The little guy approached with a smile a mile wide. His pants were crisp and white, his hair was combed and he was NOT going to take the glove off of his hand. He was probably on five or six years old, but he was ready! The first part of the day didn't mean as much to him...it was pictures. As he stood and waited his turn, he tossed the ball about a foot in the air and let it drop in his tiny glove. As his confidence built, he tossed it a little higher. I could read his expression to say, "Let's get these pictures over with and let's play ball!"
Seeing this little guy brought back so many memories of Little League. Last weekend was opening day in our small town and I think nearly the entire town was there. The kids proudly wore uniforms sponsored by local businesses, their pants were still perfect without a tear or grass stain and their cleats hadn't seen any mud yet. It was a perfect day.
I reminisced about years back when our son started tee-ball. there is NOTHING better than tee-ball. The kids are adorable and they are so excited to get to be playing baseball!
The thing I love about early baseball is that the kids are so literal. I can remember my sister telling me a story about my niece. She had hit the ball pretty far and was running to first...her coach told her to keep going. So, she did...straight into right field!
Attention spans aren't always the longest at this young age...I can remember several occasions when my son was so board with the game he would pick dandelions. Then there was the time he thought if he covered second base up with dirt, the runner wouldn't see it. I have seen little ones with their gloves on their head ...in conversations with the people in the crowd...leave the field in the middle of a game to go to the "potty" and be more excited about the after game snack than the game.
Those were the days....
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