Baseball Widow

Whatever Happened to Playing the Field in Sports?

June 12, 2007 9:43 PM | 0 Comments

Austin, my 9-year-old son, stayed home from school today. After giving it all for the Little League Baseball play-offs and the All-Star try-outs this weekend, he was spent. Apparently, even the Energizer Bunny has limits. Bloodshot eyes, listlessness, physical, mental and emotional exhaustion were written all over his frame. Austin even slept DURING THE DAY, from 9am-1pm. WHEN does that ever happen?

Then, Austin heard the bad news: He didn't make the All-Stars. Three of his buddies, who had better batting averages, were selected, and another teammate, like him, was not. The score: 3 IN and 2 OUT from his team, the Boa Constrictors. Throughout the day, I watched Austin navigate the emotional waters of disappointment.

At bedtime, his head resting on a pillowcase with the letters BASEBALL painted on it, Austin said glumly, "The other guys are better than me," at which point I did what parents have been doing for centuries: I reminded him that he is always an All-Star. I reminded him that his self-worth doesn't rest on this. I reminded him of his many attributes, both in the game as well as personally. He's a great pitcher, but more importantly, he has a huge heart and it shows every day in the way that he treats his teammates, friends and, most of the time, his family.

Again, I find myself asking the question: Are we expecting too much from these kids who, in the scheme of things, are still relatively young? Are we presenting them with choices, encouraging experimentation and trial & error, or are we forcing them to become specialists before they've had the opportunity to really play the field?

Part of me is glad that the specter of the All-Stars isn't before me, because it would have dominated our family's entire summer. Now, Austin will have the time to take tennis & swim lessons at our community club. Sure, he can practice at the batting cage. But, maybe, even more importantly, he can experience that phenomenon we now call "unstructured down time," which used to be called something else: "summer."