1. Hot Dogs
They never taste as good as when you eat them at the ball park.
2. Fans
Even the grandparents and elderly come to watch. Many of them once watched their kids or grand kids play. And, even if the grand kids have grown, they still come out to the ball fields in the evenings, cheer on the kids, eat hot dogs and talk with the neighbors. They know something about community spirit that is special. We could all be coached by them in some way or another. They make being a part of the crowd feel like there's no other place we'd rather be.
3. Camaraderie
My boys get to yell, hit things, get dirty, spit seeds and burp without getting in trouble and I love it! They are not afraid to jump right in and get to work, make friends and have fun. Sports have a way of bringing kids together. Teamwork is a beautiful thing.
4. Strategy
There is a strategy to the game. Sometimes it's serious, sometimes its humorous. And why is it that only about half of the lights on the scoreboard usually work? It's so funny to sit in the stands and hear the debate over the score, "It's 8 to 3. No, it's 3 to 8." And, every once in a while someone will throw a meaningful look up at me in the score box, squinting through the sun, just to see if I'm paying attention.
5. Playing Catch
Tossing the ball around, watching Markus hit a line drive to get a ground rule double, this is as good as it gets.
6. The Umpires
They still grunt, even at peewee games. I've always thought that umpires have special powers. The power to intimidate. The power to be dramatic or suspenseful, depending on the call. The power to pause and play the game. And, when they really give their best, I can see right through their over sized teddy bear brawn and into their big, soft hearts.
7. Coaches
I've always thought that Dad's that coached their kids were extra cool. The dad who makes time for his kids and actually knows sports, which is a bonus, coaching out of pure love is one thing, but coaching with love and skill is another.
8. Girls Rule
Girls get to play right along with the boys. And some are better pitchers! Hailey pitched two no-runs scored innings today.
9. No such thing as Failure
A 30 percent success rate in most sports isn’t very good. But in baseball, when Max fails to get a hit seven out of ten times, he is one of the better players. In baseball how often you fail is less important than your timing when you do succeed.
10. Snacks
Need I say more? :)
