There’s a pitcher’s backstop in the corner of our yard that’s the last survivor of an era nearly gone. It’s part of the detritus left behind from The Boy growing up.
The front yard was our playground for learning to hit and catch and throw. It’s where The Boy ran pass patterns and played Wiffle ball and blitz ball for hundreds of innings with his friends.
In a lot of ways, baseball is at its best when it’s adapted to fit unusual spaces and organized only by the kids at play. It’s a great way to learn about conflict resolution, teamwork and all the other subtle, small things that form such a large part of all the rest of our lives. The Boy has long since outgrown the home field confines, but it’s where he learned lessons he’ll never outgrow.
I was one of The Boy’s earliest tee ball coaches in “organized” games, and I think I learned a lot more than I taught. Enthusiasm and focus go together. That’s true for all of our days, but it’s easier to see when your charges stand belt high. Maintaining one requires attention to the other, and each can only last for so long.
As kids grow and their drive to compete expands, adult organization becomes increasingly important, because the two go together. The kids’ drive opens an opportunity for coaches to teach them things they want to know, along with a lot of things they may not realize until much later they needed to know. In the best of situations, great coaches intentionally teach players about life while helping them better play the game. In the worst of situations, coaches and other adults around the programs teach players about life as well, though the application of these lessons may take somewhat longer to be revealed.
One of the best coaches I’ve ever known often said, “You can’t kid a kid,” meaning you’re not fooling kids when you don’t tell them the truth — not in the long term for sure. Once they don’t buy into Santa Claus anymore, they’re never fully trusting again after that — not really — and that’s probably for the best. Life’s most valuable knowledge is generally served up on the sharp end of a fork. It’s important to learn early on there’ll be lots of painful moments along the way. Turning away from the reward doesn’t stop the jab of the fork, it just removes the chance to enjoy the reward.
There’s a pitcher’s backstop in the corner of our yard. I’ve thought about giving it away, but I kind of like it where it is. It’s good to see it when I come home from work at the end of the day. It reminds me of a lot of things. Some of the best trophies don’t hang on a shelf or a wall.
Kevin Tate is a freelance writer. Email [email protected].
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
