Last night I was at the game of my oldest (he plays Pony B) and my youngest (soon to be middle) needed to run to the bathroom... Well, while I was on the way back, I saw an older kid from Majors taking practice swings for his game and was shocked at what I saw.... He was wearing #50 and his last name was States... Really? I mean come one... I took a picture with my cell phone because no one would have believed me, but I can't figure out how to add a photo not already on a web page...
Side note though.... how do I get my kid to pay attention out on the field without sounding like a raving lunatic yelling at him to stop dancing, playing with the dirt, screaming, etc. My wife and I are embarrassed... but the kid is a ball of energy and don't know how to get him to focus... The coach actually moved him from the pitchers position to an outfield spot in the middle of an inning because he wasn't paying attention and some of the kids are really starting to hit the ball hard and feared he'd get a concussion... another inning, the coach actually stood next to him throughout the inning as he was dancing... I have no clue what to do other than embarrass him and publicly make him leave in the middle of the game... I'm at a loss.. I know when I was a kid and was in the outfield, I picked dandelions or looked at the clouds, but it was mostly in tball and it was only in the outfield, never when I caught...
My oldest Son did the same thing on the T-Ball field. The game is a bit slow for kids that age, who all have short attention spans. My son not only did the very same things yours is doing in T-Ball, he did the same playing AYSO Soccer too. I did not allow him to play soccer a 2nd year, and he didn't want to either. I didn't want to see him watching everything but the ball, which was what he would do. The soccer or baseball would roll right by him, and he wouldn't notice. One method I used to get him to practice, practice and practice, the fundamentals of fielding, was to get him to throw a tennis ball against our brick wall, (better than a pitch back), and field those hot grounders, and some line drive type balls, (if thrown higher against the wall). Recalling in my own youth, constantly throwing a ball against a wall or pitch back to practice til I could field or hit in my sleep. If you have a brick wall, put some tape on it creating a small square for a strike zone, and see how your boy enjoys that, (again use a tennis ball, so as not destroy a ton of hard balls). I know my Son could not get enough, of this routine game, much like I did as a kid. Little League is often about drilling oneself to execute and constantly practice the fundamentals of baseball. Yet it has to be fun to the kid, and if not, they won't drive themselves. That is the key, a kid has to want to get as much from baseball as humanly possible, til they are practicing in their sleep,and utterly can not get enough of baseball. I used to fall asleep with my mitt on. As much, when it was raining, I would line up my baseball cards, and throw a sock balled up, against a wall with a small box taped off to create a strike zone, (the sock was quiet enough to not bother my parents, and could not break anything); thus simulating a pitching effort, and strenghtening the arm. Keep caution tho' to ensure your Son's arm does not get sore, if so, stop and rest for a week or 2 or 3. My two cents, for what its worth. 3 components of Little League, should be taught first and foremost- 1-Fundamentals No child should be faulted for improperly fielding a ball, especially as most kids are NOT taught the proper fundamentals of fielding, hitting, stealing, sliding, catching, pitching, so one...... 2-Self Discipline (to execute the Fundamentals in one's sleep, repetively til the cows come home). 3-Teamwork (a kid has to learn to sacrifice oneself for the sake of bunting over a team mate into scoring position, or a sacrifice fly). Teamwork builds true character, and builds a team who all are for one and one for all.
First I think its cute that you named your nose DANDELIONS. Secondly unless your kid is 18 or older I wouldn't worry about it. All kidding aside, I think you first have to ask him if he wants to play. If he says yes (and I hope he does) then you have some ammunition because now you can say to your son "Humphrey, if you want to continue to play than you have to behave, otherwise I'll ask the coach to sit you on the bench & you can watch while the other kids play". I kid a little here but as someone who had a similar situation with my son when he was in little league & it worked. Good luck Steve.
You said you PICKED dandelions, I was suggesting that dandelions was a metaphor for nose. DAMN! are you slow. And so if he wants to play have you given him the ultimatum that if he doesn't stop he won't play?
Sorry... missed that... pregnant/sick wife and two young kids... I'm doing all the cooking/cleaning/everything else around the house plus my normal job... I'm beat... sorry
Steve, how far along is your wife with child? Do you two know the sex of the child yet? Personally, both Kim and I, did not want to know the sex of our boys....we enjoyed the surprise, and bought neutral colors for their rooms.
Wait, 3 kids one of each? A typo? or a curve ball? LOL....not at you, but with you my friend. Steve, how far are you from the nearest lake in the Pocono's? I imagine, you have taken your boys there to fish? A Beautifull place eh...!!! the Pocono's.
No, no typo. One of each. and if you figure how that happened Ron (59) will buy you a crate of cheetoe's
My wife is 31 weeks... so 3rd trimester... no, we don't know... we want to be surprised like we were with our boys... it's becoming exceedingly more rare...
nearest, not sure, but my dad has a place up there and we go up often and do fish on the stream leading into the lake (the stream is in his backyard)
OK...here me out. When we needed to get the dobi to focus in training classes as a pup, we ended up with an E-collar. Hands down the best training tool out there. You tap on the page button, makes a buzz, and then correct the behavior with a quick zap. After that, the page is all the reminder needed to get focus. Now all my buddies have them for their kids.
I wouldn't share my cheetohs either..... I just sent a Air Drop Crate of Holy Flying Cheetohs to 59. A potent special formualted batch, like 59s Monster Okra, those cheetohs do things to men, even Popeye could not withstand. Move over Hulk, Bruce Banner, there is a new Sheriff/Hulk in Middle Georgia. Those Cheetohs, also can run his Antique Ford Mint Tractor too. Can't say what that special Holy Flying Ingredient is, or he'd have to kill ya!
My middle son, used to put on a dogs barker breaker collar, to get a cheap thrill out of getting shocked. The collar uses a 9 volt battery, which gives off a bigger shock than one would think. Once he got shocked, he would yell, and get shocked even more, a viscous endless cycle, while he writhed on the floor.....I always thought that boy was 99 cents shy of a dollar upstairs....
