LSU Tigers Take the Field

Maddox has started to wade into the sports arena a bit deeper. We started this winter with wrestling, and now that it is spring he's giving TBall a go, and he is having a BLAST! Brian and I and Brian's dad are coaching the little LSU Tigers, which is pretty fun for us too. Cecil accurately likened it to herding cats...

We have had 2 games so far and they have been so entertaining. During the first game, the kids were all pretty excited, and almost as clueless, even with several practices under their belts. There were kids playing first base running to second when the batter hit the ball, instead of staying there for the throw to first. We had kids afraid to touch the base because a girl was there. Kids went to the wrong dug-outs, kids leaving mid inning for the potty, kids running across the field changing their own fielding positions because "they aren't hitting it to me over here", kids tackling each other to field the ball, chasing the batter to first base with the ball. The other team even warmed up on the infield (which is a BIG no no in baseball etiquette...which I didn't know...). Every parent in the stand sheering and yelling "RUN!" "Throw it to first!"

And ALL the kids were smiling from ear to ear the whole time... which made the chaos completely entertaining...and maybe even worth the loss of my voice.

This week was our second game and we were much improved! (so much so that I actually had time to take some pictures.) I think the kids are actually understanding what a game is supposed to look like. Maddox has come out of his shell and seems to be the ring leader, team clown, and encourager. He is the loudest in the dug out yelling for his team mates to "smash it" or "hit a home run" and to "run fast". Tonight he even debuted the slide, and hit two bee bee's into the outfield. After he slid in to 3rd base and home twice, the other kids were starting to attempt it too.



Learned: Seeing kids who came to the first practice not even knowing how to throw a ball, now be able to field, throw, hit, AND run the bases the right way... pretty amazing.

Seeing my son shine, and become a kind strong leader... priceless!