The Kid Has Some Game
Let me preface this by assuring you that I am not one of those parents when it comes to my kids and their sports endeavors. There is no secret vicarious need within me for my children to excel at soccer or baseball or hockey or whatever... I just like it when they do good and perform well as anything they try their best at.
This has been Bailey and Gavin's first year of baseball. At age 7, Gavin and his teammates play more of a pageant (if you will) version of baseball. The coaches pitch, each kid gets about 10 pitches to get a hit, and if they can't hit it they take out the T and they whack it off of that. Score is not kept, 3 outs don't really mean that much, they make so many errors that any given player would be qualified to serve in the Bush Administration, and the whole thing is wrapped in adorableness.
For Bailey, age 10, it is different. He had a good try out so even though he is a 'rookie' he made it to the minor level. And he hasn't had the easiest time. His coaches have rotated he and a few other kids as bench warmers (though they get to hit regularly), he has had a tough time at the plate, and pretty much the whole season has been filed under 'Learning Experience'. But now, with just a handful of games left, he seems to be finding his comfort zone. Up until last night, all of Bay's base hits came via bunts. He would lay down the bunt and rely on his above-average speed and/or an error to get him on base. At worst, he'd usually advance a runner. Last night with two strikes his coaches gave him the sign to swing away and he got his first full swing base hit. He then stole two bases. At his next (and only other) at bat he bunted, the tie went to the runner, he got advanced on a walk, and then proceeded to steal two more bases, including home. The kid was beaming! His coaches were full of compliments and many parents gave him the proverbial back slap on the way out. People noticed what a strong game he played. He soaked it up. And it was kinda cool.
He also got ice cream on the way home. He was going to get that even if he went 0 for 2 and made grievous errors. It was nearly 90 degrees, his team uniform is black, and ice cream seemed a grand idea.
J
This has been Bailey and Gavin's first year of baseball. At age 7, Gavin and his teammates play more of a pageant (if you will) version of baseball. The coaches pitch, each kid gets about 10 pitches to get a hit, and if they can't hit it they take out the T and they whack it off of that. Score is not kept, 3 outs don't really mean that much, they make so many errors that any given player would be qualified to serve in the Bush Administration, and the whole thing is wrapped in adorableness.
For Bailey, age 10, it is different. He had a good try out so even though he is a 'rookie' he made it to the minor level. And he hasn't had the easiest time. His coaches have rotated he and a few other kids as bench warmers (though they get to hit regularly), he has had a tough time at the plate, and pretty much the whole season has been filed under 'Learning Experience'. But now, with just a handful of games left, he seems to be finding his comfort zone. Up until last night, all of Bay's base hits came via bunts. He would lay down the bunt and rely on his above-average speed and/or an error to get him on base. At worst, he'd usually advance a runner. Last night with two strikes his coaches gave him the sign to swing away and he got his first full swing base hit. He then stole two bases. At his next (and only other) at bat he bunted, the tie went to the runner, he got advanced on a walk, and then proceeded to steal two more bases, including home. The kid was beaming! His coaches were full of compliments and many parents gave him the proverbial back slap on the way out. People noticed what a strong game he played. He soaked it up. And it was kinda cool.
He also got ice cream on the way home. He was going to get that even if he went 0 for 2 and made grievous errors. It was nearly 90 degrees, his team uniform is black, and ice cream seemed a grand idea.
J