This year we began the journey of becoming baseball parents.
My brother and sister in law have a couple wonderful athletes in their house and my nephew Braden lives, breathes, and eats baseball. Not literally of course. Eating baseballs would cause some digestive issues. I know what that means….being a baseball mom. It’s like a full time job. It’s scheduling your vacations around games and practices. It’s budgeting for equipment and travel and gear and game fees. It’s icing shoulders and scrubbing stains out of pants and perfecting the encouraging words after a tough loss. It’s hours of calm chased by moments of adrenaline. It’s patience. It’s dedication. It’s kinda just like being a regular mom. Only with more concession stand snacks.
So this year, we signed up Will to play five and six year old ball at a local park. He was turning five half way through the season so he just snuck by the age bracket. We assumed it would be like any other rec league….but apparently we aren’t in Kansas anymore Toto. These are some random thoughts and facts about our season so far….
First off it should be said that our little Will is highly competitive by nature. We don’t need to encourage him to hustle. We don’t need to tell him that practice makes perfect. We don’t need to explain what winning is or what trophies mean or what the scoreboard says. He knows. And it affects him. deeply.
He is the youngest and second smallest on the team and apparently at the ripe age of four-almost-five, we signed him up too late. A lot of the other kids have been playing since 3. That means that the six year olds that are about to turn seven have played a long time. Two seasons of tee ball and this is their second season of coach pitch.
He’s trying desperately to catch up and frankly it kinda breaks my heart to see him want something so badly that I can’t give to him. I guess we will both have to get used to that. It’s called life.
Both Jeremy and I try to stress that it’s not about winning. (although we both are highly competitive and sometimes we have to admit…it’s all about winning….but we aren’t telling him that!) We always say the same things….did you try hard? did you have fun? That’s what matters.
And I had to make a decision about how to document his years of baseball….I decided to order the buttons. The cheap $4 buttons with his picture on it from the folks that do the baseball photos. I’m gonna put each one in a shadow box and add to the collection each year. It’s kinda like a little living baseball growth chart. And because I am too cheap to purchase the $35 baseball cards, I figured that I could probably make my own with pictures of my little man in the backyard.
I can’t believe he is so big already. Sometimes it totally brings tears to my eyes. Such a little man who loves his A hat (which he believes stands for Awesome!) and has more freckles each year and is constantly battling the chapped lips.
His pants were the smallest size they had at the local sports store and they are just a smidge too big….making the whole outfit seem impossibly cuter. And he is so proud that he got to be number 11….just like Daddy.
Everyone on his team calls him William…not Will…and he doesn’t correct them or try to say it’s Will. It’s just William.
And the boys on the team are kinda categorized in two groups…those who know what is going on during the game…and those who don’t. It’s gonna be one of my favorite memories ever to think back to that first game and remember the ball rolling past the pitcher, the second baseman and finally to Will who was playing somewhere in center field. He ran it down, picked it up and was about to throw when three of his teammates tackled him. Somehow the ball went loose and everybody was scrambling for it….Will got it again by some weird happen chance and went to throw a second time when the fourth teammate (who was supposed to be the third baseman at the time) dove, hit his arm and the ball landed about ten feet away. It was both hilarious and exhilarating at the same time.
And I should tell ya….the town here shuts DOWN when baseball is on. Like everyone is at the fields.
I should have taken that as my first clue that other parents would be competitive….we just didn’t realize.
See Jeremy and I aren’t the most laid-back people in the world….but at the fields? We look practically comatose compared to some of the other parents. My dad came to a game and he thought the reaction was so funny that he wanted to record it. Not film his grandson….but the other parents who are yelling at the kids during the game. I kept on having to tell him…yes, they are only five and six year olds. No….they don’t win any money.
Will has already told us that he really wants a game ball. He has told us after every single game. He also wants a trophy. He told us. A lot.
I want a more comfortable folding chair. And a higher zoom lens. Let’s see what the baseball fairy brings us 🙂
Some folks at the field were asking if we were gonna sign up Weston for next year. I didn’t know if it would break their hearts if I told them we don’t think so….so I said maybe. Weston is not the same as Will. He’s not really a rule-follower by nature. I have a feeling that he would be the kid who tackles…just to tackle…no ball needed. I love that about him….it’s the ying to Will’s yang. I am such a lucky parent in that I get to experience both sides of the coin.
The little ones are really good at the game. Weston’s favorite baseball pastime is collecting all the rocks. He also likes to try climbing the fence behind home plate. We will ask him where he is going and he points to the top….I have no doubt that one day he will get there.
LJ watches the game a little more attentively….mostly because he is strapped down in a stroller and doesn’t have any other choice. He claps when everyone else does and gets excited when everyone cheers. Its positively adorable.
The A’s have won some and lost some and they have games twice a week and then practice about twice a week….which seemed to me like a lot but who knows….maybe that is normal. All I know is that one day that number will be quadrupled and then I’ll be that mom with the planner that is about eight inches thick with papers falling out 🙂 Batter up moms!
My siblings and I did EVERY sport we could growing up and it certainly kept my folks VERY busy! Will and Weston and LJ are so cute! Enjoy every minute!
as a mom of 2 boys who both played baseball, cherish every moment these are memories and friends they will have forever. I miss those days!
I’m so like you in that I don’t consider myself a laid-back person, but at the ball fields, I would be. My son won’t be 5 until late August, so we missed out this year. Oh. Darn. (If you didn’t catch it, that is sarcasm at its finest.) I am DREADING the start of the soccer/baseball/basketball/pick-your-little-league-sport years. I see so much value in the lessons learned–teamwork, not always winning is okay, being a good sport, practice makes perfect, etc.–but around here, everyone acts like these 5 year olds are trying out for the majors! So far, he hasn’t asked to play…I figure I’ll wait until he does, which will probably be soon. And hopefully I’ll be able to keep my sanity and help him learn those valuable lessons.
PS Will’s stance at bat is PERFECT! Love it!!!
This is my first year as baseball mom too – a three-turned-four-year-old playing tball for the first time! And my husband is the coach. I can’t say I’m surprised though, since my hubby was pretty serious about baseball and we knew, as soon as the ultrasound showed boy, that this was our future.
Also, my younger son’s favorite part of the games is the rocks too.
Welcome to the world of being a Baseball Mom!! With an 8 year old playing kid pitch and 6 year old playing machine pitch, our spring and summer will be spent out at the ball field. I can honestly say, there is nothing more fun a (and stressful) than being out at the ball field watching them. The coaches of our oldest’s team shared this letter with all of the team parents this year in the hope that we can help keep the game fun for our boys, http://www.mac-n-seitz.com/teams/mike-matheny-letter.html, it’s a little long, but totally worth the read. Good luck to “William” this season, I hope you all have a blast!
Enjoy every minute! I was a baseball Mom for a time with my 3 boys. They all played, and it was very stressful running them all around and watching all their games. Now they are older and I miss those days with every inch of my heart.
Katie,
Pretty son you will have the Bower Baseball Team of your own!!!
My son (7 years old) is playing for this first time this year, too! They play and practice about 4 days a week, too. Seems a little intense, but it seems to be about normal for our area. We live in SC. 🙂
Your kids are ADORABLE. They are all so cute! Weston reminds me a lot of my 4 year old!
Love this post!! You have inspired me to document my son’s first “baseball” experience too! My son is 4 and playing Tball locally. Ours is slightly different than yours, from what I gather. We have 4-6 year olds (maybe even some 7 year olds ) all in the same league or level. It’s co-ed too. I think they do it this way to get enough teams to have enough games because our Little League is small. So we have coach-pitch and then if they don’t hit it then they get the T set up for them. We’ve only had 3 games so far and it’s just the best entertainment. We’ve definitely got our $65 worth already in entertainment. Our son is picking up the rules already and loves it! They don’t keep score and no one has assigned positions yet. It’s all about the kids and teaching and having fun for now.
It does sound like what ya’ll are experiencing is pretty serious compared to ours but glad that you guys are trying to stay cool about it all. I bet he will be all caught up by the end of your season. 🙂
I’m a mom of 2 boys, now 18 and 16, but back when they were younger they were totally into football and baseball- town baseball then tryout leagues and travel. Then they were introduced to lacrosse (something about using a stick and being able to hit appealed more to them) and stopped playing baseball. Unfortunately those crazy parents never go away!
So fun! I can’t wait for the days when my little is old enough to start getting involved in things! Will is just the cutest in his little uniform though-plus I think your pictures are way better than ones you get!
Invest in a good chair! And one that is easy to carry. Mine is brightly colored and has vents in the back and seats which is a must for hot summer days.
My dad suggested at the last game that they should serve beer. I told him that would be a nightmare. Parents are already very passionate, if not certifiably crazy, about their kids and alcohol would be a recipe for disaster!
My goodness! I actually gasped at the second picture of Will because he looks suddenly SO grown! Such beautiful boys – you are at the start of Big Adventures =)
Oh my gosh Will is just too cute in his uniform! I love all the pictures you took of him. So precious. We went last night to see my nephew play little league baseball. My son who is 3 years old kept saying “I want to play baseball out there!!!” It’s pretty obvious to me that he will enjoy the sport once we allow him to play (we will probably sign him up for T ball next year). And you’re so right about the parents. I was surprised and taken aback at how some of the moms and dads yelled at their little ones. I kept thinking this is only a little league game! I may feel a little differently when it’s my son playing out there 🙂
My five-year-old is starting baseball this summer, so soon I will be a baseball mom too! I think our league is a little more relaxed, though; the only equipment we have to buy is a helmet and they don’t have team uniforms. Also there is only one game a week.
But my son is so excited, he has always loved baseball. It will be a fun summer!
That last picture of your three boys is just about the cutest picture ever!
I remember those days. The baseball season goes fast. Enjoy!
…..and don’t forget snacks and sunflower seeds.
That is crazy competitive already!!! I am in Colorado, and my oldest is 5 as well. We started sports this year too. Through the Y, we did Basketball in January — the age was 3 – 5 — some of the kids were actually really very good — they must play A LOT at home – could make baskets like an NBA player! My son was with the kids that didn’t really know what was going on! We are now in Soccer, and have signed up for T-Ball starting in June. (Crazy weather here after all — we could have snow every weekend until June!) He seems to really like soccer — he likes to kick! LOL! Here they don’t do coach pitching until the 6-7 age bracket! So, I gotta say, I was SUPER impressed that he is able to HIT like he does!!
So, I would love your advice on this — since he will be doing TBall in June, He turns 6 in September. Next summer he will be able to do coach pitched baseball — So, would you recommend going to the batting cages over the winter to get used to hitting like that? What did you guys do? Just play at home and with family?
Fabulous photos, all keepers. Sports can surely take up a lot of time, but it’s such a good use of time. My nephew has three in Little League and a fourth soon to join the first three. They spend their lives at the field 🙂
Mary
All of this sounds familiar! We too started Braden “late” as they say at the age of five, little did we know that he would become the ball player he is today. The only thing I really want to comment about is those parents that are the loud, competive, and intense, don’t be. I was the dad that was coaching and playing to win every time the boys stepped out onto the field and you know what, I missed watching the boys having fun. Don’t get me wrong, we had the championship team three years straight but I missed sitting down and smiling at them learn and try. Teaching any game with love and patience goes a lot farther than with intensity at an early age and I missed it with my son.
I’m that mom with 3 in baseball (well, 2 baseball and 1 girl softball), and life is totally nuts right now! Baseball parents are crazy. C.R.A.Z.Y. We are much more about the fun, learning how to be part of the team, etc. But we’ve got coaches (and parents) that think this is pro ball. Or that their child is on the pro-ball tract.
Miss you Brad! Tell Tara that it’s Will’s favorite thing to watch Braden on Instagram play ball…it doesn’t matter if it’s a picture or video! He just wants to see more!!!
xo kb
So happy Will enjoys sports and is having fun. My daughter played soccer for Upward, a Christian organization, and they are all over the place. The parents don’t go nuts or yell, only one practice and one game per week so it doesn’t dominate the schedule… Just something to look into if you’re interested. I was a soccer coach and its fun and Christ centered.
Love this. As a mom to three boys about a year older than yours I can totally relate! Thanks for posting such ordinarily wonderful mom moments!
This might be one of my favorite post!
I am a mom of 4 but the oldest three are all boys:)
They are all playing baseball this season:) I have one little guy on each of the fields at the park we play at here in GA!
After crazy schedules and hectic mornings I often find myself even now tearing up at games thinking about how quickly we got here and how even in all the chaos I am living what I had always dreamed about and that the moments that happen on those fields will be cherished memories of mine forever!
You’re a good momma and I so enjoying following you and your family on this journey:)
Corrie
Will looks adorable! We love baseball too!
I think you *should* sign up Weston for baseball- to me he sounds like the type of kid that would thrive on something like baseball where he gets to be a little crazy yet learn some skills too. Plus- you said something about how you feel Will is behind because his peers have been playing for awhile. I think Weston would like it 🙂
Welcome to the baseball mom world! I have two boys that play (16 and 14), along with a 9 year-old daughter who plays softball. I love the age Will is at (and how adorably enthusiastic he is) and can hardly believe that mine were that little, playing the game (and fiercely competitive as well)! I think the parents at the younger ages can be the craziest ones, quite honestly! I’ve seen my share of it over the past 11+ years of watching! Enjoy it – it’s a lot of fun, you just have to embrace the chaos. I know I will miss it one day! 🙂
Weston probably would be very good at it in due time….but he is still so little (just turned two) so there is definitely time!
xo – kb
Actually Jeremy and I both coached for Upward! We loved it!
xo – kb
We have a little plastic tee at home and Will would drag it out and practice all the time in years past. Now they do have batting practice at the batting cages once a week and I can tell it’s a different kind of practicing. I think that honestly Will has improved so much because he has a little pitching machine that his Gramps and Grammy got him for Christmas. It pitches real baseballs (I think like five or so can be loaded) and he gets the mechanics down (lining up his feet, elbow up, eye on ball, make contact). He is still so little that we are thrilled if he ever tips it!
xo – kb
I think I was expecting something more like what you are describing! I am seriously shocked that it’s so competitive!
xo – kb
My husband and I were just talking about when to start our daughter in organized sports. We agreed that age 5 is just fine. (We have friends who enrolled their 18 month old in soccer?!) Committing to four days per week is more intense than I’d prefer, though.
I came across this sign the other day. Kids will put enough pressure on each other and themselves without adults adding to it. They’re so young- let them learn and have fun!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/hes-just-a-little-boy-baseball-sign_n_3280044.html
Wow! When I was a kid, tee-ball didn’t start until 5. I played one year and remember barely having the attention span to play a whole game then. Real uniforms weren’t used until age 10. Until then it was just cute team t-shirts.
I know this is just a cute post about your thoughts on becoming a baseball mom, but it made me tear up. I really really hope I get to be a baseball mom someday.
Ugh…my sister is one of those parents. Even worse, she lives in Florida and has the personality for it to boot. Our family is from MD and I know you are originally a northern gal too….I just don’t think its as intense up here. The further south you go…..the worse it gets. No one is mean though. When I visited her and went to my nephews game (she has three boys) she was her own cheering section and the leader of the moms. I was kind of embarrassed/laughing at the whole thing. My husband is super competitive playing baseball and football in college and now is a coach. I think when our kids get out there, he is going to the that quiet strong guidance that they need and I will do my best to cheer them on without totally loosing it. haha All this to say….I can’t wait to be in your shoes. It sounds like so much fun!
We are a baseball family – our son and daughter both play and my husband and I coach. We have a very good perspective on it, and try hard not to get drawn into the cray cray. We LOVE baseball and all the things it offers – exercise, fresh air, new friendships, a sense of accomplishment, how to be a good team player, how to win and lose with grace, etc.
In our house we joke (or lament) about people who lose perspective on the game (like the Dad who screams at his son from the stands “You gotta get those”… every time he misses a pop fly). The kid is 12 – he knows and he’s trying, pipe down Dad! We tell our kids to call us on it if they see us losing perspective – its a great way to check your behavior 🙂
Thanks for the reminder Tiffany. We need to be grateful that we are baseball moms. Sending you good thoughts. God bless.
Your pictures are perfect and no professional could take better ones:) Please don’t ever lose that attitude toward your children and their sports. It was so bad in our area that we didn’t let our children participate until they were in high school (swimming). They were never the superstars of the team because of their late start, but they were happy, learned about team work, earned a varsity letter, and interacted with some awesome children and parents. (Really special kids survive and come back for more two-a-day practices:)
Baseball/softball are great sports for parents. You get to be out in the nice weather. There is more action than soccer. And c’mon, the concession stand has baseball gum–the white gumballs that have stitches and say things like “Home Run” AND the pack of Big League Chew aka Kiddie Tobacco. Also, I wouldn’t worry too much about him being behind. Baseball is one of those games where you can catch up pretty quickly. I was 6 or 7 when I played my first Wildcat game and threw the ball underhanded (not to pitch but like an actual throw). If you’ve got an arm and hand-eye coordination, it’s an easy game to learn.
Yes you will definitely need a planner with 4 boys to organize. I think I need one with just 1 boy! But you must get the Emily Ley planner when the time comes, http://www.emilyley.com and all of her other stuff just because she is awesome! 🙂
This was such a sweet post. I love how you know your kids inside and out and encourage them to be themselves. As a newish mom to an 18 month old girl, I look forward to every. single. one of these milestones 🙂
And I’m sure they won’t be able to fully articulate it now, but one day (when they are parents themselves) they will understand just how much you loved them and sacrificed for them. My dad shuffled me from ballet to soccer to karate. It was probably too much hassle for him but I LOVED every second of it. Those are some of the best memories with my dad 🙂
How precious is he!
My softball team was the A’s too (at least for one year)!
It certainly does seem like a lot of practice and game time, but Will seems to love it!
And I think a more comfortable chair would be a great investment. 🙂
Will is so adorable in his baseball uniform! Go A’s! I am so excited for when our future kids start extra curriculars and I can be that parent cheering in the stands!
We are finishing up our first season of t-ball. I am super laid back. Just want my little guy to listen to his coaches and have fun. We have also enjoyed meeting other parents who are in the same place in life that we are. Its been fun!
Katie,
It’s so sweet to see this new chapter y’all are getting involved in! There are a lot of people reminiscing over their kids being little and playing but this actually made me reminisce of when I was little and playing. My dad coached (for both my sister and I), soccer, basketball, softball, cross-country, and track. I have no idea how he and my mom never missed one of our games (I suspect it was because he knew the league coordinators and since he coached so many of the same kids, they helped to organize his schedules that no games ever overlapped). He was definitely a “high-energy” coach but in a good way. He provided a lot of guidance for girls on the teams that didn’t necessarily have a lot of parental influence. And even though he was intense about the game, his focus was on being a team player, having good character, and being responsible and respectful (he pulled you from the game for yelling at a referee, etc.).
Enjoy it and have so much fun! We have a 1-year old and I cannot WAIT for him to hit age 3 or 4 so we can enroll him in sports. I think there is an advantage to early enrollment like structure, learning to listen and follow rules from other adults and not just parents, teamwork, sharing, etc. Have so much fun! Your babies are adorable!
My son is about to start his senior year in high school- this will be his last year to play baseball. We have played ball since he was 3….I am going to miss it next year- cherish every moment. And invest in a good chair, a personal gas heater, and a pop up tent for over your chair- you will get your money’s worth out of them I promise!! Along with saving the buttons- don’t forget to save his jerseys if you get to keep them- so many cool craft projects you can do with them!! And yes..our little town in MS shuts down for Baseball too!!
Here is the pop up tent chair:
http://www.anthem-sports.com/UTWTents?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=A00-022&gclid=CN_-4afJnsUCFQIQ7Aod_0MAtw
I remember those days! My son is now 27 but the practices and games were too much for a “rec” league and some of the parents were unbelievable. My son did it for 5 or 6 years until one coach was way too serious, constantly played favorites and yelled at the boys like it was the big league and millions were at stake.. My son had had it! I was glad as I bit my tongue for far too long. My husband could seldom make the games or practices due to work. Makes a huge difference when it’s a family affair. Loved it when they were 5 years old and remember things happening just like you described out on the field! Too funny! Love your idea about the buttons and you are not being cheap. You will have so many “team photos” years from now you won’t know what to do with them! Cannot imagine what it will be like for you with 4 boys! Weston sounds like he might be more into football.
Excited to hear that! My daughter is 14 and too big for the program but I am happy my 2 year old can do it in a few years…I told hubby its his turn to coach.
Yeah. I think he might be my little linebacker 🙂
xo – kb
I didn’t realize we people in Florida had certain personalities.
Welcome to the world of baseball mom! I’ve been a baseball/softball (and golf, soccer, tennis, track, archery, volleyball) mom for 19 years! We have spent the vast majority of our time at baseball/softball games, as those sports were played competitively on travel teams. I purchased this chair two season ago, and it is hands down the best folding chair I have EVER sat in! You’ll use the great rocking feature with another new little one on the way. Hope you like it!
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=23154066
Thanks for the recommendation!
xo – kb
This is so fun! We were definitely one of those sporty families growing up where each of us played at least one sport a season. I’m so looking forward to the days that I can be a baseball (and soccer and football and basketball etc) mom.
Great pictures! I’m a baseball momma… we are on our 2nd year of kid pitch 🙂
Would you mind sharing your settings for the first two pictures through the fence? I love the look and can’t figure it out. Thanks momma!
ISO 1000
f/3.5
1/640
Hope this helps.
xo – kb