Sully Runs the Bases!

by Pa Rock

Road Warrior

One of the highlights of my just-completed trip to the Kansas City area occurred yesterday evening when I accompanied my son and his family to young Sully's T-Ball practice.  A couple of years ago I had attended my granddaughter Willow's soccer practice one Saturday morning in Salem, Oregon, and Sully's practice set-up was very similar.

Both practices - Willow's and Sully's - were held at large - and I mean really LARGE - outdoor recreation facilities that hat been marked off  into multiple fields or practice areas - and both practices held a bazillion young kids in tee-shirts whose color signified which team or group each child was in.  And of course there were also a bazillion parents and grandparents milling through all of the confusion and trying to keep track of the particular kids that they came to watch.

Back in the old days the schools were responsible for providing practice facilities, and now the communities seem to be taking all of that over.  This former school principal likes that a lot!  (Now when some volunteer referee blows his whistle at the wrong kid, the angry parent can take the matter up with the city council or the mayor - and leave the school out of it!)

The most important person on the field last night was my grandson.  Sully, who will be five later this month, is the youngest person on his team.  He is just learning the basics of playing in groups and baseball.  Pa Rock was very impressed by how quickly he hustled from field-to-field (they played on four individual fields during a one-hour practice.)   Sully paid attention to his coaches and did what he was supposed to do.  The kids worked on things like lining-up and taking turns, batting, fielding, throwing, and running the bases.  Sully's face got red as he ran those bases, but he never slowed down!

Sully's whole family was there to cheer him on, even older sister, Olive, who did soccer instead of T-Ball when she was his age.  Olive is now focused on becoming the next Karate Kid!

It was a beautiful Kansas evening!

Pa Rock - and his new car - are safely back home in West Plains this afternoon.  Rosie, who didn't get to go to Kansas this time, did her "happy dance" for nearly an hour when her daddy walked in the door!  She also had to get in the Kia and check it out!

And now it's thundering so I may not have to go outside and water after all!