Baseball Mom
Tis the season for me to add "baseball mom" to my list of titles.
I love baseball season. I love watching the kids play. I love being outside on Spring nights. I love that our ball fields have an amazing view of Mount Rainier. I love the game. Unlike basketball which I pretty much despise.
I hate baseball season. It means a lot of planning ahead to make sure my family eats before games or practice. It means freezing my tail off watching practices and games. It means I have to try really hard to be an advocate for my kid while not becoming one of those crazy baseball moms.
I have to stay in my seat when the kid gets hurt, unless the coach calls me over. I have to bite my tongue when the coach yells at my kid. I have to try to be encouraging when my kid makes an error or when coach doesn't let him play his favorite position.
I'm so conflicted.
I'm so excited for the season to begin, but I'm dreading the moments that make me want to cry.
Last weekend Eli tried out for his team. All the managers show up and watch the kids field, throw, pitch, hit and run. Matt said Eli did fabulous!
When I filled out the paperwork for him, I indicated that I want him to play in the Minors again this year instead of moving on to the Majors. Last year he was one of the weaker members of the team so he earned very little time catching and even less time on the mound. I felt that if he stayed in the Minors one more year it would give him a chance to grow more and since he will likely be better than a lot of kids on the team, he should get more playing time. Matt and Eli agreed. Why not take advantage of his age and let him be an older, more experienced kid on the team?
Well, today I got the email notifying us of Eli's team placement. He made the Majors! There were about 250 kids who tried out and only 45 made the Majors. So, I guess it is a good thing. However, my whole plan to let him stay in the Minors to earn more playing time has just been squashed.
I was furious. Crazy baseball mom came out.
How can they assign him to a Majors team when I clearly indicated I wanted him to play in the Minors? Eli was upset because he thinks I don't think he deserves to play in the Majors, Matt was upset because I was telling Eli that if he stays in the Majors he probably won't get much playing time, and I was upset because this is not how I wanted the season to go.
I may have at some moment yelled "fine I just paid $180 for you to sit on the bench". IF I had yelled that, it wouldn't have been nice. Not at all. Eli stood up for himself and said "What if I am that good? What if I do get to play?"
Consider the lilies in the field....how do they get their clothes? Even the little things are set forth by God, even baseball team selection. I don't know how this is going to pan out. Will he be good enough to play? Will he spend the season frustrated on the bench? I suppose that either way or something else entirely, it is where he needs to be.
So I am telling myself, he is where he needs to be, he will learn what he needs to learn, he will be challenged, he will grow, and in one way or another he will succeed. My biggest issue now....getting Phillies gear! Of coarse he couldn't play for a team that I already have fan gear for!
I love baseball season. I love watching the kids play. I love being outside on Spring nights. I love that our ball fields have an amazing view of Mount Rainier. I love the game. Unlike basketball which I pretty much despise.
I hate baseball season. It means a lot of planning ahead to make sure my family eats before games or practice. It means freezing my tail off watching practices and games. It means I have to try really hard to be an advocate for my kid while not becoming one of those crazy baseball moms.
I have to stay in my seat when the kid gets hurt, unless the coach calls me over. I have to bite my tongue when the coach yells at my kid. I have to try to be encouraging when my kid makes an error or when coach doesn't let him play his favorite position.
I'm so conflicted.
I'm so excited for the season to begin, but I'm dreading the moments that make me want to cry.
Last weekend Eli tried out for his team. All the managers show up and watch the kids field, throw, pitch, hit and run. Matt said Eli did fabulous!
When I filled out the paperwork for him, I indicated that I want him to play in the Minors again this year instead of moving on to the Majors. Last year he was one of the weaker members of the team so he earned very little time catching and even less time on the mound. I felt that if he stayed in the Minors one more year it would give him a chance to grow more and since he will likely be better than a lot of kids on the team, he should get more playing time. Matt and Eli agreed. Why not take advantage of his age and let him be an older, more experienced kid on the team?
Well, today I got the email notifying us of Eli's team placement. He made the Majors! There were about 250 kids who tried out and only 45 made the Majors. So, I guess it is a good thing. However, my whole plan to let him stay in the Minors to earn more playing time has just been squashed.
I was furious. Crazy baseball mom came out.
How can they assign him to a Majors team when I clearly indicated I wanted him to play in the Minors? Eli was upset because he thinks I don't think he deserves to play in the Majors, Matt was upset because I was telling Eli that if he stays in the Majors he probably won't get much playing time, and I was upset because this is not how I wanted the season to go.
I may have at some moment yelled "fine I just paid $180 for you to sit on the bench". IF I had yelled that, it wouldn't have been nice. Not at all. Eli stood up for himself and said "What if I am that good? What if I do get to play?"
Consider the lilies in the field....how do they get their clothes? Even the little things are set forth by God, even baseball team selection. I don't know how this is going to pan out. Will he be good enough to play? Will he spend the season frustrated on the bench? I suppose that either way or something else entirely, it is where he needs to be.
So I am telling myself, he is where he needs to be, he will learn what he needs to learn, he will be challenged, he will grow, and in one way or another he will succeed. My biggest issue now....getting Phillies gear! Of coarse he couldn't play for a team that I already have fan gear for!
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