Baseball, Respect, and Life Lessons

Well, it finally came to a head tonight. Tom and this coach are not getting along. The problem is that this guy is the type that expects children to be obedient and a "do as I say, not as I do" person. That's my opinion of course. I'm not a fan of the guy. He pouts and stomps when the kids don't make the plays he wants and then expects them to not act like that. At the beginning of the season he told me that he would be at practice early and the boys were welcome to come early for extra help. We did, consistently, for several weeks and all they did is warm up longer. The boys on the team are rude and crude, worse than us and that's pretty hard to believe. They make really disgusting comments and suggestions and even my boys were embarrassed. It's that bad. This coach has all the players in the same positions for every game and Tom and Jake rotate at right field. This is supposed to be a learning season and no real scores or standings are being kept, so you'd think it would be different, less importance put on winning. Can you tell I'm disgusted?

So what happened tonight? The coach came to me at the beginning and told me that Tom argues with him about everything. I know my son. That is true, but he isn't arguing, he's asking why and how. He needs to know the reason behind things or he is not happy. I asked him what specifically and maybe I could help. He said he was arguing about being in the visitors dugout when they were the home team. Somehow I doubt that was really the problem. I've heard him tell Tom he doesn't like kids who ask questions. I've seen him get irritated and angry when Tom asked why the outfield should shift left for left hitters. I'm sitting there watching all the practices and the games. So I told him I'd talk to him about it but that Tom is going to keep asking him why, it's not disrespectful, it's interest.

The practice went on. As they were coming in I watched one boy repeatedly bat at Tom with his glove. He's wasn't being funny. He knew he was bothering Tom. Tom asked him to quit several times. He just kept doing it. When they got to the dug out another boy (the coaches son) and this boy through their gloves at him. Tom yelled and pushed the boy away from him. That's when the coach started yelling at Tom to quit. Tom was cornered in the dug out when this man came charging up. Tom walked away from him and got his bat. This guy continued to yell that he was "tired of Tom's mouth" and Tom continued to pack his gear and told him he didn't really care. That was the wrong thing to say. That's when I walked up and called the coach to talk to him.

I told him what had been happening and he assured me that it didn't matter, Tom should show some respect. The problem is Tom isn't going to do that. There is nothing to respect and I agree. We stood and talked a long time. I wasn't mad, I was just trying to explain what is going on. He has 12 boys out there and I understand he can't see everything that is going on all the time. These boys all know each other and are acting like an animal pack instead of young men and there is no one there to help them. There is no one there making sure that people are respecting each other. The coaches demand respect and don't deserve it. I don't  like their behavior at all. If I were on that team, I'd just leave.

Ahh! I can't even write it all out right. Tom wants to stay on the team. He says he will tell the coach that he is sorry he was disrespectful in the dugout, but he felt attacked and he didn't think the coach had all the facts. He just charged in attacking instead of finding out what happened. Tom also says he will continue to be himself and he will be kind and respectful, but he will not "put up with" being treated that way. I don't think you can make someone respect you. I say forget it. I don't know what to do. I'm proud that he wants to keep trying but I don't want to watch him fight through all this. 

More Baseball!

I know! You're wondering, "What? More baseball already?" Today was Jake's game and here he is playing for the Minor Nationals.

Safe on first but thinking about stealing second.

Jake up to bat!

Master of the Right Field

Baseball!

Tom had a game last night and his team was a little short on players due to Science Camp for the public schooled kids. The coach got some pool players to fill in, but they were STILL short! A kid from the Oriole's was on hand and Jake got to help out too. He wasn't dressed for baseball, but Dad ran home and got his cleats. It was another exciting game, but we still lost. Didn't bother the boys at all though. Tom was a little shook up over a confused out at third base since the other player advanced thinking Tom was on his way home, the ball came in and Tom tried to run back to third...no where to go, he was out. Jake got walked and struck out. Tom played catcher the whole game. It's so fun watching them play! Hopefully next year we can have them on the same team.

What A Play!

I'm starting to love baseball more and more. :)) Tom made an amazing play last night. High fly ball to right field and Tom was there because the other player had to make a pit stop. He's under it, he catches it, he looks around, guy on third when he should be on second (he thought Tom would drop it), he throws it to second, that guy catches it, tags him out...double play! Sweet! The best part was watching Tom do his excited dance out there. He was pretty stinkin' proud of that and it REALLY showed. Now...he did bobble the ball and let it get by him twice when he played second base, but after the show in right field nothing to bring him down.

Tom loves playing baseball. He looks so serious out there. He takes practice very seriously and gets a little irritated with the kids that aren't paying attention. He watches the whole game. When he is out there, he's going through what might happen next and he's ready for it. His catching and batting skills need work, but he's always thinking and knows the game. Those other skills will catch up.

Another funny note. At the end of the game, one of the coaches told them that there would be no official practice on Friday because the school had "parent-teacher" conferences. Tom asked what that was and the coach asked if he was homeschooled. Tom answered affirmative and the coach said he knew it because he was so smart. THAT makes me happy. He does stand out from the crowd. Both my boys are odd. They are weird and in the very best ways. The coach said he would be at the field with his son practicing and any of them were welcome but it wasn't required. You know who will be there for sure, right?

It's Just Baseball People!

Aren't games supposed to be entertainment and exercise? I go through this every year, I know, but every year it's a jolt to my completely uncompetitive mind. The coaches that yell and fight with the umpires. The parents that scream from the stands when players make mistakes. The kids that stomp out of the batters box after a umpires call. It's all so foreign to me. And I know it will get worse as the months go by. By the end of the season, I usually watch from the outfield fence because I can't stand to listen anymore. The boys say they usually can't hear a word from the stands. They are focused on the game and aren't listening. But I do wonder what effect these coaches attitude has on those kids even if they don't complain about it.

Tom and Jake love baseball. Not sure why, because no one in either of our families is really even a sports watcher, let alone any kind of player. But they really love it. And every year I worry that they will have a psycho coach or some parent in the stands will say something that will make me have to beat them. Mostly Jake I worry about. He's such a sweet sensitive boy. Ok, he's my baby! :)) Tom's tough, he can handle it. In fact, Tom thrives on the challenge of dealing with people, but my Jakey...he just holds onto his emotions long enough to get alone and let them all out in sobs.

There is a coach this year, not my sons, that I can hear on the next field during practice yelling at the kids. These are 9 and 10 year olds. If that were our team, I'd be there and if I heard that, I'd have to make it up to the boys somehow, but they would not remain on that team. One parent did call about him though, so that makes me feel better. Maybe I should have walked over there and made a call too.

I find it really odd that there are rarely any parents at the practices and if they are there, they sure don't want to talk. I have found some awesome new friends over the past three years though!

Honestly, I'm not a sports fan, but it is fun to watch the boys play. They exude happiness when they are out there. Tom played catcher last night and did a great job. He looks like a little man. Jake played outfield last night. He was happy with that after having to play catcher the whole game on Saturday.

Finished Another Book Today

It's amazing how much you actually use the tip of your right thumb! I cut it bad yesterday trying to open a latch at Tom's baseball game yesterday. Score keeping can be dangerous! Well...for me anyway.

I finished reading "Easy Lessons on the Constitution" this morning. It's a great little book, but it was written in 1891, so some of the questions are a little dated. It does give a pretty good explanation of how our Constitution works and it's written for kids, so it's right up my alley! I'm thinking most adults today would have trouble keeping up with this book though. And I know they don't teach any of this in depth in our modern high schools, which is a sad state of affairs really. How do we keep our liberty if so few understand how our system is supposed to work?

One quote for you from the very end of the book. "These lessons have failed entirely of their purpose if they have not excited a desire to know much more of our system of government and to become better prepared to assume these responsibilities. If the great experiment in free government now trying in our country is to be successful, the masses of her citizens must be intelligent as well as virtuous. They must understand her institutions and glory in their citizenship."

I don't think the book failed. I want more and I want to do more.

Birthday's and Baseball

What a weekend! It was so busy that we had to take Monday off completely to recover.
Saturday was supposed to have Little League opening day and a game, but the opening ceremonies were moved to next week. Thank goodness cause it really helped to have those extra hours to get ready for the party on Sunday. Jake played his first baseball game of the season and won! It was a good start to the season for sure. He was pretty happy. He struck out the first time he was up and walked the second, but did score a run for the team. He played second base for two innings and did a great job scooping up that ball and getting it to first base. He even got someone out.

I love watching my boys at the ball field. Jake walks around so proud and confident when he is there, but then again when does he not? When we got there, Tom and Jake were walking together when one of Jake's coaches said hi. They talked for a second and then Tom extends his hand to shake and says "Hi, I'm Jake's brother Tom. I'm on the Cubs this year." Like a little man. I actually got choked up watching it. Too bad they are both so un-socialized. :)) I over heard another conversation that made me laugh. Some kid asked Jake if he played World of Warcraft and Jake thought he said World War Two.

Minecraft Cake!

Sunday was Jake's 10th birthday party! I still can't believe he is 10. Crazy boy getting big. It was so fun. I love having everyone over. My poor Mom was sick and couldn't make it though. So sad. And my brother and cousins entertained everyone with their antics. We had some old friends come that we haven't seen in a long time. Yay! And I got to talk with my new friend's husband a lot this time. It was a great afternoon. The kids spent a lot of time on the go-kart and chasing chickens!

Uncle John and Eric try the stilts.

Carson and Uncle John Rockin' It

Jake's Table Cloth

Tom Giving Go Cart Rides

Jake, John and Melissa, and Carson

"Law of the Wall" Lecture

Just finished listening in on the lecture I was supposed to be online for last week. I couldn't go. Jake's first baseball practice was that night at the same time and I was just too nervous for him and HAD to be there. Jake loves baseball so much and he's such a sensitive soul and well...he's just not that good at it yet. He's made amazing progress over the years though, even though he's OUR kid. :)) So I've been nervous about what kind of coach he will have this year, as I am every year. This year we found out he was on a team that won a lot last year and it's the same coach, so I was worried he would be mean to my baby and I would have kill him with evil looks all season. It wasn't the case so he's off the hook. He's an amazing coach. So calm and confident. He has great drills for the boys and when they make a mistake he re-does the play so that they can do it right and learn from their mistake. Jake's already better. The sigh of contentment as we drove home pretty much said it all. So I'm glad I was there and missed my class.

Today I listened to the recording and I'm glad I did. Again about mentoring. That keeps coming up! Yikes! So what is "the wall"? It's the roadblock after you feel your calling to do whatever it is you need to do. What do you do when you hit that wall? You think, you pray, you look around you. What is stopping you from going forward? Mine is fear. Fear that I won't be good enough, that I can't learn. But I know that is bogus. I'm not stupid, just out of practice. What do you do when you think you know what the problem is? You find the next step, make a list of what you need to do, and actually do them. Sounds so simple. But the sit and think, long and quiet, about the situation is what gets me every time. I'm a reacting type, not a ponderer. Gonna have to work on this one.

This was my biggest take away today. "When you are ready a mentor will appear." It sounds so dumb but it's true. Dan has a philosophy on trying new things and it's usually about a gadget or program, but it applies here too. Always get the free or cheapest one. If you use it regularly and like it, then get the bigger and more expensive one. Pretty cool, huh? I need to be doing the work I'm doing and then some. I need to make plans and stick to it. The mentor I need will come to me when I'm ready to move up the the "bigger and more expensive one".

So, the plan? I've already started. My built in study time in the morning has done wonders. I have several things I work on every day that I got for free, i.e. the constitution class, seminary lectures, and such. My next step is to take the writing class I've been looking at. I spent money on it! I'm in! When I finish that, I think I will be ready for the class I've been aching to take, Introduction to the Great Books at Monticello College. In addition to that, I'm going to get A History of Israel by Walter Kaiser and read that when I'm done with my "Year Through the Torah".

Big plans! I'll keep you posted.