They assembled for the first time yesterday at Vermont Park in New Brighton. All told, 9 of the 12 lads assigned the bright red of the Phillies were in attendance on a windy, warm mid-April afternoon. It appears that the team is experienced; not one of the kids was lacking awareness of baseball fundamentals. The team is tall; at least three of the boys are already 5 feet tall at the age of 10. And the team will hit – a number of mighty blasts were flying through the air at the park yesterday. And the coach has the right approach; supportive, ever teaching, stressing the fundamentals but also the need to enjoy the experience.
Baseball at the Little League level can be a thing of great joy, but also a miserable experience if the team lacks talent, or coaching, or both. My son went through an excruciating 0-18 season last year; his team would have struggled to beat Charlie Brown’s team. Because my son loves baseball and is a natural optimist, he’s back for another season this year. But many of his teammates from last year decided to do something else.
It’s the rare kid these days who loves baseball most of all – there are soccer matches, and Gameboys, and hundreds of other gadgets and distractions that will turn a child away from the game. We can’t change that, but we can make the experience of baseball better for those who do love it. We can teach the kids how to play the game correctly; we can teach them the history of the game. We can explain the role baseball has played in our society. But love of the game primarily comes from playing the game, and tasting success. After the first practice, it appears that this year will be better, at least for my son.
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