First Game in the Books

I took a day off this week so that I could watch Ella’s first T-Ball game. What a treat it was to see he in her uniform. You can’t see in the picture, but they gave her baseball socks that went all the way up to her waist when when I put them on!

Being at the game took me back to when I coached my older boys. That organized chaos hasn’t changed a bit. I felt so bad for the coach. It was only him and another gal trying to get everyone organized, so I stepped in and helped where I could.

Just as I remembered it years ago, the kids love their turn at bat, but hate being in the field. Each team has like 13 kids on it and every kid gets a turn at bat. They get a few pitches to swing at and if they don’t hit it, the ball goes on the tee. I helped bring the tee to the plate and grab it when a kid was running home.

Every kid gets to go to first base and advance a base with each batter. When the team’s last batter comes up and hits, everyone runs home.

She got a few good swings in. I need to work with her a bit more this week. I really need to see which way she bats better – left or right. I am still not sure.

Out in the field, it get’s tougher to keep them focused. There really is no outfield, because no one really hits the ball far. So everyone sort of hangs in the infield. Ella was between 1st and 2nd base when she was out in the field for this game.

It took me a few tries, but I finally got her to get in the “ready” position. It never lasted long. She would often sit and play in the dirt like the other kids.

I love when someone hits the ball because unlike in a baseball game where one fielder gets the ball, every last kid runs to get the ball and fights over who gets the ball. Usually whoever gets it holds it up like the won something. By the second time we were in the field, there was one kid who got that you had to throw the ball to first base.

As we were in the field the second time, with about 3 more batters to go before the game was over, Ella said to me, “Daddy, I’m cold.” A breeze had picked up and it was getting a bit chilly. “I need a blanket!” I chuckled and said in my best Tom Hanks, “There’s no blankets in t-ball!”

When the game was over, the teams lined up and gave each other high fives. All the team members got a snack and that was that. On the ride home, it became apparent that the game took a lot out of her …