Ah, Tee Ball– that great Springtime tradition when youngsters get their first taste of baseball.
I coached a team in the Spring of the year we left for seminary, and it was a hoot. Our two sons played, and I’m not sure what they got out of it. But they at least got to be part of a team for the first time, with matching shirts and hats.
I remember being on the field in the average game, turning around to check on positioning to find one kid allegedly playing second base but quite oblivious to what was going on and instead sitting on his haunches, making sand piles, while another would be picking dandelions or just looking at bugs. Some kids were into it, others were more unwilling participants, or just disinterested.
Before the season was over, we made sure to give a game ball to every player. We may have given more than one after any one game, because there were more kids than there were games.
And now our grandkids are the ones playing. Tempus fugit, and the tradition lives on.
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