To Life.

0 AH P , RT1ON

SPORTS

Family Act

Dad, three sons fill the outfield
in B'nai B'rith softball game.

Gary Yashinsky

Steve Stein
Special to The Jewish News

B

ack in 1963, the Alou broth-
ers made Major League
Baseball history when Felipe,
Matty and Jesus comprised the out-
field for the San Francisco Giants in a
game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Fast forward 44 years to June 3.
History was made in the B'nai B'rith
Great Lakes Region softball league
when Gary Yashinsky and three of
his sons made up the outfield for
Brotherhood II for two innings of a
game against Leadership I at Drake
Sports Park in West Bloomfield.
Gary, 52, played left field and Gabe,
25, played right field. In between them
were Sam, 20, in left-center and Joe,
23, in right-center. Gary was the only
member of the Yashinsky family put to
work in the two innings. He made two
catches, including one on the run.
"Playing us in the same outfield was
my dad's idea',' Joe said. "He was able
to pull it off because he was filling in
for Brad Feldman, our manager. My
dad and I normally play in the infield."
The all-Yashinsky outfield made its
debut in the second game of a double-
header. Leadership I swept the twin-
bill, 12-10 and 17-8.

Brotherhood Rules
Brotherhood I survived the death of
a teammate and an unsettling loss to
win the B'nai B'rith Great Lakes Region
basketball league playoff champion-
ship for the second straight year.
Larry Horn, who helped
Brotherhood I win the 2006 title, died
of a heart attack on May 26, 2006, at
age 44.

34

June 28 2007

"Larry was one of the best guys
you'll ever meet:' said Brotherhood I
coach Joe Yashinsky.
Brotherhood I swept its first nine
regular-season games before losing
48-38 to Downtown Fox I in the posi-
tion round. Both teams had a 9-1
record, but Downtown Fox I earned
first place and the top seed in the play-
offs because it won the tie-breaker.
Downtown Fox I's 10-point
win over Brotherhood I topped
Brotherhood I's seven-point victory
over Downtown Fox I.
Losing its first game and the
regular-season title in one fell swoop
stung Brotherhood I. "That defeat
definitely motivated us in the playoffs:'
Yashinsky said.
In the semifinals, Downtown Fox I
beat fourth-place Impact, 62-51, and
Brotherhood I beat third-place Great
Lakes Region, setting up a rubber
game between the league leaders.
Brotherhood I never trailed in the
championship. It got off to a double-
digit lead and held off Downtown Fox
I, 63-54. Downtown Fox I co-coach
Bruce Nosanchuk said his team's
tough game with Impact had an
impact on the championship game.
"Impact really gave us a battle.
They're a younger team and they
pressed us a lot. I think that played
a role in our slow start against
Brotherhood I',' said Nosanchuk, co-
coach with Kevin Giles.
Downtown Fox I fought back to
trail Brotherhood I by just one point
midway through the second half when
its Ross Niskar suffered a concussion.
Play was delayed about 15 minutes
until he regained his senses, but the
injury rattled Downtown Fox I and
Brotherhood I pulled away.
Brotherhood I's roster included
Jeremy Brown, Brad Feldman,
David Gach, Tom McDonough,
Brian Shulman and Gary and Joe
Yashinsky. Joining Nosanchuk,
Giles and Niskar on the Downtown
Fox I roster were Kevin Bopp,
Matt Chasnick, Jeff Goldman, Jeff
Poeszat, Jan Richter, Chris Warfield
and Jamel Womble. I I

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Criticism Spurs Growth

Shabbat Balak:
Numbers 22:2-25:9;
Micah 5:6-6:8.

0

mean anything. The speaker is really
f all the unpleasant experi-
saying, "I may not be perfect, but I'm a
ences we have, I think criti-
lot nearer perfection than anyone else
cism would rank among the
I know"
most difficult.
We have to be willing to
A proverb says, "Rebuke a
admit to ourselves, "I have
wise man, and he will bless
faults of which I am not
thee." But most of us are sel-
even conscious. I need to
dom wise enough to thank
help correct them." This is a
our critics for their reproofs.
hard admission to make.
We just do not like criticism.
We learn so much about
It is as blow to our egos, a
normal behavior from
threat to our self-love.
abnormal. One of the truths
And no matter how many
Rabb i Irwin
that
emerge from studies of
compliments we get, one
Gro ner
the
alcoholic
personality or
critical word can spoil it all.
Specia I to the
the
person
who
is a victim
Of course, we all know
Jewis h News
of drug abuse is this: It is
that criticism hurts most
hard to admit you have a fault that you
when it comes from those we love. We
need help in correcting. Experts in the
want to look good to others; and most
field of alcohol addiction say, "One of
of all, we want to look good to our
the most difficult problems in treating
parents, our husbands and wives, our
the alcoholic is to get him to admit
children. Our hearts are so structured
that he is an alcoholic, that he has a
that one word of reproof from them is
drinking problem and needs help."
like a threat, like a withdrawal of love,
Most people don't want to criticize.
like a rejection.
I know employers who would rather
And yet, unless we learn to take
criticism, we will fail to grow. Proverbs fire a man than tell him what is wrong
Ch. 13 says, "He that regardeth reproof with him. An act of criticism is not
necessarily a hostile act. It is often a
shall be honored."
friendly act. Frequently, our severest
How should a person take rebuke?
critic and dearest friend is one and
One way, of course, is to take it
the same person. Who loves us bet-
aggressively, to react with hostility
ter, who knows us more intimately,
— to strike back.
The second way, and this is far more who accepts us as we are, even with
our faults, and who criticizes us more
frequent, is defensive. We have alibis
or excuses. Rationalizing our mistakes often — a mother, a father, a wife, a
husband.
and faults relieves us of personal
But you know what? When they
responsibility and excuses us, even to
criticize, we call it nagging. We need to
ourselves.
The third and best way to take criti- listen; we need to search ourselves and
cooperate with our critics, for con-
cism is constructively. What we must
structive responses, which can add so
do if we would be honored by reproof
much to our development, welfare and
is to make something positive of it.
our growth. I I
To my mind, the first rule is to
listen. Just listen. "He that heareth
reproof,' says the Bible, "getteth under- Irwin Groner is rabbi emeritus of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek of
standing." But we don't hear; we don't
Oakland County.
listen. We tune it out.
Another quality, which is vitally
necessary, is to take criticism con-
structively and be willing to admit
Conversations
that we are not perfect.
When
does criticism speed per-
We all seem to admit this superfi-
sonal
growth?
Why is criticism
cially. Often, we begin a sentence with
met
with
such
great resistance?
the words, "I know I'm not perfect, but
..." We say it, but I'm afraid it doesn't