“Pea-corn. Pop-nuts. Chewing gars. Ci-gum. Magazettes!” 

While my Dad (and my Grandfather before him) often belted out this line as if a food vendor at a ballpark, this column isn’t about peanuts or popcorn. This column is about the people in the ballpark—and the camaraderie that we all share.

We “root, root, root for the home team” as the iconic 1908 song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” says.

Many of us have our favorite home team—whether in baseball or another sport. I grew up a Yankees fan, converted to the Cardinals while in graduate school in St. Louis, toyed with the Detroit Tigers as a post-doc in Michigan, and now, much to the chagrin of old friends, cheer for the Red Sox here in Boston. Through all that change, though, the rules of the game stayed the same.

While we certainly can argue over the close calls, we agree on the fundamentals. We agree (for the most part) when a ball is a ball, a strike is a strike, and an out is an out. We agree on the number of outs in an inning, and innings in a game. And we all celebrate the diving catches, the perfectly hit home runs, and the unbelievable double plays. And yes, we do cheer a bit louder when those memorable moments favor our favorite team.

But even as we cheer for our side, we care about the other team. We don’t celebrate when a player is injured. We don’t hope for their ultimate failure. We cheer for them when they recover and return. We recognize that each player (and fan), while wearing a different shirt, shares far more in common with us than the uniform that divides us.

And so, we expect mutual respect – on and off the field. We expect the same rules and similar opportunities to develop, train, and compete. We want the game to be played without bias or undue favor. We expect future players to have excellent opportunities for training and development. We care what happens to the game, not just the success of our team.

Cheering and caring go hand in hand.

And no, this isn’t just about baseball. Baseball, after all, is a metaphor for life. In our work, in our communities, in our beloved field of biomechanics, we root for progress. We support the development of our future educators, researchers, and innovators. We recognize the value of the persons, clients, and patients we serve. We work to provide educational and training opportunities, not just for our team, but for the larger scientific community.

In a time when these opportunities are being cut short, and when research funding is being restricted based on team affiliations and interests, advocacy and outreach aren’t extras – they’re essentials. They are how we ensure the next generation has a chance to step up to the plate.

So cheer for your team. And also care for your neighbors. Speak up and speak out. Make room in the dugout. Because the game is better when everyone gets to play.