The world of sports has often been used to help us as financial professionals. In an earlier blog post I mentioned Brian Gilder’s book “The Financial Playbook” and how our top rep used sports to help simplify complex concepts. Now we again have a great example of how sports can help us be better…but this time it is from a 13-year-old girl.

The baseball world was abuzz this summer about a new phenom, 13-year-old female Mo’Ne Davis, who pitched a shutout in August during the first round of the Little League World Series. Working together, the Taney Dragons from Philadelphia didn’t make a single defensive mistake against strong opponents from Tennessee. Still, Davis’ two-hit, complete-game shutout was real pitching, not just fireball throwing.

Davis “ran a clinic,” as they say, on baffling hitters. The speed of her four-seam fastball reached 70 mph but she mixed it with a split-change and occasional curve, changing eye-level and speeds to keep Nashville off-balance. She had pitched an earlier shutout to propel her team into the series.

In an interview with ESPN, Davis acknowledged that she had studied the home plate umpire’s high strike zone and worked toward it, and that she was aware of her pitch count (57) going into the bottom of the sixth. She knew her limit of 65 was approaching if she was to be used again on three days’ rest, per Little League rules.

“So,” she said, “I knew I had to squeeze those eight pitches in and I was able to do it.”

Amazing insight from a 13-year-old. Be prepared by doing your research prior to the game. This translates well into our world.

— Adapted from “Mo’Ne Davis’ 2-hit shutout and Taney’s 4-0 win over big-hitting Tennessee club a joy to watch,” David Jones, PennLive.