the school softball team had been Kayla’s dream even since she started little league three years ago. During that time, Kayla’s team appeared in two championships and won both. Kayla started the second championship game and held the opposite team to three hits and no runs. Her pitching skills earned her a spot on the softball team, eventually taking over as starting pitcher halfway through the season. Kayla was only the third sixth-grader in the past 25 years to start as pitcher, so next year seemed really promising. Kayla swore to spend the summer playing as much softball as possible. Maybe she could get her team past the first round of the playoffs.
Sticking to her plan, Kayla practiced pitching every day of the summer. Her camp had softball leagues, which helped Kayla stay sharp in competition. Overall, Kayla was happy with how she pitched, but as the summer neared its end, she hit a snag. She began to have trouble getting her pitches over home plate. The speed was there, but her control started to waver. Fortunately this took place after her team won the championship, but that wasn’t enough to comfort Kayla. She was nervous she wouldn’t be ready in time for the fall softball season. Unfortunately, Kayla was (sort of) right to worry.
Softball tryouts were held in the afternoon following the third day of school. Kayla didn’t need to try out, however, Coach Newfield asked her to pitch to those trying out for the team. Kayla had not pitched in two weeks, hoping the rest would help her reset. Tryouts were the first opportunity to see if her control had returned. Unfortunately, it did not. After throwing a few wild pitches to the first three batters, Kayla started to act as if her shoulder hurt and asked Coach to replace her, which he did.
“Everything OK, Kayla?” asked Coach Newfield. “Tell me, what are you feeling in your shoulder?” Kayla looked away from her coach, but didn’t lie. She told him about her recent struggles to find home plate. Coach Newfield looked at her, concern on his face. “Well Kayla, you know I have full faith in you, and I’m sure you will come around. But the fall season is only 10 days away. For now, I’m going to let Brielle know she is going to have to prepare to start the first game, just in case. But Kayla, I have full faith in you.” Kayla nodded, but tears welled up in her eyes. She barely got out the next words. “I understand.”
That week, the team had one more round of tryouts and their first practice. Coach Newfield took a third pitcher on the team, just in case. He kept telling Kayla, “I have full faith in you,” but Kayla was starting to doubt it. That week, Kayla continued to struggle in practice, and it looked like she wouldn’t be ready in time for the first game. It was a big downer for everybody on the team.
That Shabbat, Coach Newfield attended a parsha shiur in the afternoon. The man presenting the shiur offered the following idea. “Parshat Bechukotai tells us what will happen if Bnei Yisrael don’t act faithfully with Hashem. Interestingly, a few of the mitzvot that surround this section deal with shemitah and yovel. The connection is as follows: During shemitah and yovel we are told to give up on our possessions. We leave our produce for anyone to take, we return homes to original owners, and we forgive money owed to us. This is true faith: actively showing that we have emunah that Hashem will take care of us. Saying, “Everything that comes from Hashem is nice, but true faith comes from action.”
Coach Newfield was stunned by this message. Of course Kayla wouldn’t improve if he continued to promise faith without showing it! He emailed Kayla right after Shabbat to let her know what he had learned. Three months later, Kayla was lifting the championship trophy into the air.
Yair Daar is the director of Student Life at Bicultural Hebrew Academy High School. He can be reached at [email protected].
