My son in on the traveling baseball team this year and while it means sacrificing many summer weekends to attend games and practices, he's learning a lot life lessons. Important things like:

• Life isn't always fair

In baseball, the umpire reigns supreme. Lousy pitches might be called strikes and perfect pitches considered balls and that's just the way it is. Good players learn to stop fixating on what is out of their control and concentrate on the job at hand, an important skill for dealing with unpleasant teachers and idiot bosses in the future.

• Bigger isn't always better

Home run hitters are exciting to watch, but the scrawny guy who can lay down a perfect bunt or player who can be counted on to get on base is even more valuable to the team. The team stars aren't always the powerhouses.

• Performance matters

Consistent hitters are always at the top of the batting line-up, less reliable ones at the end. In a era of hand-wringing over self-esteem levels, it's refreshing to have a place where working hard and improving one's skill level is rewarded.

• Help out

Simple plays can easily go awry: the ball can take a bad bounce, the sun gets in the eyes, someone slips and falls. The best teams are always in motion, backing each other up as insurance in case the ball gets away.

• You don't have to be friends to be teammates

At some point in life, you'll find yourself having to work with people you'd otherwise never associate with. Even if you think the first baseman is a huge jerk head, if that's who you need to throw the ball to to get the out, you have to do it.

• It wasn't just you

Even if you struck-out with bases loaded at the end of the game, many plays and errors resulted in that final score. No one can single-handedly win or blow an entire game, it truly is a team effort. (Sometimes the team jerk head needs reminders about this, and that's what coaches are for.)

• You might need to step aside for the good of the team

At some point in nearly every game, the pitcher gets a little wild and the coach brings in someone new. It's nothing personal and there is no shame in giving your all and having a teammate be allowed the same opportunity. You're all in it together.

• Claim what's yours

A high fly ball hit to the outfield is available to whoever can get to it first. Yelling "GOT IT!" or "MINE!!" isn't bad manners or selfish, it's taking charge and preventing a collision. As a bonus, the parents watching in the stands will thank you.

• There's no crying in baseball

Tears don't change the score, they just keep you from seeing the line drive headed toward your face. Shake it off and keep your head in the game, your teammates are depending on you.