Will the Baseball Player

Will started playing coach's pitch baseball this year.  He was so excited to play baseball.  As you know, David and I are not the most athletic of parents.  We did want our children to at least try different sports and athletic activities.  For the past two falls, Will has really enjoyed playing soccer, so this spring I decided to sign him up for baseball.  He was so excited!  When we got our team we also found out that one of his friends from school is on the same team  Double excitement!

My goal for Will to play ball was to at least hit the ball once during the season and learn to run around the bases in the correct order.  Very simple.  We don't need to be Babe Ruth the first time out.  That goal was achieved, with a lot of fun little stories on the side.  Will's team had some really great coaches.  They were all first time coaches, but were excellent with the kids.  The batting coach showed them how to grip and swing the bat.  The other coaches in the outfield would tell them when to run to each base or when to catch the ball.  By the end of the season, all of the kids were playing splendidly.  I was really impressed.

Will enjoyed batting and running the bases the best.  He did not like being in the outfield.  Whenever he was outfield he would be exploring gravity with his glove (i.e. hitting it with his hand to see how fast it would go to the groung), playing with the dirt or grass, chatting with the coach, and watching the teenage boys and girls play soccer in the adjoining soccer fields.  Several times the ball would be hit into left field and Will just watched it go by, along with several of his team mates.  Later we would ask him, "Will, why didn't you go and get the ball?"  He would just look at us and say, "But, why would I need to get the ball?  They (the team mates) were already getting the ball?"  We just thought about that and shrugged.  Makes perfect sense to us!  We are sooo sports challenged!

Another funny story was when Will was playing second base.  A girl from the opposite team hit the ball and ran all the way to second.  Will being the charmer that he is, started chatting her up.  They talked for a few minutes until the next batter needed to run to second.  She started running to third, with Will following behind her, still chatting.  They ran to third and home plate, then Will just kept running to his dugout.  I was laughing the entire time!  It was hysterical.  David went to see what he was doing in the dugout.  Will told him that he was tired and needed a break.  David sent him back to second base.  By the way, I don't think the team really noticed that he was gone. 



Will also has some of Megan's dramatic flare in him.  Whenever he went up to bat he would turn his cap around (the only one of the team to do it) and swagger up holding his bat.  He would smile at the crowd and give a thumbs up as he walked along.  Whenever he missed the ball, he would turn and look over his shoulder, grin, and give a shrug as if to say, I will get it next time.  So cute.  The coaches called him "Big Will."  He wasn't the biggest on the team, one of the youngest and smallest, but I guess he made up for it in personality.  At the end of the season I asked if he enjoyed playing baseball, and he said yes.  "Will, do you want to play again?"  "Yes, mama."  "Will, what was your favorite thing about baseball?"  "Hmm, the pizza party and the trophy.  Oh and I liked my cap, too."  Hmm, I guess we might have another non athletic person on our hands.  Those would have been my favorite things too.