As most of you know by now, I have two sons. I grew up playing sports with neither of my parents ever seeing me play until I was probably 15... Dad worked evenings, and my Mom didn't drive, so I was on my own when it came to playing baseball! I swore my boys would have alot more parental support than I ever got. They were in baseball, swimming, basketball, football, scouting, karate- literally anything they wanted to try, we went!
The first year my youngest played tee ball, we found out we had missed the sign-up deadline... I got a call from the league president, letting me know that about 14 kids had missed sign-up- enough to make a team! Would I coach these kids? Sure! I will mold them into fine ball players! Now remember, an entire team made up of kids that couldn't remember to sign up... and had parents that weren't much sharper... Some of these kids had never even played "catch"! We were so bad, we were "mercy" ruled at least 6 games! It was the last game of the season, finally playing a team I was pretty sure we could beat. Last inning, we're ahead by two runs, but they have the bases loaded, with 2 out.. In tee ball, this is actually a good thing- it meant a kid could touch or throw to any base for the last out! Kid hits it to right field, it rolls past A.J. the right fielder who has his glove off, sitting on the ground digging a hole with a stick- oblivious to the game he is in... The majority of the team deserts the infield to all chase the ball.. I'm yelling for them to stop, but they're all too busy racing each other to see who can get there first! The opposing team is running the bases unhindered...We lose by two runs to the grand slam the kid got out of this fiasco. By now, I had put a batting helmet on and was banging my head into the backstop pole.... Our season ended 0-10, with the neighborhood talking about the A's for years to come.. "Don't miss sign-up" they would say... otherwise you'll have to play on the A's...
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25 comments:
Good call on that & well done you!
Hehehehehe! Those "losing" teams often bring back the most fond memories, don't they?
hahahahahaha--I always got in trouble for making daisy chains when I played outfield--I should have been on your team!
pretty funny stuff here...and the moral of the story....dont miss sign up!
That is the Beauty of Tee-Ball,It's comical! The kids are in the game but not really "in" the game.
we were long involved here (10 years) with my two steps sons & Meg in Pop Warner Football & cheer.. Lots of laughs.
Great post Buff, I wonder how many that were in A team post about you on their Blog????
Hehehe.....Hi How are ya?
Peace
I love this story! Did they have fun at least? Because that's the whole purpose, right?
Chris- Welcome to the blog!
dana- Both my kids were on the worst team one year and the best team the next time!
tav- You would have fit right in!
DogB- You got it!
deb- Our neighborhood/school district is quite high with parent participation !
Queenie- I not sure some of those kids ever learned to read and write!
Odat! So good to hear from you- hope you are well!
finn- Alot of fun- One game we were getting beaten so badly, I let the kids all pick and play a position they had never done before, but always wanted to..
Can't all be winners! I bet those kids had a great time with you though Buff - you did a good thing. :)
I have no clue what baseball is about, except that I know that it has a prehistoric club like bat!
My parents were never there for any of my functions. In fact they were so busy that whenever (by chance) if one of us came in 'view' of a visitor & they asked my dad in which class we were studying, he fell silent , with a blank look on his face. The only time I remember touching my dad was to massage his feet every afternoon till he feel asleep. & I do not remember that my mother ever kissed or even hugged me.
But I ensured that My son never felt unloved by either my husband or me! :)
At least you weren't battling an inappropriate attachment to alcohol (a la Walter Mathau). Or were you after that season?
I hated being the coach to the losing teams... I thought it was all my fault. Although it was soccer, not b-ball.
I coached my son's baseball team last year, we came in first. ;) Just wanted to throw that out there.
Good for you sticking it out through the end, even if it did require a few Excedrin. As i was reading, I kept picturing the Bad News Bears.
Ake- With some humble, I am a great coach! I teach anyone who will listen to lifes' lessons, not how to play anything better..
mona- You as usual, know what I said... My parents were good people, but never looked upon me as anything special, until I showed them I was. The word I use to describe you is "Amazing".. What an intellect! That I have gotten to meet you is a wonderful thing, which I value..
Michelle- I drank before, and after(heavily!) I wasn't into sex for the children it produced...
Insane- I find it amazing these kids look up to people like us to show them how the world works!
Claudia- Try coaching all the stupids that miss signups- just once!
Jeff- I never give up, and I never told those kids once that they were'nt as good as who they were playing.. The only losers I ever met, were people who quit trying...
Classic My Man! I am ghoing to start coaching one of the kid's teams this year....now I am scared. Thans for that.
Sounds like the rugby team I play on!
tenter- Coaching... The only time it's okay to yell at other peoples kids...
garbo- Rugby? It looks like a fist fight with a ball involved!
It sure makes for a precious story & memory.
HA! "mercy ruled at least 6 games"!! awwwww....poor kids.... ;)
I remember coaching soccer to 5 year olds...they danced in the goal, they ran the wrong direction, they held hands with the other team....good times.
UrbanV- I swear- the older I get, the more I remember..
Beth- I remember when we played to play, winning was like a cherry on top of the ice cream..
Bwahahahahahaahahahahaha
My husband coached soccer for many years. He saw it all. The kids who helped the other team score, the kids picking dandelions on the field, the kids who cared more about sagging their uniform shorts and getting their socks to match perfectly in length rather than play the actual game, and the kids who kept asking when the team mom was going to hand out snacks. The memories are great and the kids were hilarious.
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