Gabriel played "Spring" t-ball, his first time to try baseball. Why they called it spring when it started May 23 is beyond me. It was stinkin' hot at those games. We wondered how he would like it. Soccer wasn't too fun for him, which I partially blame on having lousy coaches. The TCU kids were super nice, but they didn't know a thing about communicating with and motivating kids that young. So we knew it might all depend on Gabriel's coach (or coaches) and hoped he would get a good one.
Here he is at his first actual game getting his first actual hit. Pretty good camera work Daddy! His coaches were wonderful. Coach Rick and Coach Jaime both had sons on the team and were very good about teaching the kids why they were doing what they were doing. They were patient when they needed to be, but also tough with the boys if it was called for.
Look at the variation of sizes on his team! Evan (#10) looked like a 3rd or 4th grader. Little Aidan (between #5 and #4) was the shortest team member, but also the scrappiest. He kept trying to either run away from practice and games, or was starting scuffles with his team mates. Aside: There were two Aidans on our team, and at least one on every other team. Popular name! The boys were also very varied on their skill level. Maybe because of their size, Evan and Johnny were great at fielding. I'm wondering if this was supposed to be for Kindergardeners and their parents held them back a year. Don't know how that works with the age rules at the Y.
Gabriel did really well at hitting with a tee. But when they switched to coach pitch he couldn't seem to hit the ball. When he was playing third he would mostly stand there and yawn the whole game. I thought (hoped) at first that he was nervous and breathing more shallow, and the lack of oxygen was making him yawn. But Jav just looked at me when I suggested this and said, "He's bored silly." I will say that he wanted to practice throwing, catching and hitting MUCH more than he wanted to practice soccer. But it was still usually around a promise of getting to do something else after 10-15 minutes of practicing. Jav bought a tee and rubber home plate and bases for him to run around. If nothing else it did help him understand what he was supposed to do a little more. And he greatly improved his throwing and catching with practice. But during games, when the ball was hit towards him, he just stood as if glued to the grass while his teammates scrambled around him trying to get the ball. This is very frustrating to watch as a parent. But I did pretty good most of the time and let the coaches reprimand him. Most of the time.
This picture was taken during their last game, after he got a hit and ran to first. The game before this one he got a hit and barely jogged to first and was out. I was screaming at him to run faster. The only time during the season I wish I had duct taped my mouth. Coach Rick told him to be sure and run as fast as he could next time. So when he got the hit before the pic was taken, he ran his little heart out and was looking over at me for approval when he made it on base. This makes me wonder if all of his playing is for pleasing parents instead of pleasing himself. Something I never have to wonder when I hear or see him playing the drums. Sigh.
My sister-in-law Sandra took this awesome shot just after they got their trophies. She and Jav's mom came to almost every game. I liked that Coach Rick told each player how many hits, RBIs and outs each team member got before giving them their trophy. I think the "let's give a trophy to every kid" doesn't really do anything to drive them to do better the next season. Hearing some of the higher numbers his team mates had, Gabriel said on the way home, "I bet if I had gotten the most, we would all be really proud of me right now". We told him that we were SO proud of him already, because he had gone to every practice and game, and had tried his best.
We'll see if he wants to play when next "Spring" rolls around. I hope so, but not too much.
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