Baseball: America's Pastime.
And for families across the country, it becomes a constant trek to the ballpark to watch their athlete perform. Oh, so many treks. So many innings of practices endured. So many games to attend. So many annoying parents to try to ignore.
But, for all the frustrating moments, there are the amazing ones: first hits, great catches, bases stolen (yeah, that sounded weird to me, too!), close plays and the excitement of your athlete's face after accomplishing any of those things.
I've grown up in a baseball/softball family. My parents took us to a bunch of Kansas City Royals games as a kid and even lost my brother at a New York Mets game once! (No worries, he was found watching people going up and down the escalators!) When we moved to Rockford, we went to minor league games then my younger siblings started softball through Ken-Rock. Fast forward several years and some of those siblings had kids who ended up playing ball at Roy Gayle. THEN add all the games my dad played for a really long time through the church. That guy had to all but have his glove hidden and shoes burned before he retired from softball!
As I watching my sweet 11 year old nephew batting this week, something struck me. He is really courageous. Not only to stand feet away from another kid throwing a little missile at him that may or may NOT hit him (he's been hit twice this year!), but because he is trying. He has the courage to stand out there and face a pitcher, knowing his team is counting on him to make this a good at bat. He has the courage to also walk back to the dugout after a strike out. This kid has the courage that many don't.
Every young athlete that pulls on that uniform, belts his pants that might just be too big for him, pulls on those ridiculously long socks, shoves his feet into his cleats and heads to the field with a group of other young athletes is absolutely inspiring.
As we age, we take less risks. We get involved in things that we already know we're good at. If we do take risks, they are calculated.
These kids don't know they're good yet. They don't know how well this is going to turn out. Like my nephew's team, they're going out there game after game, knowing their team only has one win in their column. But they're going for love of the game and for the love of the activity. They want to learn. They are trying. They are tough. They are innocent. They are my heroes.
So much to be learned by watching a child! And for me, it goes beyond the love of the game to the love of that amazing athlete I get to call my nephew!
And for families across the country, it becomes a constant trek to the ballpark to watch their athlete perform. Oh, so many treks. So many innings of practices endured. So many games to attend. So many annoying parents to try to ignore.
But, for all the frustrating moments, there are the amazing ones: first hits, great catches, bases stolen (yeah, that sounded weird to me, too!), close plays and the excitement of your athlete's face after accomplishing any of those things.
I've grown up in a baseball/softball family. My parents took us to a bunch of Kansas City Royals games as a kid and even lost my brother at a New York Mets game once! (No worries, he was found watching people going up and down the escalators!) When we moved to Rockford, we went to minor league games then my younger siblings started softball through Ken-Rock. Fast forward several years and some of those siblings had kids who ended up playing ball at Roy Gayle. THEN add all the games my dad played for a really long time through the church. That guy had to all but have his glove hidden and shoes burned before he retired from softball!
As I watching my sweet 11 year old nephew batting this week, something struck me. He is really courageous. Not only to stand feet away from another kid throwing a little missile at him that may or may NOT hit him (he's been hit twice this year!), but because he is trying. He has the courage to stand out there and face a pitcher, knowing his team is counting on him to make this a good at bat. He has the courage to also walk back to the dugout after a strike out. This kid has the courage that many don't.
Every young athlete that pulls on that uniform, belts his pants that might just be too big for him, pulls on those ridiculously long socks, shoves his feet into his cleats and heads to the field with a group of other young athletes is absolutely inspiring.
As we age, we take less risks. We get involved in things that we already know we're good at. If we do take risks, they are calculated.
These kids don't know they're good yet. They don't know how well this is going to turn out. Like my nephew's team, they're going out there game after game, knowing their team only has one win in their column. But they're going for love of the game and for the love of the activity. They want to learn. They are trying. They are tough. They are innocent. They are my heroes.
So much to be learned by watching a child! And for me, it goes beyond the love of the game to the love of that amazing athlete I get to call my nephew!
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