Big Game
Tonight, our oldest plays in the PAL Little League semi-final game. The winner goes on to the championshiop game, and there is rumor that it will be held at Sheperd park under the lights. Which is really cool.
Our oldest has been one of the best players on the team. A catcher, he has tagged people out at the plate, caught foul pop ups, and provided a great target for our pitchers. At the plate, he has only gotten out a handful of times, and has driven more runs than anyone on the team. His soft line drives over third base have brought home the winning runs on more than one occasion, including against the Reds, the team we are playing tonight. 7:15 at Avery, in case any of you want to come out and watch.
One of the more interesting things about this season has been watching other parents. There are about 11 kids on our team. Six go to Akiva, one goes to Beth Yehudah, and four aren't Jewish, and I assume they go to area public schools.
I don't know what kind of little league dad I would be if my son didn't play as well as he does. We go out and practice together occasionally. I pitch and he hits, or we have a catch on the street or in the park. We talk about the game, and discuss what the right play is in different situations.
But what if he sucked. What if he couldn't hit, or was afraid to swing. Would I be like the mom who screams at her son to swing, and his dad, who doesn't understand how his kid could be that way.
Would I be like the dad who blames the umpire's large strike zone every time his kid strikes out swinging. Even though we can all see his son is swinging too late. Or the dad who is yelling at his kid before each pitch that he throws, reminding him to play ahrd and throw it over and get it over the plate.
I like to think I would be the same if my kid sucked. But I really don't know. Maybe I would be one of those screaming dads causing my kid to tense up hen he is supposed to be having fun.
Our oldest has been one of the best players on the team. A catcher, he has tagged people out at the plate, caught foul pop ups, and provided a great target for our pitchers. At the plate, he has only gotten out a handful of times, and has driven more runs than anyone on the team. His soft line drives over third base have brought home the winning runs on more than one occasion, including against the Reds, the team we are playing tonight. 7:15 at Avery, in case any of you want to come out and watch.
One of the more interesting things about this season has been watching other parents. There are about 11 kids on our team. Six go to Akiva, one goes to Beth Yehudah, and four aren't Jewish, and I assume they go to area public schools.
I don't know what kind of little league dad I would be if my son didn't play as well as he does. We go out and practice together occasionally. I pitch and he hits, or we have a catch on the street or in the park. We talk about the game, and discuss what the right play is in different situations.
But what if he sucked. What if he couldn't hit, or was afraid to swing. Would I be like the mom who screams at her son to swing, and his dad, who doesn't understand how his kid could be that way.
Would I be like the dad who blames the umpire's large strike zone every time his kid strikes out swinging. Even though we can all see his son is swinging too late. Or the dad who is yelling at his kid before each pitch that he throws, reminding him to play ahrd and throw it over and get it over the plate.
I like to think I would be the same if my kid sucked. But I really don't know. Maybe I would be one of those screaming dads causing my kid to tense up hen he is supposed to be having fun.
posted by Air Time at 11:05 AM
3 Comments:
You really nailed it, Hon. Parents and all!
Just keep trying to remember that you don't want to be like one of those parents that takes this too seriously.
Air isn't taking the game seriously. He's taking our son seriously.
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