The World Series

I always swore I would never be one of those parents that yells at their kids out on the ball field or swears at the umpire or picks a fight with some other kids' parents in the bleachers. And, luckily, I am not that parent. But I never realized how intense a baseball game for 7 years old could be...

I greatly appreciate our coaches. They are excellent with kids and excellent at coaching. They make sure that each of the kids is respected and is having fun, while pushing the teammates to work together and do their best. There are no angry words, but no babying either. I have been greatly impressed at how they handle team and personal dissapointments as well as wins, how they promote character and teach the kids how to be both respectful and respected. I have been fully impressed with the way they treat the team, the umpires (who are kids themselves and don't always make the best calls), the parents, the opposing teams, etc.

It's not one of those leagues that doesn't keep score and promotes the notion that "everyone is a winner" by not allowing one team to "win" over another team. And while I do support the idea that we should maintain the self-esteem of our children and help them to acheive confidence in themselves, I don't think that is the way to do it! We keep score, teams are sometimes "scouted" prior to game day, and stats are kept. I had no idea little league was such serious business!

This is Hudson's second year playing ball, his first year in coach-pitch baseball, and he is really enjoying the game. With each game, his skills are improving and he beams with pride as he hits the ball and runs with all his might. He loves it, so we love it! His personal game started a little slow, as his previous experience in the sport was quite limited compared to others on the team. But he is really starting to get it...the coach has nicknamed him "Mr. Triple," as he has now repeatedly hit a triple in each of the last several games. He was even honored with the "game ball" from their game last week where he hit a triple followed by a single... I can't tell you how excited Hudson was about that.

But I have also never been so "on the edge of my seat." Hudson really likes to win, but mostly just likes to play the game (granted his team has only lost one in 10 games, so he hasn't had a lot of opportunity to experience the down side). He does his best, practices what he needs help/work with, and feels good about that. As a mother, I am proud of that attitude, but when there is two outs and my kid is up to bat...mom starts a little nervous rocking! You can feel the suspense in the air...the coaches are a little on edge (although they do a great job at giving the kids nothing but words of encouragement, constructive criticism, and positive reinforcement) and the other parents are hopeful, shouting words of encouragement from the stands, so the mommy adrenaline begins to pump a little. And when he hits the ball and runs the bases (sliding, always, into home base), the joy is overwhelming! For him and for me! Some days it feels just like the world series!