Patience vs. Assertiveness

One of my seven-year old son's favorite things is attempting to get baseball players to throw him baseballs before, during, and/or after baseball games. A term known as "toss-ups" made famous by the YouTuber, Zack Hample.

He's pretty good at this, actually. He (sometimes with my assistance on a couple of occassions) has received baseballs from Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Guaranteed Rate Field, and Busch Stadium. And he's raked from numerous minor league teams at various locations.

Recently, while, at Wrigley Field waiting for toss-ups, two hours prior to the game, I started to reflect on this hobby. And as I reflected, I realized that there are two very good life skills that you need in-order to be successful in collecting toss-ups.

• Patience. You must be patient. Lately, when my son and I attend a baseball game, we get there when the gates open. That's two-hours before the game starts. There's a lot of sitting, and a lot of waiting. Last year, for example, we arrived to Guaranteed Rate Field at 4:30 to get in-line so that we could be some of the first entrants when the stadium doors opened at 5:00 for a 7:00 game. This meant that (at the time) my six-year old son was waiting, in July, in the sun from 4:30 to 5:00; we stood together and we talked to each other to pass the time.
  
  Once we were inside we watched the players take batting practice, but patting practice does not last the duration of time from when they let you into the stadium and when the game actually begins; there is a lot of down time. Nonetheless, he was engaged from 4:30pm to after 10:00pm when the game ended. And I kid you not, we left our seats less than a handful of times while at the game. He's a great fan. I love going to games with him.
  
  *He ended-up with two baseballs from the Cubs (from batting practice) this particular evening.
  *I assure you, this is entirely my son's idea. I think it's awesome and I love doing it with him, but doing so is always his decision.
  Patience is a skill. Just like anything else, to get better at it, you have to practice it. Practicing patience is worth it; it's a valuable trait to possess.
  
• Persistence. You must be persistent. You have to be willing to speak-up. You have to be willing to communicate - clear, concise, and loud - what you want when the time arrives. We aren't the only ones at these games trying to get these "toss-ups." Quite the contrary, actually; these "toss-ups" make nice collections and souvenirs so they can be pretty desirable to obtain. When the opportunity comes for a "toss-up" you best be ready; make your way to the front, and communicate in a way that allows you to stand-out (while remaining extremely polite). And if you don't get that "toss-up," you better stay ready for the next opportunity, and then the next one, and then the one after that, too.
  
  Sometimes, to get what you want, you must be persistent. That does NOT mean being rude, nor does it justify being rude. Do NOT confuse those two things, they aren't the same.
  
  Just like patience, you can become more persistent the more opportunities that you have to practice being persistent. And it's another very valuable trait to have throughout life.