Coach Pitch

The boy had his first baseball practice last night. In the rain no less. And he was all enthusiasm about going. Will wonders never cease?

We went figuring that the practice would be an abbreviated one, but lo-and-behold several other teammates showed up as well in the rain. So what started out as just a couple of kids getting a chance to get a little pitch-and-catch done and go over some of the games’ rules turned into a full practice session with batting and a drill for practicing throwing to first base.

The kids all did well. None of them cared about the rain, cold or wet. Surprising all of us who helped with the coaching. Just when you think you know your kid, they go and do something like that.

The other thing I’ll note is the noticeable level of comfort the parents have with one another and the other kids. A year ago, we all barely knew each other and we were all hesitant to correct someone else’s child when they were slacking off or something. I’ve noticed it in Scouts, and it’s clearly continuing right into baseball, now that we’ve all realized that we’re all basically on the same page regarding behavior, attitudes, courtesy and so forth, it isn’t unusual for any given child to get a quick correction from someone who isn’t their parent. To the kid’s credit, they tent to listen as well. Perhaps getting noticed by a stranger has some kind of “focusing” effect or something. Regardless, it’s nice to have the help.