Thursday, April 26, 2007
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Thursday, April 26, 2007 |
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Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery |
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Fielder’s
Choice Enjoying T-ball again I had really forgotten how much fun T-ball is. Pam and I, a few years back, actually thought our T-ball days were history. Emma played. She’s almost 16. Andy followed. He’s almost 13. Now there’s Erin, and she may be our most enthusiastic T-baller yet. She’s 5 and loving every minute of her time on the diamond. She’d probably wear her uniform, particularly the cleats, to bed if we would let her. I kidded her brother during a recent practice. “I think she’s going to be faster than you,” I said. He just shook his head. Her first practice got rained out on the original date. She had been talking about it for days, and she was deeply disappointed. So, she made Emma and Andy go downstairs in our house and conduct an indoors practice session. I occasionally heard some bangs on the wall, but I wasn’t about to stop the fun. Then when the first practice rolled around, I took her. It was cold - really cold. But she stayed on the field the entire time and had a blast. She swung a bit early the first time at the plate and hit one of her coaches. He was OK. Then the next two times at bat she hit rollers down the third-base line and reached first. And, of course, the trip around the bases can always be an adventure with T-ballers, particularly those in their first season. Sometimes they run toward the outfield or the dugout versus toward the next bag. It’s also an adventure when a ball is hit, gets through the infield and reaches the grass. Usually about six, seven or maybe even 10 players leave their designated positions and run toward the ball – sometimes battling for possession. Then the one who comes out of the pile with the ball may hold it for several seconds before throwing it in. By that time the coaches, parents and perhaps others in attendance are shouting, “Throw the ball. Throw the ball.” I missed her first two games. Pam and I are splitting up a lot these days. I took Andy to Horn Lake for a baseball tournament in his age group. Erin’s T-ball team lost the first one, 12-11, and then won the next 18-15. The score isn’t very important to T-ballers. Hopefully, it’s not too important to the coaches and parents either. T-ball is all about having a great time and perhaps learning some fundamentals of the game of baseball. After her first game, Erin called me and told me, “Daddy, I hit and I made it all the way around.” That was good enough for me. I immediately knew she was loving the game. But more than anything else, she talks about being around her friends and meeting new friends. Then when I got home, the first thing she did was show off her new ball jersey. She was very proud of that shirt – sponsored by J.F. Brittenum and Son. Her sports shorts were another story. They were way too big for our little girl. You might remember she was born two months early and weighed 2 lbs., 6 ozs. She’s much bigger now, but not big enough for the small shorts. Luckily they had a draw string waist, and big sister Emma was able get them to stay on Erin. We have since bought her some extra small shorts. She will be more prepared to speed around the bases in her next game. The Marshall County League is in full swing with teams from Holly Springs, Byhalia and Potts Camp. Its assets are many. First and foremost, this league is about having fun. Report News:
(662) 252-4261 or south@dixie-net.com
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