Play ball!

Eldest has been playing baseball this spring, and aside from some bruises from getting hit with a ball (during batting practice and while catching), he's loved it. His league is machine pitch -- an adult puts the ball into a pitching machine, so each kids gets the same speed of pitch in about the same spot. He's hitting the ball OK, probably batting about .300 this season. He's on a fun, not-as-serious team (we have faced some teams that likely play in more than one league and had boys with better batting stances than me), and the kids are getting better in the field with each game.

I'm helping coach Eldest's baseball team, and I must admit, I've loved it. Perhaps I like it because I'm not head coach and don't have to deal with the logistical details that I do with soccer and basketball. But I think the main reason is just getting out onto a baseball diamond in the spring -- it's taking me back to playing baseball as a kid (and to an extent, playing softball in my 20s). During practice the other day, I realized this. The sun was shining, the field had that fresh dirt smell, and the sport was low-key, unlike other sports in which the kids are always moving. Baseball is active and relaxing at the same time.

At the last practice, Littlest was helping by being a baserunner. He loved it, and the head coach let him bat at the end of practice. On his second pitch, he got the bat around and got a little hit! Watching both boys play baseball over the next several springs is going to be fun.

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