Saturday, April 17, 2010

Boys of Summer

So the boy was a bit nervous about his first baseball game.  I don't blame him, I get nervous at new situations too.  He kept asking questions, if his coach would be there, if they really bring out the tee if they can't hit the ball, etc.  I reassured him that yes, his coaches would be there and if he didn't understand anything he could ask a coach.  Yes, they bring out the tee so that everybody gets a chance to hit the ball.

Their team was fielding first, and he was placed at catcher, which was great.  With all the backyard tossing we've done, it was no sweat to get the ball back to the coach who was pitching.  Plus he worked out a little one-hop system to catch the pitch.  (They're just seven, so the game has just a passing resemblance to baseball.)

He was second up to bat, and I knew that this part was what he was nervous about.  Think about it.  There you stand, all of the other team looking at you.  The coach looking at you to pitch the ball.  Everybody in the stands looking at you.  He missed the first couple of pitches.  He has quick bat speed, so he was way early.  Then he adjusts, makes a nice level swing, and strokes a frozen rope between the first and second basemen.  It was the first ball hit out of the infield in the game and he ended up on third, and the kid on first of course came in.

See, I told him he'd be fine!

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