Coaching My Lil Giants

Now I’ve helped coach Tee Ball many times before and I also played baseball until I got hurt in the service, but, I have never had a team of my own.

Monday, the 25th of April, my “Lil Giants” played their first Tee Ball game against the Redsox and I had the best seat in the house.

Being on that field and coaching is something I love doing more than anything and now I’m doing it with my son and my stepdaughter. There is nothing better than teaching your children something you love and enjoying it with them and boy did I enjoy it.

I knew coming into this game what to expect. I mean, it’s Tee Ball. There is going to be some crying, running around, and even some accidents, but, this game went very smooth. Almost each and everyone of my ballplayers were getting hits on the first swing, in the ready position in the field, and smiling the entire game. There were a couple collisions, a few backwards base running, and even a broken tee, but, this game flew by.

We had one practice that involved grounders and throwing mechanics and one hitting practice the week before the first game and I could tell each kid learned from that when they stepped on the field Monday. There were very few swing and misses and most of my ballplayers were in ready position at all times, but, one especially had a great game in the field and another broke my new tee I just bought that day. My stepdaughter stepped up to the plate on the left side for her first at bat and took a big swing and miss. Her second swing did not miss. Well, it missed the ball. She banged the middle of the post and the top of the tee flew down the third base line. The ball had went so far I told her it was a hit and to run to first. She was so confused. Personally, I was in shock. I had never seen someone break a tee before, but, it was definitely a laugh. Zeke however, played second and right-center this game and he made about 3 or 4 plays that most tee ball players don’t make. The first ball hit to him, he never moved and it went right by him. I let him know that he needed to move to the ball like I showed him. The next 3 or 4 balls hit to him he did just that. He stopped each one then made great throws to first base. To add to the game he played in the field he asked if he could hit on both sides of the plate. I have been working with him for a couple years on switch hitting and he’s loved it and done really well. He hits better on the left side, but, I let him do it in the game and he had two solid knocks on each side of the plate.

To say I was proud of the game my ballplayers played is an understatement, but, there was one moment that I loved most of all. I have a little girl on my team that is very shy and normally won’t leave her parents side during practices, let alone let me help her, so, I figured she’d be the same way at the game. Somehow, her mom and dad convinced her to take her first at-bat by herself, so, when she met me at the plate I immediately stepped back so she could do her own thing instead of helping her. She took one big swing with one had and smacked the ball with her little pink bat then ran to first base. But, when the last kid cleared the bases and she came running down the third base line she had the biggest smile on her face I had ever seen. I offered her a high five and she gave me one. It melted my heart. I was so happy I yelled to her parents, “she high-fived me!” The rest of the game she seemed to be having a blast. Moments like those will forever live in my heart and are the main reason I go out there and coach.

The entire game went well and I am so proud of all my ballplayers. It feels so good to teach these kids and watch them grow and learn. I lose thought when I’m on that field and I’m locked in. Nothing else matters when you’re out there but those kids and I look forward to coaching them for a long time. My pops said it best, “if you continue to coach these kids, you are going to build a connection with them and their parents for the rest of their lives”.