The End of the Line

There comes a time in sports where a player retires. They may have had a highly successful career or been a bit player in the sport. Last week, my youngest son's American Legion team was knocked out of the playoffs. It was a surprise to everyone since they only lost three games in the regular season. Unfortunately, other teams were peaking at the right time.

He turns 19 this week so his Legion days are over. It has been a thrill to watch him play baseball for the last 15 years, many of which I had the opportunity to coach. He'll be a sophomore at Penn State in the fall and has aspirations of playing Club ball. We'll see how it all turns out. As far as local baseball goes, this is the end of the line. In his case, the last game is a definite end point. He may play in other leagues or at school but he won't be representing his community as a ballplayer. We had the same feeling a couple of years ago when our oldest son's high school football career ended on a chilly November night. In all our minds, a couple of games too early as they too were bounced from the playoffs. He went on to play a couple years at the University of Chicago. I had a chance to watch all his home games last year including the last one where he played most of the 4th quarter. That turned out to be his last game as he's moving on to focus on studies and plan for a career.

How do you celebrate the end of a career or an associate leaving your organization? While retirements are typically a celebration of one's career, those who leave for another organization are often ostracized. How an organization celebrates the contributions of the individual helps define their practiced core values. Do you honor the person? Are you pleased for them when they move on to another organization? Are you happy they have the chance to fulfill their dreams and ambitions? Unfortunately, many employers take someone leaving personally leaving an awkward situation in its wake. In fact, many organizations are so concerned that state secrets may be taken that they escort the individual out immediately. Don't get me wrong, this is necessary in some cases-but not all.

The end of the line doesn't have to be a morbid place, but can be one of celebration. While I would love to watch more baseball and football, I know that a chapter has closed and new, exciting ones are opening up. Celebrate those who leave and create a wonderful atmosphere for those who stay.