The Neumann University Club Baseball team is using a baseball glove as a symbol of stewardship during the 2019 season. Stewardship is defined as taking care of creation, others, and ourselves. On occasion, as a team we use our hands to clean up around campus. Just like we use rubber gloves to protect our hands when we clean up campus, we use a baseball glove to protect our hands from the different plays in baseball (“line drive, ground ball, etc). If we are not using this glove to protect our hands in the game of baseball, we would not be able to use our hands to give back.
The Neumann Club Baseball team defines Stewardship is defined as the job of supervising or taking care of something. As part of the club baseball team, there are many things that we, as players take care of. Some of the things that we take care of are the University campus and Bruder Field. After our practices and games, our job is to make sure that the field is in better shape than when we first stepped on it. We drag the field, baselines, bullpens, etc. and we put the tarp over the mound and home plate when necessary. Most importantly, we take care of each other. Whether one of us has pitched a so-so inning or had a few sub par plate appearances, every time we come back to the dugout, the whole team is there to give support.
Whether we are playing in a game, in the classroom or around campus, we keep this same attitude off the field as well. While observing the Play Pillar, the example that pertains to our team is “Joy”. On the Play Pillar it states, “Joy is most deeply felt when preceded by struggle and despair, as exemplified by Jesus’ death and resurrection”. Most of us on this team played high school baseball but, didn’t get recruited to play in college. Even through the obstacles of not being recruited, the reason we play club baseball is because we still find a joy and passion in lacing up our cleats every weekend and competing. We find joy in continuing to play baseball here at Neumann, especially with this group of young men. Arthur Ashe once said, “You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself, your own highest standards, and when you reach your limits, that is the real joy.” Through our journey of becoming the best that we can be and reaching our limits, we will encounter struggles and obstacles but, we will find joy in these experiences because our teammates are there supporting each other and building off of each other every step of the way.