Doing my part... Baseball season is here for Little Tee

The crack of the bat.. has become music to my ears.. and I don't even like the game of baseball, yet I'm excited because my son is playing and learning how to be a baseball player. I think I may have been more excited than him when the season started. Why? Because I'm glad to see he has that something that will light a fire underneath his feet to get up and get out and do something physical... even though baseball has a lot of standing around, picking at the grass while you wait in anticipation of being in the mix of the ball in play. He's getting his opportunities to keep it physical.. the way dad likes it! 

Terry's triple in first game of the season

Wednesday April 11, 2012 opened the 2012 Parks and Recreation Bronco League (ages 11/12) season.. although the 1st Inning was a disaster for the Phillies (Lil Tee's team) 0-8 after one. They managed to get going in the bottom second and through the next few innings. The Phillies managed to make moves and score run after run to comeback and win it 15-10. Congrats to the Phillies! Win or lose, we as parents and coaches are doing our part of being excited, cheering them on and supporting the efforts put forth through the ups and downs of playing the game of baseball. We seem to have a good group of kids that do look to have been around the game a little bit so it looks like we're (Phillies) off to a much better start then last year when Lil Tee played for the same coach in the 9-10 year old league where they lost all but one game. So there was a lot of "...great effort guys!" and not a whole lot of talk about the win/ lose columns. 

I don't know much about the game of baseball beyond the basics, but doing what I can to learn the necessary to be an instrumental piece to the puzzle to help preach and teach what the coach is trying to get Lil Tee and his teammates to do. Oh yeah, did I mention I'm not even a fan of the game?.. too slow and boring, But! because Lil Tee has taken an interest in it beyond it being an outdoor physical activity. We've gone to the park on countless occasions during his off time and now that the season is here, we're still going to the park, just the 'two of us'. His team only meets once or twice in a week, which will definitely slow his learning curve for gaining the necessary tools to step it up when he's playing in a more intense league... something we (his mother and I) are looking into. As the season neared.. the park we once had to ourselves everyday to throw, catch, bat, run the bases... is now the practice home for another league that is clearly much more advanced then Parks and Recreation.

As a father, a coach (in another sport), it's in me to want to learn the necessary to do what I can to aid in my son's development. On his non-practice days we will still go to the park, and if there's a conflict of using the field, we'll throw outside the fence for awhile and sit and watch an ages 9-10 team that would put on a clinic against his 11-12 year old age Parks and Rec team... I'm dead serious! as I laugh... A CLINIC I tell ya!

Advanced League Play (ages 9-10) Lil Tee and I sat and watched

Today we got to the park and had the field for 30 minutes before an ages 11-12 group came out to practice... So we cleared the field and took a seat to watch... And yes, I'm taking notes and picking up on some great drills to do with the Phillies #1 Slugger/ RBI king/ 3rd Baseman/ Relief Pitcher ~> my handsome young prince Terry Reese III aka Lil Tee :-) 

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Simply loving the journey I tread with my son... Doing my part to be an example, being supportive, and as I continue his growth in becoming his own man... I know that my influence will stay with him. So, I best be sure a lot of what he gets from me is to make him a better man, a better person than myself. Love that little guy.

A proud dad I be! And elated to be 'Doing My Part'. 

Let's go Lil Tee, Let's Go Phillies!

Terry first at bat of season. A single/ RBI.