Watching baseball is hard

Watching baseball games is difficult for me.... although they've gotten better over the course of the season as the batters and pitchers have improved to where there is actually some action and not an alternating strike out and walk.

But, there's still lots of time during the game to analyze and ponder all sorts of baseball and non-baseball related things.  Perhaps not being able to keep my mind focused on the game at all times has made me aware of one particular set of parent-child dynamics and it makes me very sad.

I think I've said it before, but I like Jacob's coaches this year.  They seem to have a good attitude and they mix things up a bit but they also try to keep strategies that will help them win.  For example, last night they locked a win on the game (being the away team and hitting the time limit) and so the coach put the outfielders in the infield and the infielders in the outfield and let someone pitch who wanted to but hasn't ever done it before.  It wasn't the prettiest inning - but who cares?  They did not get the shutout they might have had, but the kids had fun.

I just want to highlight that the overall attitude on the team is kind of "we want to win, and we want to have fun; and sometimes we also might lose, but let's keep a good attitude and never give up."

This has been good for Jacob, as he's really just gotten a little more confident in his ability to hit the ball.... like... well... this week.  And some kids are still struggling with hitting and fielding.  One kid, who falls in the mid-bottom of the "skill" level of players has a father who seems to believe that any praise might detract from the fact that his son's play might have been "better."  He chastises his kid for not swinging at the pitches, but then chastises him for swinging at balls.  The kid seriously takes a swing, then turns and looks for his dad in the stands.  Every.  Single.  Time.  And his glance is always returned with a scowl.

Yesterday, the kid made a nice catch of a pop fly for an out.  All the kids and coaches were telling him nice play and he had a big smile on his face.  He came over to the stands to his dad and sister (sister who gave him a big high-five) and a dad who said something that eliminated most of the smile from the boy's face.

I know there are a variety of different philosophies on how to motivate kids and there is no magic button.  Perhaps I should just be glad that this guy isn't one of the team's assistant coaches.  And I can't say that I've watched anything that would be considered abusive (through work I did have to go through training on that....  because.... well I have no idea why really).  But, I felt like going over and just being like "dude, he made a good play, just say 'good job.'  Just this once."  Clearly it would mean the world to that kid.