EDITORIAL: Little League coach shows class

In a drama that played itself out in the Whidbey News-Times’ opinion pages, a Little League coach who made an error showed the rest of us how to handle mistakes with class and dignity.

It started with a letter to the editor from a baseball fan who didn’t like the behavior she witnessed from one of the coaches, whom she did not name. It seems that the coach had reacted angrily to a situation, and didn’t follow the Little League rules of sportsmanship.

End of story? Hardly. In the next issue, the coach wrote back. He didn’t argue with the first letter. In fact, he admitted his mistake and offered his “sincerest apologies to everyone who witnessed my lack of self-control.” He signed the letter for all to see (News-Times, June 8).

Who else has admitted to a mistake in recent years and offered a heart-felt apology? We don’t remember any Enron executives apologizing, or any government officials who missed clues that may have helped prevent Sept. 11.

This letter should serve as an inspiration to the coach’s players, all of Little League, and society as a whole. Integrity and personal responsibility still live. Great job, coach.

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