When I first was told I have to write a paper on what was more important to me Family or Sports, the first thought that came to my mind was sports. Sports, for me baseball, is so much more than just playing baseball. I have met so many people and made so many friends. I have played baseball since I was two years old, and my mom even uses to coach me. I’m eleven now. I started out playing T-Ball in MS, and when I moved to Atlanta I quickly moved to more challenging teams.
The older I got the more I loved stepping onto a baseball field. You will never believe how hard it is to describe the feelings that I have when I play baseball. This is a team sport and my teammates are the best. We work together and have so much trust in each other. Playing is so important to me for many reasons. I love the challenge and the skill that it takes to play the game. Some things come easy to me and others I have to work really hard at to improve my skills.
I practice a lot not just to get better but I enjoy learning new things and improving my skills. When I’m on the baseball field and the batter is up to bat, I get the most overwhelming feeling; that is so hard to describe.
Family and sports are important to me. Because they care and love for you. They give you support in things you love and do. Baseball is my family and my life and we put a lot of dedication towards baseball. Now someone has taken baseball away and my life is plain. Now I can’t and my family can’t do the things we love. Also, my team depended on me but I can’t be there to help my team win.
Why Sports are Good for Children?
Sports provide a positive learning experience that will enhance a child’s ability to develop self-confidence, good sportsmanship, and teamwork skills. Sports also teach all of us to work hard and have a little fun at the same time.
In sports, children are challenged both mentally and physically. Coaches teach the roles of the game, strategy to win, and how to work together. A child will also build skills, endurance, and strength.
Perhaps the greatest life lessons are learned in sports. Winning does not come easy; you’ve got to work for it. “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” Life isn’t fair. Sometimes you give it your all and you still lose. When you lose, pick yourself up and try again.
Younger children learn socialization through sports. Sharing, listening, and following rules are the fundamentals picked up in earlier years of sports.
Self-esteem is something you cannot give a child. We gain positive self-esteem through accomplishments. In sports, a child can reach goals, big and small, and feel good about themselves. It is not important to be the star. Teaching a child to strive to reach personal goals is important.
In sports, there are setbacks, defeats, and even injuries. How you handle it says a lot about your character. A child will be a lot happier if he or she learns to take setbacks in stride and concentrates on doing better next time.
I believe if a child decides to play a sport, the parent needs to make sure they are playing their role the best way they can. Don’t pressure or discourage a child. Instead, be supportive and help him or her through any difficulties or conflicts. It’s great to practice with a child, be involved in the Childs chosen sport.
Sports help prepare children for the working world, and life in general. Encourage your child to find a team sport that they will enjoy. Continue to talk with them and support them. Your involvement will enhance their experience.
I believe a parent should teach winning is a great goal to have and sports will also increase their mental, physical and emotional development.
Escalating childhood obesity rates and an increase in the number of children developing health problems previously only seen in adults have sent alarm bells ringing about children’s health and wellbeing.
Television, computer games, the demands placed on working parents, and the fast-food industry have all been blamed for the decline in children’s health and fitness.
Baseball
Baseball is a sport that relishes the spirit of teamwork while allowing for personal accomplishments.
I like Baseball because it corresponds with my maturing body and competitive instincts. Running, catching a ball, hitting it with a stick, and interacting with friends all have appeal to a child.
I love baseball because I always get to hit and catch the balls flinging round and round.
The official baseball season started on April 3rd. Families are buying tickets at stadiums across the country. Fans are eager to watch the new 2000 talent and admire the superstars as they take the field. Little boys dream of playing in the majors one day as they battle other children for an autograph of their favorite player before or after a game.
Generally, recreation council teams are underway by April or May, and play continues through June. Older teams, such as age 12-18, might play into August and have a heavier practice and game schedule. Although it may differ in your area, recreational councils in Maryland generally have levels from age 5 or 6 (co-ed T-ball) through age 17 or 18. Once out of high school, a kid is not allowed to play ball on a rec council team.
Baseball is offered more as instructional in the beginner years, between ages 5-8. To prevent games from being too long at this age level, usually a coach pitches and the players do everything else. Pitching then starts generally in 9-10 leagues. In T-ball, there is much parental interaction. It’s not unusual for a parent to stand with their child in the field to help catch, chase the ball, make a play, run bases, hit, and look out for other children. Parents also need to help their kids pay close attention as attention spans are short at this age.
Once kids reach the 9-10 league, they try out. This process is not for anyone to be “cut”, but a way for managers to see that various skilled children are being dispersed fairly among all the teams. This provides balance so that one team doesn’t receive all the good players while another gets all the bad. These teams usually play twice a week. Besides the very small teams, all the age levels usually have “travel” leagues. That is teams who travel to other rec councils and counties to play other teams besides the ones in their council. These players are usually the best ones, sort of like an all-star team, and kids try out to be placed.
As a parent of a little league, parents may want to be involved in some capacity in their child’s baseball career. Maybe they are unable to coach a team because of a lack of time or knowledge, but there are plenty of other volunteer opportunities. With hundreds of kids registered in baseball and softball programs, there is a need for volunteer umpires (lower age groups; umps are paid in higher leagues), managers, commissioners, team sponsors (usually a team is sponsored by a local company), assistant coach, equipment chairman, or coordinating the advertising booklet. Just ask your local rec council or coach how you can help. Many coaches are Dads and Moms, however, one rec council reported that they had quite a few single men who took an interest in coaching for the love of baseball and kids.
Maybe you are a parent experiencing your tyke’s first year of baseball. Maybe you’re a veteran of the game – your other kids initiated you, yet you have one more to teach. Or, maybe you’re totally baffled and uneducated about baseball because you’re not a fan. Chances are, most of you played baseball as you grew up. Your son or daughter will most likely grow up playing the game and become a baseball fan, with or without you. This billion-dollar industry is hard to overlook with 28 teams nationwide (and expanding), players endorsing products, games broadcast on TV, and the familiar drone of the radio broadcaster’s voice on a hot summer evening.
Maybe playing professional baseball is parent kid’s dream… or it could have been a fantasy of your past… or the two of you might be involved in baseball for the love of the game and to spend quality time together as father/mother and son. For whatever reason, the season is here. Let’s get your tyke on his way… it’s time to PLAY BALL!
A few former major league baseball players offer their tips and advice on the game. Ken Singleton, who played in the big leagues for 15 years, predominantly with the Baltimore Orioles, remembers as far back as four years old learning the game from his dad. Although he didn’t play in an organized league until the age of 11, Singleton and his buddies played baseball in the playgrounds and parks of his hometown of Mt. Vernon, New York. He also played stickball and softball and watched a lot of baseball on television. “It was my favorite show!” he says. Singleton has never left the game as he continues in the press box broadcasting on radio and television for the New York Yankees, now in his 16th year behind the microphone.
Singleton’s advice to parents? “Don’t expect too much early on – remember your kid isn’t Ken Griffey, Jr. – yet.” He reminds parents to have fun themselves as they become involved in the sport with their kids. Try not to turn into an obnoxious little league parent, he cautions. “Don’t worry about winning and losing – look at the improvement of your child even if s/he is the worst player! Don’t get discouraged or feel embarrassed – remember, your player is only a kid who has plenty of time to learn baseball skills. It won’t happen all at once.” Singleton points out that as your child’s hand and eye coordination get better, s/he will improve.
Learning baseball is much more than developing skills, Singleton says. Baseball teaches kids about teamwork – working for a common goal with peers, whether that goal is getting three outs in an inning, making a double play, or winning a game. Sociability is a big part of the game. Playing on a team is a chance for children to feel like they belong. It’s a chance to meet new friends (parents, too), and a chance to get out of the house and away from the all too familiar video games.
. Kids should know that winning or losing is not the whole picture, although winning games can boost confidence. “No one ever appreciated winning until they lost a few times,” Singleton says. When your child is upset about making a mistake such as striking out, Singleton suggests naming a familiar player who also struck out in a recent game. Professionals strike out, miss fly balls, get tagged out, pitch poorly, and have hitless games. You can also point out to watch a particular player’s style of doing something/ correctly. (Watch his stance, watch his eyes, look at his swing.) Kids can learn a lot from watching.
Stress the importance of practice. To get better, any player must practice. As a youngster’s skill improves, chances are s/he will like the game more and more; then confidence is elevated along with skill. Practice and game time is also a time to teach your children punctuality. Don’t rush to practice, don’t be late for a game! Your child may feel embarrassed and flustered which may affect his play. Since you’re the adult, and the one with the driver’s license, respect your child’s schedule and make a point to be on time!
Singleton offers these baseball tips, on the physical and emotional sides of the game
- PATIENCE! First and foremost, be patient with a new player. Remember how young and small s/he really is.
- PRACTICE a lot with the child before signing him up on an organized team. This gives him or her a sense that at least s/he has played the sport before.
- PLAY baseball with tyke as early as possible. Singleton started teaching his third son at age two. Now, this eight-year-old has pronounced and advanced baseball skills, and he will be plenty prepared when playing organized baseball later.
- Show SENSITIVITY to child’s moods. Be aware that some days kids just aren’t in the mood to play. Also, teach a child that everyone has “on” and “off” days – even professional players.
- INTEREST in baseball should come from your child – not you. Encouraging baseball is okay, but recognize and accept it if s/he would rather play another sport. Forcing a child to play a game s/he doesn’t really care about will only result in frustration for both of you.
Here are five keys to help kids be successful and build their baseball skills. These keys are taken from, “The Building of a Baseball Player Video” by Coach Elliot Johnson.
- Kids need positive role models. Adults have a responsibility to set good examples.
- Building a better baseball player is a large undertaking that takes a major commitment from both player and coach. It takes a true desire to improve on the part of the player and it takes time. It takes hours on the field and in the gym as well as the passage of time to allow the hard work to turn into results.
- Be honest with kids, but be encouraging at the same time.
- Self-image is critical to a player’s success. Try to build self-concept by setting achievable goals with them.
Parents, most young people value your opinions more than anyone else’s. They want to please both you and their coach.
Quotes for Baseball players
- I think about baseball when I wake up in the morning. I think about it all day and I dream about it at night. The only time I don’t think about it is when I’m playing it. Carl Yastrzemski.
- Baseball gives every American boy a chance to excel, not just to be as good as someone else but to be better than someone else. This is the nature of man and the name of the game. Ted Williams.
- Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.
- Baseball is almost the only orderly thing in a very unorderly world. If you get three strikes, even the best lawyer in the world can’t get you off. Bill Veeck.
- One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something. Nolan Ryan.
- There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens. Tommy Lasorda.
- Little League baseball is a very good thing because it keeps the parents off the streets. Bob Feller.
- People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. Rogers Hornsby (American professional baseball Player generally considered the game’s greatest right-hed hitter).
- Baseball is more than a game to me, it’s a religion. Bill Klem.