What Can I Teach These Young Boys?
by A.J. Daulerio
My seven-year-old began Little League a few weeks ago, and even though the thought of him competing with anyone at this age infuriates me, I have made peace with the idea that maybe, perhaps, it is time he does realize that the world will crush him if he is not prepared. He is our little boy at home, but out in the field, amongst his peers and the parents of his peers, he is being judged and branded either “talented” or a “coachable” or a “grass picker,” the latter of which I have assigned grave consequences to because it absolutely means that he will be bullied and beaten down by life way too young.
I know—this is me projecting. My son is fine—he loves baseball, enjoys playing, and seems to me to be about squarely in the middle talent-wise meaning he is a decent fielder and not afraid of the ball. Most notably, he has a more genuine interest and love of playing baseball than any of his teammates. So, if the interest holds—he’s not a grass-picker.
And even if he—or any of his teammates—should prove less than talented, the consequences will not be life-altering. I have to remind myself that no one knows what they’re doing because they are seven. Most have trouble throwing, hitting, or staying “baseball ready” (hands on knees, glove up, eyes forward) for over 12 seconds. They are seven years old. There are eight teams, and everyone makes the playoffs. Even if you lose in the playoffs, every team wins because they are seven years old. Life marches on.
But I am treating his Little League experience as a pivotal moment in my life as a parent since I’m deciding what kind of Little League parent I will be. Will I sit in the stands with the other parents or stand further away from them, radiating anti-social contempt? Will I pay an extra $100 for my own “team gear”? Or will I be the obnoxiously loud one who climbs up to the fence every time their kid is up and screams batting instructions at them throughout the at-bat? “Remember to step into the pitch, Atlas!” (Every third child in this league is named Atlas. Los Angeles!)*
Keep us breathing fire!
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