As you’ve heard me say multiple times, one of many reasons I love sports is because it mirrors life. The 2022 Phillies have shown a lot of lessons that I can relate to and are just one of many reasons I love sports and this team.
Overcoming Setbacks:
The Phillies have overcome a number of setbacks. Early in the season they fired their manager. Their star player and last year’s MVP, Bryce Harper missed significant time due to injury and was limited to just being the DH and not playing the outfield. They just barely made the playoffs after struggling through September. But none of that mattered and they are now one of eight remaining teams left in baseball.
I’ve had a number of setbacks on this cancer journey but big picture my treatment worked which is the most important thing. During the second half of my chemo treatments I got a neutropenic fever and ended up in the ER. Seven weeks after my mastectomy I got a staph infection and had to have surgery to remove the expander from my reconstruction. There’s now an issue I’m dealing with in the other breast. There’s been setbacks but I keep focusing on kicking this cancer’s ass and getting back to work.
Anything can happen on a given day:
That’s one of the best things about sports. It doesn’t matter how bad a team is, you just never know what can happen on that day. The Phillies barely made it into the playoffs and were on the road but advanced to the NLDS. The Cardinals were 92-0 in the playoffs when leading by 2 or more runs…now they are 92-1 following Friday’s 6-3 loss.
Anything can happen with our jobs and in our lives. We never know what to expect even if things are fairly predictable. Some days at work I can sit down and work on schedules or projects at my desk and other days I’m up constantly working on issues in the locker rooms or pool. One minute I was listening to my baby’s heartbeat and the next I was headed for an ultrasound to determine if I had breast cancer or not. You never know day to day what can happen. Life and sports are both unpredictable.
Don’t give up:
The Phillies were down 2-0 heading into the ninth inning Friday and weren’t doing much offensively. They managed six runs in the 9th to win 6-3 and take Game 1. The game “ain’t over til it’s over” as they say and this team showed so much heart in that last inning comeback.
It was hard to stay positive throughout this cancer journey but I knew I had to. Even with the setbacks, even with the diagnosis at 23 weeks pregnant, I stayed focused on kicking this cancer’s ass and now it’s on getting back to work. I have not and will not give up.
Make things happen:
The ninth inning rally on Friday started with walks then a huge 2 RBI single by Jean Segura. More than any other sport, in baseball, one error or mistake often leads to another. Put the ball in play and see what happens. A bunt by Brandon Marsh led to a run, a sac fly led to another. Little things made runs and a win happen.
I learned little things can show me how far I’ve come in this cancer journey. It was so exciting to blow dry my hair for the first time in months a few weeks ago. It’s taken awhile to have enough hair to dry but that’s ok. After my mastectomy, being able to shower on my own was a sign I was finally getting better and more mobility in my arms. Small things can make a big difference.
The importance of teamwork:
There’s been different players stepping up each day and it’s truly been a team effort to secure the wins for the Phillies. Great pitching by Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler was one reason the Phillies advanced in the playoffs. Great base running by pinch runner Edmundo Sosa led to a key run in the 6-3 win Friday. A big home run by Bryce Harper helped in Saturday’s 2-0 win. A huge base hit by Segura led to 6 runs in the 9th Friday. Alec Bohm had a huge play defensively Saturday to rob what would have easily been a double.
I know teamwork from my own job which I’ll hopefully be back at soon. I work closely with our maintenance specialist to ensure the pool chemicals are where they should be and we work together to keep our facilities clean and open. Our admin assistant helps me order supplies and get our vendors paid. Security helps to have the facility open for the many hours we are open especially on weekends. We all communicate and work together to keep our facilities running smoothly. Teamwork is also what my husband and I do in order to manage our five kids and get where we need to be. Teamwork was all the support from family, friends and my medical team which all helped me to kick this cancer’s ass.
Own your mistakes:
One Phillies player who has quickly become a fan favorite and one of mine as well is Alec Bohm. Early in the season he had a terrible game at third base making three errors and was seen saying “I f… hate this place.” Rather than deny saying it, Bohm admitted he was frustrated and apologized. The Phillies fans loved that he didn’t deflect or blame but owned up to his mistakes. He has improved throughout the year and has had some great defensive plays in the Wild Card series to help the Phillies win. And I think owning his mistake was a huge turning point for him.
There was a weekend last summer when I accidentally double booked two rentals for the pool which also affected our rec swimmers. It was a big mistake, caused a lot of headaches and I had to sort this out over the phone while walking through the Washington Street Mall in Cape May on vacation. I gave the one rental a free weekend of use and the rec swimmers who signed up that day two free weeks. I messed up and had to remedy how to fix the error. Errors or mistakes help us grow and learn.
I know this was a long post but there’s been so much to love about this Phillies team in 2022. The ups and downs they have been through are much like the ups and downs we go through in life because sports are such a great analogy for life.
#phillies #playoffbaseball #sportsmirrorslife #lifelessons #teamwork #breastcancerbattle #onetoughmother
