Lessons from Tee-Ball
I’m so excited that my 5 year-old son Tyler is playing t-ball—since I’m a big baseball fan in general and love practicing with him. It’s been great to get the tee set up in the back so Tyler can hit one of the 6 white whiffle balls around the yard, shared of course with his little brother on his own little tee (watch out when he starts playing!) A lot times they don’t even want the tee, which allows for great moments of daddy cheering when they hit the ball—it’s such a fun time, and I’ll cherish this forever. I’m so lucky to have this experience with my boys!
This past weekend, we went to the sporting goods store and bought a whole bunch of supplies, since games start this weekend: a glowing yellow/green florescent bat, a red helmet, grey pants, red socks, black and white cleats, the batting tee, balls and BIG LEAGUE CHEW! Note to self (and other parents out there): 5 year olds love the shreds of bubble gum but may not be ready for bubbles, and our 3 year old just wants to eat it.
We had the first practice last week for our team, the Cardinals! I know, since I’m a big Cubs fan, I still cringe a little when I put the STL hat on my son’s head, but I tell him he only needs to wear it for practices and games. I’ve been impressed with how the practices have been run by coaches Gregg, Lisa, and Taylor. It’s really well organized, and you can tell that Gregg and Lisa have done the whole coaching thing before. I’m very proud of how my boy is learning sports and teamwork, and he actually appears to be listening when coach is talking!
It’s comical to see the kids all go and chase the ball after it’s been hit, or hop around in place as they wait to run the bases. Didn’t see anyone run the wrong way—yet.
What struck me yesterday at practice (and the reason I’m writing this as a blog) were the Rules that coach Gregg set out for the kids. They are actually the same darn rules that we should be doing in all of our daily lives.
Have fun: We all need to have more fun in life—it’s way too danged short not too. Promise to yourself that you’ll PLAY FULL OUT in this life. As the great author Paulo Coehlo said, “Someday we will wake up and there won’t be any time left to do the things we’ve always wanted to do”
Try Hard: This speaks of persistence and integrity. As learned in a seminar I took last week, you must DO THE THING. Nothing really comes if you just watch and don’t do anything.
Be a Good Sport: If we could all be good sports, what a wonderful world this would be! Start with yourself: Be gentle on yourself when learning something new, and have compassion for others if things don’t go your way. Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”.
It’s great to see these kids growing up right before my eyes, and I see the world changing for the better as they play on a cold spring day. Lessons are always there in front of us, it’s just a matter of us paying attention. Remember the 3 Rules, keep learning like a child and leave your mind open to possibilities.
Trent Corey PT, DPT
Find Yourself Running, LLC
Xtra Mile Physical Therapy
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