Being a Kid Again
This school year I have had the great opportunity of coaching a local youth baseball team. For years I have volunteered as a coach of multiple sports, but have never been able to fully devote my time because of other commitments. I was fortunate enough this year to fit in into my schedule, and am so thankful for that. I was brought on to this organization to be the pitching coach, which has been quite an adventure. It is great to see the passion that these kids have for the game, and since they are all 12 or 13 years old, just about the whole team wants to pitch. This has been a little challenging, seeing how they are all at different skill levels, but it has really taught me how to get the best out of each individual player.
The best part about coaching though, has to be seeing the pride in the kids eyes when they succeed. Baseball has been such a big part of my life forever, and I remember being at their age and wanting to play in college and beyond. I now have the opportunity to give back to these kids and do everything in my power to mold them to become the best they can be, on and off the diamond. Baseball is a tough mental game, with the best players failing 7 out of 10 times. It teaches you perseverance, hard work, and dedication. If you give up every time you fail, you will never be able to make it in this game. It teaches you so much about life. I have made some of the best memories in my life out on the field, and I thank God every day for that. Being able to go to practice with these kids lets me be a kid again. We work hard in practice, but we have such a great time. If I am every having a rough day, just being around brings joy into my life.
We have been practicing since last October, and we just had our first scrimmage this past Saturday. We played an older team, who was a lot bigger than us. The boys pulled out an 8-2 win though, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. I know they have been working hard, and even though it was just a scrimmage game, it was good to see them proud of what they have done. I can’t wait for this Spring season and summer tournaments to start. It is going to be a great summer.
stephenatsmu 