Enjoying #22 for the Cardinals

I’m in my second season as a head baseball coach for Will’s PeeWee Dixie Youth Baseball Team. And we’re having a blast!  I’m not worried about my record as a coach or our team’s batting average or all the things you might be concerned about down the road in sports.  I’m just really enjoying these days.

I want all the boys to:

1. Learn to be good sports & play like champions.

2. Play the game the right way.  Learn & play their position to the best of their ability.

3. Have a ton of fun along the way.

If they come back & play next year because they learned more about baseball & had fun playing on our team, then that’s the win.

Last night was especially a proud moment for me.  It was our third game & it would be Will’s first time to pitch this season. About a week ago our Saturday game had gotten rained out.  The girls went to see the new Cinderella movie, so Will & I stayed home, watched some basketball, then decided to go outside & find something to do.  We ended up using some wood in our garage from a previous project to build him a pitchers mound!  We we’re both proud of how it turned out & he’s been in the yard almost every day throwing off the mound we built.

 

And as he took the mound last night for the first time I just told him to have fun.  Win or loose, just enjoy pitching – no pressure.  So this kid goes on to pitch 3 innings (that’s a lot for an 8 year old!), strikes out 7, only walks three.  He allowed 6 hits & 5 runs.  He faced 18 batters & for 14 of those, his first pitch was a strike.  In fact, of his 80 pitches 46 were strikes.

We lost the game 7-0.  We don’t have the bats on our team going yet, but that will no doubt come soon.  But it was such a joy to watch our boys play & for me to see Will do well & enjoy the moment.  These are the days I want to remember. Truth is, I’d be proud even if he had bombed the game.  His performance doesn’t change or effect how I feel about him.  But it’s a joy to see him enjoy this game.

I wonder sometimes if this isn’t a hint of how God feels about us?  I’ve got to believe it gives God, our Father, great joy to see us enjoy the things in this life He has given us.