Bye Bye Baseball!

This weekend brought Michael's first baseball season to a close and what a season it was! I was so happy with his experience during his first season of baseball. I think he got just the right balance of coaching, experience, and fun. His coach was really great. He definitely taught the boys the game of baseball, provided them with instruction- but also didn't put a lot of pressure on them or make them take things too seriously. Baseball is a sport that is very rule and situation based. Learning how to catch a ball or hit a ball is the first step- but once you get that down, you need to have your head in the game and know where and when to make a play. A lot of this knowledge is taught just by playing. When you field a grounder, you have to know where you are going to throw it. You need to know when to cover the bag or when to charge a ball. You need to figure out how to hit the ball to certain parts of the field and it is a lot to remember! I was so impressed with how one season of baseball really transformed Michael's knowledge of the game!

In the beginning, he liked baseball. However- by the end, he loved it! He is already looking forward to next Spring when he can play again! Michael developed a real love for the game. He was asking Damien almost nightly to go out in the backyard to play catch. Michael would ask him to stay after practice to hit some balls. It was really cute to watch and honestly hard for me to just watch because I really wanted to get out there with Michael and throw the ball around with him. Only a few more days and I can do that! I got a kick out of Claire who by the end of Michael's season decided that she too wanted to play next year. And Matthew- this kid really started to look up his big brother. If he started to see Michael get ready for a practice or a game he would start saying, "Michael go baseball?" and then follow it up with, "I go baseball. Dad- I go baseball!" Matthew would not be denied and Daddy was nice enough to take him most of the time.

I was really proud of my Michael. He always tried his best, developed a real confidence while playing, and stayed focused and had a great time out there. I loved watching him play and look forward to many more seasons out in a lawn chair watching my boy.