At the annual conference in Louisville last fall, President Garry Clark awarded me a Louisville Slugger bat in place of a gavel. The baseball theme may come up more than once in these columns. 

April, at least in the Midwest, brings around the familiar smells, sights, and sounds of America’s pastime of baseball. Hope springs eternal. As of April 8, my Reds were leading the pack, a sure bet for the World Series. Today, the picture is a little different, we are under 500 and scratching our heads.

That’s life though, isn’t it? We start on projects with the goal in mind, then we run into issues and obstacles which we didn’t expect. There are baseball quotes for every situation, so here are a few. 

 “Life is like a baseball game. When you think a fastball is coming, you gotta be ready to hit the curve.” – Jaja Q.

Hall of Fame pitcher Bullet Bob Feller said, “Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is."

There are days when things just don’t go right, and you want to give up. Don't. What you do is important to your community and to rural America. Economic development is like baseball, a team sport – do your darndest and depend on your team to help you reach the goal. Use all your resources and remember NREDA is a fantastic way to connect with those who want you to succeed. 

The last baseball quote of the day sums up what it takes to succeed in baseball, economic development, and life. It is from a favorite of mine, Yogi Berra, “Baseball is 90% mental, and the other half is physical.” 

Put your toes on the line and keep swinging.