This Fourth of July, our community will gather again.

Kids will run. Families will set up chairs before the sun dips. There will be laughter, music, and the kind of noise that only comes when people choose to be together. That’s what Kids Day has always been about. This year’s theme is simple: America the Beautiful.

And for some, that phrase doesn’t land the same way it used to.

Recently, I received a message from a community member who said, “there is nothing beautiful going on,” and asked, “why would a theme for kids day be ‘America the Beautiful’ right now?” They added, “I will not be attending this year.”

I sat with that. Not to react. Not to rebut. Just to understand what sits underneath words like that.

Because whether we agree with how it’s said or not, there is something real underneath it: people are hurting, frustrated, divided. And depending on where you stand, this country can feel less like something to celebrate and more like something to question.

That’s real. But here’s where sports, and moments like this, have always stepped in.

In 1980, a group of U.S. college hockey players defeated the Soviet Union in the “Miracle on Ice.” It wasn’t just a win. It was a country remembering what unity felt like.

In 1995, South Africa stood on the edge after apartheid. When Nelson Mandela walked onto the field wearing the Springboks jersey, something shifted. A divided nation stood together.

In 2001, weeks after 9/11, a baseball stadium in New York became something more. For a few hours, people weren’t divided. They were simply together.

Americans are what make America the Beautiful.

Those moments didn’t solve everything. They didn’t erase disagreement. But they reminded people where common ground still exists. That’s what youth sports do.

No one asks about your political views when your kid steps up to the plate. No one checks your beliefs before a high five. No one stops the game because two parents see the world differently.

For a few hours, we live by a different code:
Respect the game. Respect each other. Play hard. And leave it better than you found it.

So, when we say, “America the Beautiful,” we’re not claiming perfection. We’re not ignoring hard realities. We’re choosing to highlight something else.

Kids playing freely.
Families gathering safely.
A community that still shows up, even when it doesn’t agree.

And yes, the freedom to say, “I don’t agree,” and still be heard. Because if we lose the ability to gather… to disagree without tearing each other apart… to let kids just be kids in the middle of it all. Then we’ve lost something far more important than a theme.

We’ve lost the game.

This is a sports column. And if you’ve been reading, you know the truth:
The scoreboard tells you what happened. Culture tells you why it mattered.

This Fourth of July isn’t about pretending everything is perfect. It’s about deciding what we’re still willing to stand for, together.

City of Rancho Cordova, Cordova Community Council, Rancho Cordova Athletic Association, and so many other great folks will be there, together.

Families. Kids. Coaches. Volunteers.

Some celebrating. Some reflecting. Some still wrestling with it all. But together.

And that, in its own way, is something beautiful. And together, folks… that is a grand slam.

P.S. And to the person who emailed in disgust, my invitation stands. Come as my guest. You will love it!