Summer Ball Games

Grandkids

If you’re like me and Gary most of your summer will be spent at baseball games. We love it. We love watching the grandkids play. Ethan is 14 so his are more serious. Elliot is 10 so his are more fun. Although lately his ball games have been getting serious also. Some of the coaches get irate. Come on now they are kids. Ten-year-old kids at that. Baseball is a sport where you are out on your own when you are batting. It’s more stressful than football and basketball. That’s more of a team sport. Not that baseball isn’t but when you bat it’s just you. Some kids get stressed out and if they strike out they get that in their head and continue to strike out. I know I’ve seen it happen. 

It's a Struggle Sometimes

Elliot, my ten-year-old grandson, was striking out. He always hit the ball previously but like I said if they think they are going to strike out they will strike out. I sat watching him struggle and wondered how I could help him.  I fished around in my purse and found a quarter. After his ball game was over, I pulled him to the side and gave him that quarter. I told him it was my lucky quarter. I had it in my back pocket when I ran my half marathon, and I had my best time ever. I told him to put it in his back pocket and it will bring him luck. He had another game, I asked him if he had his quarter and he said he did. I’ll be damned if he didn’t get up to bat and hit a triple. I texted my daughter Erica (who was at a ball game with my older grandson) and told her, “Elliot’s back, it must have been the quarter”. I made the entire story up about the quarter and my race. But Elliot believes, therefore it works. He carries that quarter to every ball game with him now in his back pocket. Kids, only if you believe.

Believe in Yourself

Ethan struggled also for a while. He was a harder fix because he’s older. We were walking to the car after a ball game and he said, “Grandma, I wish I could hit the ball”. I told him, you know you can hit the ball honey. I’ve seen you do it a million times. Get that out of your head. You need to believe in yourself. Before every game I would text him and tell him to believe in himself. There’s nobody better. I also told him I believed in him even when he didn’t believe in himself. Eventually it worked itself out and he’s hitting again. It breaks my heart to see them struggle. After all ten years down the road what will these ball games really mean to either one of them. It’s supposed to be a fun sport. Not so much anymore. It’s competitive, and ruthless. I’m not quite sure I like it. Is this good for their self-esteem? Both boys play on more than one team. My 10-year-old grandson Elliot plays for three different teams. Ethan is playing for two different teams and goes all over the country. Last week he was in Nebraska. We could go to a ball game almost every night. They are only young once, so we don’t like to miss a lot of games.

Next year Ethan will be in high school. It’s crazy how time goes. I remember when he was born. 

For now, we look forward to games. Gary and I are their biggest cheerleaders. 

Baseball America's game.

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