Monday, April 30, 2007

The "Inside Scoop" in T-Ball


It is amazing what you hear and see at a t-ball game with a bunch of five and six year olds playing "baseball dress-up". First of all, let me paint the picture. All of their hats are way too big..doubled over and hooked in the back....pulled down so their little ears are sticking out. They are like a colony of ants trying to figure out what and where to go on the field. Let's just give you a few highlights:


1. Little guy between first and second base....jumps around, loses his gum...digs around in the dirt for it....finds it...brushes it off ....and proceeds to eat it. A little crunchier than before but acceptable.... parents have fit in stands.


2. Little girl gets to finally put all the gear on to be the catcher..but first comes out to ask her folks, "do you like my outfit"..... oh they start that so early.


3. Coach yells for the team to put their mits down and all of them squat at the same exact time sort of looking like synchronized swimming.


4. Our little guy is in the outfield for this game and all we see him doing is picking up rocks and putting them in his pockets...and we wonder just how fast he will be able to run with the extra load he is carrying.


5. Another little guy comes up to bat and when he swings...the bat heads for the pitcher while the ball still sits on the t...and he starts running.....I guess he thought that was a fair hit.


6. Another little guy in the outfield between second and third is turning random circles and dancing to no music...hmmmmm I will keep my eye on him.


7. Our little guy and a cute little girl are hitting each other in the batting helmets with the bats....probably a new courtship ritual.


8. We keep having to send our little one back into the dug out.... he is so busy looking at the rocks he is unloading that being in the dug out isn't quite as interesting as the treasures he found.


9. Another little guy gets the ball between first and second and is being told to throw it to first...so he runs up to his teammate on first and within a couple of feet, lets him have it with the ball in the chest because they told him to "throw" it....


10. Random toddler makes his way onto the field making a grand entrance.


Just a few highlights of all that took place inside 30 minutes.


How adorable are children. Laughing is good for the soul....my soul is very good!


On a side note, Dawson and I had a discussion about girls playing sports that usually are played by boys..like football. I told him that some girls do play football. He had a hard time with that and I told him of one brave young lady at the Jr. High I worked at that pushed until she could play football. The coaches and most parents were dead set against it but she was persistent and brave and took on the system until they allowed her to play. She did a great job and I remember telling her to always hold her dreams that high and never give up. I was one of the few that encouraged instead of discouraged. We are at the T-ball field and who comes up to the fence but that young lady, all grown up with a little one on the opposing team. I was able to introduce Dawson to the brave young lady that as a jr. high student played full blown football. He was impressed, amazed, and his response was "wow". What a coincidence that two days after talking about her, she would be right in front of us. That was a God moment because Dawson was able to see someone and meet that someone who followed their dreams against all odds. Amazing.

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