We have baseball at last

As of this weekend, both boys' teams have coaches and scheduled first practices (Son1: machine-pitch boys' baseball; Son2: co-ed T-ball). Yay! Or not. Mostly because the whole school playground/group-o-boys incident with Son1 has us half ready to skip any involvement with groups of nine- and ten-year-olds! The school situation still is not worked out -- we're far from comfortable with that right now.

But Son1 is really looking forward to baseball, we all enjoy the baseball season, and it's great to see him progress with his skills. Dear husband and I hope he gets some opportunities to be catcher -- last year he seemed to play that position really well.

Son2's team meeting was Saturday evening and his first practice was tonight. Son1's first practice will be tomorrow evening along with, I hope, the team meeting (to decide team name and colors, ideas for sponsors, and whether we'll have or get a pitching machine like last year's team did).

At the T-ball meeting and practice it's been fun already to see the variety of parents, all of us hopeful and encouraging of our five-year-olds and wondering how the coach and her assistants will go about this. Among the parents and coaches (the coaches are two parents and two coworkers) there were quite a few much younger than dear husband and I, most with younger kids but no older kids like our Son1, several sporting generous back and arm tattoos, some of the same and some others with pretty cool wildly colored hair, and also a few navel? belly? piercings and a lip piercing were sighted. Yet I also noticed none of that had a THING to do with which parents and coaches were completely comfortable chatting with new-to-them kiddos, and which were super reserved in that situation. It's a whole new group of people to get to know a little bit over the next couple of months. The kids agreed on naming their team The Incredibles, and of COURSE their colors will be red and black, LOL!

As for Son1's baseball, dear husband and I are crossing our fingers that one of the parents has a lead on a good sponsor. Last year's team had a sponsor and it was great -- they covered the cost of the uniforms AND a pitching machine AND an end-of-season party! It made a huge difference with our budget last year to only have to cover the cost of Son1's new shoes (we always seem to replace 'em at the start of a sport season, LOL!), cup (!), mouth guard, team pictures, and occasional team snacks and drinks. And of course the pitching machine was a huge help in getting the kids comfortable with hitting a ball that's coming toward them at a good clip.

Son1 came along to Son2's Tball practice tonight, brought his glove, and was a great helper to the various coaches. I'm looking forward to learning from my kids over the next week or so how to catch and throw a ball properly, in order to help them BOTH with their fielding skills and improve along with them. THAT's one thing I can do to help them. Should be fun!