As the girls were coming to the fireside (which was held at camp), I (dressed in a "coaches" suit complete with whistle) and was batting a rubber ball with a rubber bat - and whoever caught the ball were my "volunteers". These became my cheerleaders. I gave a couple of girls the same cheer along with some ideas for simple actions and would call them up at the right time to lead the rest of the girls in that cheer. The girls really got into it, and the camp yelled along. I was very pleased. Of course, you can get away with a lot of things at camp!

To get everyone rowdy, after all arrived, I had them sing the camp song

'Mormon Girl'

Oh, when a Mormon girl walks down the street,
She looks a hundred par from head to feet.
She's got that style, that smile, that WINNING way.
And when you see her, boy, you'll recognize her and you'll say
"Now there's a girl I'd like to know!"

She's got that real L.D.S. pep and go!
And just to look at her is quite a treat
You just CAN'T BEAT
A Mormon Girl!
M-O-R-M-O-N
Mormon, Mormon! Sing it again!

Fireside:

Well, team. As one of your coaches, I'm here to get you psyched for your big game...you know, the game of LIFE! I like to call this your 'homecoming' game. Yes, a baseball homecoming game. Because the way you play it determines if you will be able to return home. So, in my efforts to have you each play your life's homecoming game; I have come up with some strategies and cheers to pass along.

Since you all have made this team, it shows that you have already won the big game in the pre-existence. That allowed you to obtain the necessary equipment for this earth's big game - a body and free agency. Now, what you do with that equipment will determine this game's outcome.

Cheer: C.T.R., I want to Choose the Right!

That's where the playbook, owner, managers, coaches, sponsors, and umpire comes in. Let's break down some important aspects in any successful team.

Playbook: You need proven strategy - one that outlines a successful program. May I present: (I pull the scriptures out of my 'equipment' duffel bag)
Scriptures! Everyone needs their own copy of the playbook to study - and our team owner (Heavenly Father) and managers (prophets) have  requested that we study this playbook every day.

Cheer: Study, study every day.
Know the scriptures play by play!

Follow the Managers: Throughout history, our playing fields change. In our big game, we need to follow our managers - the prophets. They know the specifics and have advice to succeed on our current playing field.

Cheer: Follow the Prophet.
Follow the Prophet.
Follow the Prophet, he knows the way! (I know, not very original)

Coaches: A good team listens to their coaches. Your coaches are your young women leaders, bishopric, teachers, anyone that will teach you tried and true techniques that will help you win the game. They have strategies they've picked up from studying the playbook. They have insight and experience to help you play your best. Listen and follow your coaches.

Sponsors: We wouldn't be here if it weren't for our sponsors. Of course, our sponsors are our parents! They have invested their interest in us to see that we succeed. They will encourage you to study the play book and follow the manager and coaches instructions, along with giving you great advice of their own. They want us to WIN!

Code of Conduct: Study the gospel. Pray about and continually learn about the gospel. This will determine how you live, and how you act. Our first latter-day manager, Joseph Smith, summed up our team's basic beliefs. Do you know what they're called? Of course! The articles of faith!

Cheer: 2, 4, 6, 8
We have Articles of Faith
WE BELIEVE!

Uniform: Another aspect of a good player is her uniform. A uniform has to be one that you're proud to wear and will give you confidence to forget what you're wearing in order to concentrate on the game. So, I think the most important requirement of a uniform is: It needs to be comfortable!

Modesty will help make sure you are comfortable. For instance, a year ago, I attended a middle school rite of passage and was amazed at what some of the young women were wearing. Short skirts, spaghetti strap dresses and blouses and such. All evening long, I watched them tug and pull and adjust. That was distracting to me - and I know it was distracting to them! When I attended my Jr. Prom, I wore a beautiful long dress that had a neckline that was modest, but I found that when I leaned forward, it would gap open. All evening long, I was conscious of that fact and constantly had my hand pressed against my chest! I often see YW have to adjust their clothing to keep their underwear from showing.

Also, wear clothing that you will not be embarrassed to be seen in by your bishop, YW leaders, or even the prophet! I learned that lesson by being embarrassed once when my shorts were to short (according to my parents) and I saw the Bishop. I felt really uncomfortable. My advice? Wear clothing that looks nice and gives you confidence; yet, because it is modest, you will be comfortable....in all situations. Your whole closet full of uniforms should be comfortable!

Cheer: M-O-D-E-S-T-Y
Be comfortable!

Teamwork: I know you know the importance of teamwork. It is magnified in importance for this big game. You need to help each other. Shout encouragement to each other. Share strategies that have worked for you.   Be respectful to EVERY teammate. Helping them to succeed and win will help you succeed and win, no matter how close you are to them in the batting order. Seasoned laurels should be mentors for the rookie beehives. And I have another challenge. Never say ANYTHING to a teammate that you have to follow with the words, "just kidding". Now, I'm all for joking around and good natured teasing, but if you do not know someone well enough that you have to say, "just kidding", it may be that those words that you say before the "just kidding" will shake their confidence, and their performance in the big game will be shaken. Say things that will build their confidence and affect their performance for the better!

Cheer: Teamwork, teamwork,
Everybody everywhere.
Teamwork, teamwork.
Let your teammates know you care.

Strategy: (I used a white board and markers to diagram out a baseball diamond and identify the bases and base coaches.) O.k. Now for the strategy that will get you home. Here is our life's baseball diamond. We start out in the pre-existence at home plate. Hitting our ball is our birth into life on earth. While that ball is in the air- that's our time to work with all our might to get around those bases. Before we can return home, we need to touch each of the three bases, overcoming obstacles and running in the baseline in the process. First base. What is the first ordinance of the gospel? Baptism! We can't advance to second base, until we get baptized. Second base is attending the temple to make our personal covenants and receive our own endowment. We have to touch second before we can advance to third base, which is celestial marriage to someone worthy inside a sacred temple. After all three bases are touched, we need to overcome those remaining obstacles in the baseline to safely reach home plate. Now some people think that the distance between third base and home plate stretches on forever - especially with mounting pressure from the opposing team to keep us from getting there. In fact, if our focus and will power isn't great enough, - the opposing team may get us out before we touch first base! But, since you can over-run first base, that obstacle generally is the easiest because we don't have to slow momentum on our approach. Plus, after we get on first base, we get the assistance ce of the first base coach - the Holy Ghost. He will actually be with us through the rest of the bases - as long as we remain close to the baselines. Somehow, we lose a lot of runners between first and second base. After all, first base is kind of comfortable. It's usually soft and bouncy. And it's frightening how the opposing team's pitcher keeps an eye on you out of the corner of his eye so it's just easier to stay put and not advance. It takes determination and courage to run down the baseline, past the second baseman to second base. Don't you hate it when the second baseman stands in the baseline - a barrier to keep you from advancing? That barrier can represent many things. Perhaps a word of wisdom problem. You know what the word of wisdom is. It's in the play book. So be strong. In this cheer, drugs include any body altering ingredient - like alcohol, smoking, etc.

Cheer: Drugs are an abomination.
We're the Mormon congregation.
That should be an indication,
Heaven is our destination!

O.k., we made it. We made our decision and had such strength of conviction that we barreled right through the obstacle in our path. We're now standing on second base and we have the third base in our sights along with our third base coach. Let's say he's the bishop. He has the perspective and judgment to tell us when we're ready to advance. Now, for some people, the distance between second and third base isn't very far. For me, it was only an hour or so. But let's talk about the morality barrier that might keep us from advancing.... to any base, and ultimately home.

Back at home plate, when you hit that ball, you hit it long and hard - to last at least until you are at the age of accountability. After that, you have the power to keep it in the air by your righteous choices. As you continue to make righteous choices, that ball will stay in the air. If you make bad choices, it will start to fall, making it more accessible to the opposing team, and you become subject to their actions. You've got to remain moral. Make righteous choices and keep that ball high and out of the reach of the opposing team's fielders.

Cheer: We can wait! We can wait! We can wait to procreate
'Til aaaaaaaaaaafter marriage!

Now for the home stretch. For most of us, this will be the most time consuming - strewn with many obstacles and barriers. The opposing team is closing ranks to keep you from going home. Of course, the higher your ball is because of righteous choices and righteous living, the better off you are. But many people slide into home. It doesn't hurt. In fact, it is require to be humble and contrite when you reach home plate. After all, the umpire there, ready to judge us, is our Savior, Jesus Christ. He alone can determine if we made it home safely and won our game, because he won it first. In fact, he showed us how to play!

President Benson said that you youth are some of Heavenly Father's strongest children and have been saved for the final inning. "You are a royal generation. The heavenly grandstands are cheering you on. We are fast coming to a close of this game. The opposition is real and is scoring. But we have scored, we are scoring, and we will score in the future. His team will win and we can be a valiant part of it if we desire. Rise up, O youth of Zion! You hardly realize the great divine potential that lies within you."

Dear sisters, it is my all-consuming desire that each of you make it safely "home." Decide now that you will keep this ball that you have already hit by your decision to come to earth, high in the air. Out of reach of the opposing players. They're conniving. They are devious. They will make you think that a few wrong decisions here and there will be o.k., but you never know when a wrong decision or an "error" will put that ball in Satan's grasp. He's a good athlete and plays the game very well. He's got his own proven strategies. Don't go one on one with him. Use your team to pull you through. If you make an error, use your base coaches, the Holy Ghost and the Bishop to get you back in the baseline and progressing.

We have an "in" with the umpire, Jesus Christ, and he is rooting for us to make it home. In fact, he atoned for any errors we might make! But he is a just judge and can only forgive those errors that have been corrected in the way prescribed in our play book!

Make right choices. Continue along your bases. Slide humbly and safely home. Get the M.V.P. award, not the Most Valuable Player award, but a "More Valued Person" award because you chose the right. The values became part of you. I love you. I testify that the play book, owner, managers, coaches, sponsors, and umpire will help you. Now, continue around your bases, being committed to get home!

**At the end of the fireside, I hooked a tray of peanut packages around my neck and gave out packages of peanuts with stickers on them that said: "Don't treat any decision as peanuts.....you want to make it all the way HOME!"

I did not read the talk, but had practiced it, so an outline that I held on a clipboard kept me pretty much on track. I hope this will help you sometime in the future - or be a springboard for your own ideas.