Too much

As you know I have entered the wide world of baseball. It starts at T-ball. It's adorable. They run around in circles, play with the dirt, and occasionally they look like they know what they are doing. Oldest son is having the best of times. I'm so glad.

but...I almost didn't sign him up. I considered not doing any of this.

I am debating about soccer. I think he would have a great time...but I'm not sure if I can do it.

Sports have gone wild and crazy. When I was a kid I played softball (in prehistoric days before t-ball we went straight into the minor leagues.). It was fun. It was ok. I was never on a rocking team or anything like that but we had fun anyways.

There were some parents that were way to into it. But they were the coaches usually so who cared. People cheered their kids, but I never ever heard of someone criticizing a player. I would hear constructive things like "Hey stop picking the grass, the games the other way" (what can I say when I was 8 years old playing with 12 year olds, I got bored you know?). I would hear things like "good eye" or "keep an eye on the ball" or "good swing" (aka strike!).

I never heard "that girl is so dumb. she should not play". "Who let this kid on the field". Or "We have to win. We want to win the World Series. We won last year".

Nope none of that. But I have heard it now. World series - I laugh at this...because they aren't actually talking about the world series of Little League (which by the way the girls play in my hometown of Kalamazoo). They are talking about a local Little League thing. Kind of like All-Stars from back in my day except it's just the same team, not the best kids from the league.

What I am trying to say is that kids having fun I'm so cool with that. But, I am not cool with the parents. They are obnoxious little things. They yell, they scream, they will even trash talk.

IT'S LITTLE LEAGUE.

I'm not perfect. I will yell at Son #1 because he's being doofy. I have a policy of you don't have to be the best, but you have to DO your best. So him not picking up his feet to run to first base (cause he's being silly) really grinds my last nerve.

But I'm not going to practice with him at 7 am on a Sunday (I have seen it done.)

I want to encourage, but not force. It's a fine line.

Here's the other part. Last night until after 9:30 there were kids (albeit older kids) playing baseball. We have actual lights on our field. I mean like high school football field lights. They play EVERY night that late. It's a friggen school night?

In the summer? When kids are not in school? ok. I can maybe see that. But on a school night? am I the only one who thinks that is crazy?

IT'S LITTLE LEAGUE

When we signed up and got our schedule and all that there was a big bolded notice:

Little League will NOT be taking a break during Spring Break. There will be practices scheduled and Games!

umm ok. That made me laugh. The back ground is that we are a summer tourist destination. Many of us (myself included) can't just take a week off after little league is done in the middle of July. We'd lose way to much money, or we have a business to run or whatever.

We also live in a school district that counts your days (whole different rant and blog). I got a letter after our January trip that I had used up all my vacation days (5) and any further days "off" would result in me being taken to court. "Thanks for your cooperation". Nice huh? Especially considering that my kid is in an optional (not state-mandated) Pre-K program. So taking a vacation during school? Sometimes you can't.

Lord help me. I'm not sure I can do this until he's 12.