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June 2, 2001
****June 2, 2004****
STILL NEED 2004 OPTION HERE! ~Please~
I thought I would include here a little note I put up on the Jonnie's Baseball page of my webpage. These are some of my thoughts on a season, our first, of Pony League Baseball.
(I will update on Joshua next time.)
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A Mother's Observations:
The coaches on the CH Red Sox this year were pretty good at teach baseball skills to the boys. They also seemed to be pretty good at giving everyone a chance to play (though the rules DO make it hard NOT to be fair.) In addition, they were knowledgeable about the game and they did try and practice every week-even when we had 3 games in one week. And I don't think it could be said that these coaches were TOO competitive or hard on the kids. In these and other ways, they were good coaches.
However, the coaches were unable to foster team spirit and therefore the kids never came together as a team. While other teams could be heard cheering each other on more and more as the season went on, our team could be seen throwing down batting helmets or crossing their arms or arguing with the umpire. Instead of high five-ing and encouraging the kids who needed help, a few of the middle of the road kids started to tease a few of the kids who weren't so skilled-such as Jonnie-and most of the more talented kids soon joined in the teasing.
This created tragic results. As the season wore on, the team played poorer and poorer while some individual kids improved noticeably-including Jonnie. The kids on the team were competing against each other for pecking order on the team, and trying to make sure they didn't end up being the one about which everyone was poking fun, and so they were not able to compete against the other teams and they ended up with very few wins in the second half of the season. Some kids didn't even try, others threw fits at every little mistake, and still others made jokes that were offensive to their own teammates.
Now, I would like to end this commentary on a positive note. For Jonnie, the experience was almost entirely positive. His baseball skills improved greatly. He had a blast and found a new something to love (to do.) Because of the things about Jonnie that make him different, he rarely noticed the teasing and still thinks highly of most of his teammates. We had a discussion about team spirit and how attitude is 60% of the game and he got to see first hand how true that is. He is physically stronger and I can see that his shoulders have broadened, just from these short, few months.
For those of you who followed along with his team, thank you. After the last game on June 7, I will post the team's record on my webpage (if I can get it from the team mom.)
Now, on to summer sports camps and swim lessons...
Best wishes,
Khy, loving mom to the Edison like Jonnie and his big brother Josh
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