Lessons in Baseball

It's no secret that I have been assistant coaching with our son's little league baseball team.  While I have wanted to do this for many years, my 3-hour-per-day commute (1 1/2 hours each way on average) just wouldn't allow the time necessary.  I guess I can chalk this up as one great thing that has come out of being downsized in November.  Some of you are football people.  I like football.  I LOVE baseball.

Our team is very young this year, with only 4 of 11 players aged 14 in a 13-14 league.  Our coaching staff includes the head coach and myself at all practices and games and a "running" coach for just the games.  Our entire coaching philosophy revolves around the "we don't have a lot of rules, but listen to what we're telling you" strategy.  So far, that seems to be working very well for the team.

Of course that's not to say that we don't have our occasional moments.

A few of the phrases I've learned to never use with the team:

"Grab some balls and head out to the infield"
"That's the way to get some wood on the ball!"
"Find a hole and shoot for it" (that one also got a "that's what she said" from about 3 of the kids)

So it seems that in addition to teaching a few things to the kids, I'm learning a bit as well.  I call that a win-win.