Baseball and Little Kids

So when my husband and I had a little boy we immediately thought ‘of course he’ll play sports. We played sports, we love playing sports, we love watching sports, and although unspoken at the time, we both thought it would come easily and naturally for our son.’ 

Picture last year’s first practice, our four-year old son at the time, running out onto the field and stopping around second base, taking his glove off and putting it on his head and spinning round and round. Yep, this momma could barely hold back from yelling, ‘pay attention, put your glove back on your hand, and pay attention!’ Okay, so maybe I didn’t hold back the whole practice; I had to pull him aside once, alright, maybe three times. By the time the hour and a half was up, I was sweating through my shirt and couldn’t wait to just get home. I kept thinking, if he’s going to act like this every practice, I can’t take him. I’m not calm enough to take him and if I do, I may end up being “one of those parents” that can’t quit yelling at their kids.  

In the week before the next team practice, we played a lot more in the yard, trying to teach him just a few things. One of the main things, to try to pay attention. Many of you reading this may be thinking, he’s only four, he’s young, and maybe, just maybe you have a son or daughter that did the same thing. A couple parent’s told me, it’s normal, he’ll grow out of it. And I figured they were right, or at least a little right, but it didn’t help at the time. I went to the next team practice thinking I have to stay calm, if he’s having fun so what, right? 

My husband gave the rule, don’t take your glove off your hand. That statement to my husband meant: when you are in the field, you keep your glove on your hand and when you come in to bat, you take the glove off to bat. That statement to our son meant: do not under any circumstance take your glove off your hand. So when he want to bat he tried to explain to the coach that dad told him not to take the glove off. Needless to say, momma had to come over and say it’s okay, daddy meant in the field. After promising that daddy would want him to bat without his glove, he finally relented and took it off. Two practices down and how many more?!

The season went on and he did get better, he learned a lot, he had a lot of fun, and momma calmed down. We still had those practices when a rainbow was in the sky and practice stopped for every kid to examine the rainbow, when my child decided to throw his glove up in the outfield as high as he could get it, and once monsters had to chase him to first after he hit the ball. 

We all survived and you guessed it, we’re signed up for baseball this year! 

Look Mom…a trophy!

Hitting the ball with his eyes CLOSED!