When I played park rec softball in elementary school, we showed up for games in our uniforms, carrying our gloves. We all shared the same two dusty batting helmets and the same three bats. Maybe this is a testament to my age or the town I grew up in, because this is definitely not how things are today. As a first-time t-ball mom with a preschooler in the first park rec league he’s able to join, here are five wild things I’ve learned this summer:
It’s not technically considered the t-ball league.
In our league, at least, the preschooler team is officially the “developmental league.” T-ball starts next year. But in the official t-ball league, the coach pitches a few times, and if a kid doesn’t get a hit, they would bring out a tee to use. Wouldn’t you think the league that uses the tee all the time would be t-ball? Semantics, people. But not knowing this difference quickly showed my status as a first-time t-ball developmental league mom.
The kids need their own equipment. And they need a lot of it.
When my friend offered to give me her kids’ old baseball bag, I happily took it, thinking I would set it aside for a couple of years until my four-year-old got older and more serious about playing baseball. Little did I know that as a first-time t-ball mom, I would need it this year. He was expected to have his own batting helmet (fine, lice) and bat. He needed the bag as a preschooler to haul all his equipment. Sometimes I feel like an old man ranting about how times are changing when this topic comes up, but why do they all need their own bat as four-year-olds?! Can’t the team share? Maybe this is just me.
It’s probably the only league where the parents aren’t intense.
From talking with parents at the fields, I discovered pretty quickly that they have a lot of opinions about the older leagues. But in our developmental league, at least, everyone seemed content to just let the kids play. It was cute that they didn’t always know where to run or where to throw the ball. It was fine that they were distracted by the dirt. As someone who instantly cringes when parents start yelling from the stands, I wish this could always be the case. And I’ll take it for as long as it lasts.
Some teams make it a mommy-and-me activity.
The first game of the season, my friend’s daughter played an hour before us. She texted me and told me to be prepared to come out on the field with my kid while he played. I was absolutely shocked. As someone who strictly avoids signing up for mommy-and-me activities, I was not happy. Thankfully, our coach had a “no parents on the field” rule, so I was able to sit and watch happily. However, our team was one of the few in the league to do this. As a first-time t-ball mom, this was so unexpected that every parent would be out in the field alongside their child.
Seeing others celebrate your kid’s success is one of the sweetest experiences.
Is there anything sweeter than seeing others celebrate your child’s successes? From the coach’s encouragement to every high-five from the first base coach after a hit, it was so special to me to see my kid being loved. I wasn’t prepared to feel emotional about t-ball, but here we are. Just the sight of that tiny little jersey with our last name on the back is enough to make my heart swell up. And to hear a “Good job, buddy!” after a hit (that’s not just coming from his parents)? Nothing sweeter.
As a first-time t-ball mom, there was a lot to learn this year. I’m thankful for the experience and for my kids’ coaches who volunteered their time to help them learn and grow. I’m going to be sad to leave the developmental league behind!
