"I don't care what the score was...it was still fun."

That quote came from Megan Neaf of St. Catherine Laboure's 4th grade softball team. The diminutive shortstop said it while sprinting back to her team's bench at the conclusion of their game against Assumption on Wednesday night. Megan's teammate had expressed disappointment over the game's outcome. Megan, however, chose not to let the scoreboard determine the quality of her experience. She played the entire game with plenty of heart and determination.

She caught the Sportsmanship Brigade's attention by encouraging every teammate who pitched. Megan clapped, yelled, stomped and openly cheered from the shortstop position. She was also the first player to pat that teammate on the back whenever her coach made a pitching change. This is especially important in baseball and softball as confidence is everything for a pitcher. Even on the pro level, how many pitchers' careers have we seen end because they lost confidence?

Well, Megan made sure every pitcher on her team knew she was confident in them. Her quote at the end just confirmed what we already suspected. Megan Neaf is a good sport. She know she participates in softball to have fun and won't miss an opportunity to have a little more. Megan was an easy award selection for the Brigade. As if that weren't enough, a parent stopped to talk to us as we were leaving the ballpark. "That was a nice thing you guys did tonight. Megan's a great kid and she always acts like that. She's not even mine, but I'm proud of her." We're proud of her, too.

Megan flanked by dad and Big Sol

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130. Until next time...

Be a Good Sport!

-Sol