SUMMER OF FUN - YOUTH BASEBALL

As this summer winds down, I am still thinking of all the clichés and advice that emanated from the spectator stands during the myriad of Little League and Pony League games I attended this summer. Not only did I put on some extra mileage I almost lost my hearing at some games and my sanity at others.  My diet went out the window with the mostly bad hot dogs and hamburgers which I ate sparingly, considering all the water I drank I could have drowned! Was it worth it – read this to the end!

The clichés were timeless. I have heard them since my child (who is now a father of two Little Leaguers and my daughter and her husband also have two Pony Leaguers and my son in law is the president of this Little League organization with two more players – that makes six different teams in different parts of the county – you get to hear it all!)

“Good eye.” That one gets me as I know from experience that it talks two eyes to see the ball. If it just a good eye which one are they referring to? If the ball is careening over the batter’s head does it take a good eye to not swing at it? If it is in the dirt does it not also take a good eye to let I go by? What is a “bad eye?” And again, which of the two would that be? If the kid batting lets a pitch go past and it is a ball, that is the way to “look it over.” The batter had about one tenth of a second to look it over and at eight or nine or ten years old that is saying something.

Then there is the screamer. “You got this!” What does he have and who has it? “There is two outs; you got this," is also screamed. The kids know there is two outs but still have no idea of what they have. “Be tough out there!” The kids really want to be pansies – huh? “Be baseball ready.” OK, the kids have put on their sliding pants, their cup (got to protect the future) their socks, high or low depending on their individual style, the pants, their uniform belts, their uniform shirt with their name and number on it and their caps. Then get their gloves – batting or fielding – glove to have both and then their mitt and bat. For where I sit, they are baseball ready – no amount of screaming from the stand will change that. More importantly, is the parent’s check book ready?

Now mind you, the advice from the stands is coming for some parents that have never played the game, never will and never wanted to play the game. The best one I heard was from my daughter who hated baseball that is until her kids started to play and play rather well. My youngest grandson was the catcher with enough gear on that could house a family of four. The ball was thrown by the pitcher so that my grandson had to reach up and stretch for the ball that was almost over his head. As reached for it my daughter yells, “Frame it.” If the batter was 6 foot five, the ball was not even close to being a strike no matter how he “framed” it.

Another cliché that I heard was, “it is all good.” What was all good? Bases loaded and the pitcher has no idea where the strike zone is and his arm feel s like is going to falloff, that is “all good out there?” I know that the parents are trying to encourage their kids and motivate them – but that doesn’t happen by fibbing to them. The kids are smarter than the parents – they know better. Yet, the parents scream nonsense – they have to because they are so invested. I think some bring their baseball book of clichés to the games and like a translation dictionary; they look up the “appropriate” cliché for the moment.

“Have fun out there.” That is good advice to the kid that is standing alone on the field with a ball in his hand and the game on the line and about 200 parents and friends, friend and foes alike watching you. “Have fun?” You gotta be kidding. The kid is about to wet his pants. That is not fun.

I often wonder what goes through a kid’s mind as this barrage of nonsense is communicated at the top of the spectator’s lungs. I have been told by the kids that they tune it out. It is distracting for them. The “advise” they get is often wrong and causes some lapse in concentration. Cheering is great! “Let’s go team.” “Great play.” “Looking good.” All positive statements that could motivate a kid and encourage them. When someone yells “all good” the kid knows that it isn’t. The player hears “you got this!” What is the “this?” The best one yet is “throw strikes.”  I cannot even think about commenting on that.

Here is what I think, as a parent and grandparent that watched so many Pony League, American Legion and High School Baseball and even coached Little League: Parents need to hear encouragement by other parents encouraging their kids and even yours. The kids love the sounds of cheering not necessarily the words. That sounds make them want to win, to do better and they know win or lose their parents, grandparents and friends will still make them feel like winners. 
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To answer the question, was it worth it and is it still worth it – you bet. When my grandson’s ten year old team won the state championship, they had fun out there, When I get copy of the team photo I will frame it as they looked good in the photo And I will view it with my good eye, the right one and then the left one. They got this and proudly so!

That is my take – you decide.