Home Run Fever

May was the craziest month we've had in a while! Kaedon and Isa both played soccer, and Kaedon tried baseball for the first time. I have to admit, I was relieved when Isa finished soccer. I felt that I was a terrible coach and I'm pretty sure the parents thought so, too. She was super happy about me being the coach, even though it was so laughable at times. Usually Miguel had to work during our practices, so I'd spend an inordinate amount of time chasing little girls when I was supposed to be coaching. For one practice, only two girls showed up. One of those girls was Isa. Maia had to use the bathroom 5 minutes into our practice, so I asked Isa to take her and they didn't come back for 20 minutes! At a different practice, I took some popcorn to help occupy my kids and it was more of a distraction than an occupier. Ava wouldn't share, then spilled a bunch of popcorn in the playground wood chips. Isa kept sneaking over to the wood chips during practice to pick out some popcorn to eat. The girls didn't listen to me anyway and were all goofing off (this is the norm)...I think its because of my commanding personality. Then Maia yelled to me that Ava was up to her knee in mud. I ended up giving Isa a time out (embarrassing in front of her friends), and leaving the girls while I retrieved Ava from the mud pit. Of course my periodic retrieving of Ava didn't help the orderly practice part. Aaaagh! I don't think I'll coach again any time soon. (I'd do it for Isa, but...)

I've been surprised at how much fun it has been to watch Kaedon play baseball. The first time I attended one of Kaedon's games I was amazed that half our town was there. Baseball is a big deal here. Its been quite fun watching the games, as most the kids hit the ball and the scores are quite high for baseball. It also helps that Kaedon's team is really good.

Kaedon has had no training whatsoever in baseball prior to this season, and it was hard to watch him bat or try to catch the ball next to some of these kids who were born hitting home runs. Its hard not to feel guilty as a parent for somehow denying your child's inner Babe Ruth. That, coupled with the fun and excitement of winning all but one game this year, has made it more challenging to try to keep the proper perspective.

I have whole elaborate theories about sports and competition and bettering oneself, but its easy to let them go out the window when it is exciting to win, or when, as a coach, you feel pressure from parents to win. Competition can be the polar opposite of compassion/charity for others, especially if the goal is just to be better than someone else. We can't NOT try our best, though-- because in the end we do our best in order to help others do their best.

My favorite moment this baseball season is when Kaedon was on third base in a tense play-off game against his friend's team. Kaedon was on third base and his friend was defending it. His friend reached over and gave Kaedon a discreet little fist bump a minute before Kaedon ran home. Thats the real kind of home run I want to see, I just have to keep reminding myself that. :)