Game 3 Recap

I’ve never been an agent or recipient of the mercy rule before. That is until last night. When the fifth inning ended, we were down 21-6. Jackson was upset about being tagged at home for the last out, and I don’t have the heart to tell him that had he not hesitated, we would have only been down 14 runs and played a sixth inning. It was for the best anyway.

What I learned:

• Kids take these games very seriously. Now the adult tendency would be to tell them to chill out and lighten up, and while true, that’s easy for us grown-ups to say. These kids don’t have jobs, mortgage payments, responsibilities, and bigger things to invest themselves emotionally in. They’re 8-10, and this is a big deal for them.
• Confidence is a fragile thing. One second a kid will feel like he can tackle the world, the next he feels like he isn’t worthy to be on the field. I used second as the time frame, because it seems to turn that quickly.
• Our players need constant reminders about things like standing back in the box, being too far away from the plate, where the play is, etc.
• The team we played last night got first pick of all players who tried out. That is why they are the Blazers #1. Once they got done picking the team from tryouts, Blazers #2 went second, and then #3. That can be misleading, but it was obvious to me they had some good ballplayers.

What I liked:

• Playing at home. There’s nothing like it.
• Our team mentality. We are quick to get behind each other.
• The catch Jackson made on the fly to end the first.
• Watching Trey discover the benefits of pointing the toe toward home plate while pitching.
• Logan’s great form in retreating for a fly over his head. I thought he had it.
• Logan and Cole’s help on the bench. They both caught stuff we were missing.
• Seeing our parents (and my family) in the stands.
• The sportsmanlike demeanor of both teams.
• The weather! How blessed we are to play baseball during these rainy days.
• Wearing a Red Knight baseball cap. Everyone looks good in Red Knight colors.
• The great help from the other coaches in getting us ready for the game and packing up after. They are an asset and a blessing to our team.

What we need to work on:

• Calming down and trusting our abilities.
• Not putting any more pressure on the kids.
• Finding a better substitution pattern. I HATE, HATE, HATE putting anyone on the bench at all. I need to check to rules and see if there is a more equitable way.
• Finding a way to warm up our hitting swing.
• I need to organize my papers better.
• Outfield depth and spacing.

Our next game is Monday June 23 at Waukesha West HS. Please pray for a dry field. See you then!