I stopped by Darin Erstad Field in Garden Grove last week to watch a team from the Garden Grove Boys & Girls Club take on a team from KidWorks in Santa Ana. The skills on the field weren't polished, but you wouldn't know that from the cheers of support that came from stands. The intense pressure and negativity so often found in youth sports had been replaced by sportsmanship and positive encouragement. The volunteer coaches gave pointers in the dugout, but more importantly, gave these kids a place where they felt they belonged. And a place to just be kids.

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