A few weeks ago, I wrote this post as my family entered the newest season in our lives: Extracurricular activities. If you can’t already tell, I was apprehensive about how busy our lives were about to get and whether it was truly the right change for all of us. As it turns out, there were plenty of lessons to learn along the way. Many of those lessons came from my son’s first season of t-ball.
Staying Organized
T-ball and baseball season lasts 3 solid months for Little Leaguers. From March to May, there are multiple games and practices every single week, except for a brief slowdown around spring break.
In Chula Vista, where we live, Little League is serious business. Multiple teams from around here have gone on to win the LL World Series.
For every game, my boy needed his mitt, balls, cleats, bat, hat, uniform, and his water bottle. It was also really rainy all spring, so we had to tote long-sleeved t-shirts and jackets too. Here my son is grinning after playing two full innings in the pouring rain!
We had no choice but to get it together if he was going to play a sport he loved (and he truly did adore every single minute of it.)
It’s Not About Winning
T-ball is a bunch of 4 and 5-year-olds. They’re not pitching yet, and for the most part, they’re hitting off the tee. Every kid hits until they get the ball onto the field, and they get to run the bases.
This means, obviously, that there is no score in t-ball, and everyone wins. This was an important lesson for my son, who is already developing a complex at 5 years old about HAVING to win, no matter what.
His coach taught him first about respect, and then about the rules of the game. At the end of each bout, they all lined up for high-fives and congratulations. They got to celebrate personal “wins” like hitting the ball hard, but there was no gloating over someone else’s defeat.
Of course, that will change soon as they grow. For now, though, it was exactly what my kiddo needed so that he understood that winning isn’t everything.
Rules are Important
The rules of t-ball are clear and finite for the kids. If you foul or miss a swing or two, you keep trying until you get a hit. If the ball goes to your teammate, you don’t fight them for it. When the other team is at bat, you are alert and paying attention to get that ball to first base.
Of course, things never go quite as planned. There was the kid who swung around in a full circle for every pitch. The one who preferred laying in the grass and counting the clouds to actually playing the game. Tagging the last runners out was often a complete, hilarious free-for-all. It was as adorable as it sounds.
Coach had plenty to say, though, to the kids who didn’t follow the rules. Eventually, they settled into their routine and delighted in the order of things.
Be a Team Player
I watched my son become friends with the boys on his team, the San Diego Sluggers. When someone was hurt, he checked on them. When someone was upset, his hand was on their shoulder.
They never fought or tussled. They were truly just happy to be together in their lime green jerseys, tearing apart their snack bags after the games in search for the ultimate prize: Cheetos or Doritos. In the dugout, they chanted each other’s names as they approached home plate. They felt unstoppable.
As you can probably guess, we’ll be right back out there next year.
