Ever spend the day coaching little 5 and 6 year olds? Rearing young minds and bodies into the molds of the rules of real baseball is the grandest experience ever! See, kindergarteners see the world of baseball...and the world itself through different eyes!

During my first t-ball practice I was overwhelmed with so many emotions. Here are these young minds and bodies looking up to me with awe as if I not only have the answers to this ‘complicated’ game.... Baseball, but I know the mysteries to the universe as well. Of course I have to live up to these expectations in my own mind. The little ones have no idea what a blonde really understands, only that I have the key to the mint! And, I also think I am in control...But soon discover that with 12, 4 footers, the only ones in superior standing are them. Rules have little meaning; possession is 9/10ths of the law. If a small child has a ball.... it is HIS ball. And the little boy with the bat is a force to be reckoned with! The kids with the mitts want to wear it on their head or any other suitable place, and the ones on the bench cry (even though they are just waiting their turn to bat). I have my following however, little Jacky informed me immediately that he loved me and that it was something I needed to know before it got to hot outside. Of course, I love him too, but he won't get to bat first because then everyone would know...lol. The usually boisterous children become shy, the quite ones pull out of their shell to fight for the small white object that must be 'MINE' because it looks exactly like the one they have at home. There is no mandatory order on how to run the bases. All that counts to the little ones is that they run them ahead of the ball, the coach, parents, or other teammates. After hitting the ball, in their smart young minds, if you run to third base first you are that much closer to home plate, where you can bat again if you can beat the other helmet head to it! In the middle of the practice, us adults scramble around like little children, trying to keep our herd in the T-ball field and away from the park Rocket Ship next door, where we will surely lose half of the team to the slide. Finally little Jacky gets to bat. He is slow and deliberate. I know he is going to slam that ball and am secretly wishing I had a helmet. Then it happens, the bat meets the ball and whooooosh right through the middle of our infielders straight through to center field. It nearly makes the fence, which would have been a home run. Our miniature pitcher, short stop, and second baseman that cringed when the ball passed are now in a heated race to get ownership of the white object.Jacky drops his bat to run, but to our suprise, instead of heading for first he grabs his mit and books it to center field to catch the ball he hit. Now the first basemen, third baseman and all the fielders are chasing the ball. There is no one to throw the ball to if it is retrieved by anyone. Then the fight ensues. Jordan, Austin, Kali, and William are all scrapping with each other and crying out 'MINE, MINE'. Little Alexis throws her body on the ball and no one can wrestle her off. Goefory is crying because no one will give him a ball to fight over, and Dominiqie stands alone at the t waiting his turn to bat, but is invisible only to be noticed by Mom. Todd is quietly standing on third slapping gnats and petite Adrienne is searching through the coach's bag for another ball. Sonny is on the bench, looking longingly at the Park, he never wanted to play anyway. The only way to break up the progressing battle in the outfield is to cry out "SNACK TIME". So the practice ends. Three children are crying, 2 have skinned knees, little Alexis has a bloody nose but still has the ball, and Dominiqie and Jack are fighting over the bat. The rest don't care, the Capri Sun's they are drinking, and the Rice Crispy treats are yummy, after all they just joined t-ball for the treats. We have a long way to go to a winning season. I fear for the future of our youth and for the sport of baseball itself.