Adelie and Staley are both done with their summer baseball seasons. Adelie played her first season of t-ball and Staley played her first season of coach pitch baseball. And although they both set the bar extremely low to start the season, both girls made good progress and had fun playing.
At Adelie's first game, she hit the ball and then just stood there. When everyone started yelling "RUN!", she trotted out towards the pitcher, still holding her bat. Her coach had to run the bases with her that entire first game. (Like I said, setting the bar low.)
By the end of the season, she could hit the ball off the tee and run the bases without help. Her throwing and catching skills are still a (big) work in progress, but she at least has an idea of what she is supposed to do.
The one game she played first base, she never watched the ball or realized that every kid was going to be throwing it to her. Luckily, most of the kids lacked the aim or the arm strength to get it right to her, which saved Adelie from getting hit with the ball. Getting the glove on the correct hand consistently was also a work in progress throughout the season. I'd like to say she mastered that, but...
Adelie enjoyed her season, liked playing with her friends, and learned quite a bit about baseball in the process. I'll call that success.
Staley was even more enthusiastic about playing baseball. When her last game was cancelled due to rain, she burst into tears because her season was over. Where Adelie had little interest in practicing at home, Staley wanted to work on her baseball skills in between games. Grandpa was a great batting coach to help her learn how to swing properly.
For coach pitch, the kids get to swing at 6 pitches before having to hit off the tee. Staley's first game, she had to hit off the tee every time up to bat. After that first game, she practiced with Grandpa and only had to use the tee once or twice more the entire season. She never hit the ball far, but was consistent in making contact and seemed to find a new running speed to generally avoid getting thrown out at first. Staley was also not the best fielder, but the first few times she stopped the ball, she just held it or threw it to the person standing closest to her, like the shortstop. By the end of the season, she knew to throw it to first base. There is still a lot about baseball that she has not learned yet (like how to cover the base she was playing) and many skills that need plenty of improvement (like throwing the ball farther than about 10-15 feet), but again, progress and enjoyment are how I measure success at this age.
And Briggs filled his baseball time with making new friends. Whether he was getting this little girl to share her tablet or playing volleyball with a middle school girl, he always seemed to find a friend to help him pass the time.
A month of evenings at the ball field went by quickly. I didn't burst into tears about their seasons ending, but I did enjoy watching them play and seeing them grow throughout the season. Success!
