In Soar, the game of baseball serves as a microcosm of the community where integrity and the very definition of success are tested and redefined; as a result, this motif fuels the theme Redefining Winning Beyond the Scoreboard. Initially, baseball in Hillcrest is portrayed as a source of corruption and trauma, embodied by the disgraced high school Hornets and the win-at-all-costs philosophy of Coach Perkins. His belief that winning is something to be consumed and breathed “[e]very minute. Every day” (61), reveals a worldview where the game’s purity is sacrificed for victory. This tainted version of baseball symbolizes a community that has lost its moral compass because it values winning above all else.

However, when Jeremiah arrives in Hillcrest, he helps the town reclaim its love of baseball and restore its positive values. Through his mentorship and El Grande’s wisdom, the game is transformed from a sphere of high-pressure toxicity into an arena for healing, personal growth, and community-building. The new Eagles team learns to measure success not by the final score but by their effort, resilience, and teamwork. El Grande shares his story of personal triumph within a losing game when he says, “My team lost bad. But I won. You get what I’m saying?” (155). His memory encapsulates a shift in thinking about success and how it is measured. By the novel’s end, baseball is no longer a symbol of shame but a powerful vehicle for healing and collective strength, and a reminder that there are more significant victories than those that show up on the scoreboard.