For Love of T-ball Not

April 11, 2008

Today was Granville, the Strong Willed child's first T-ball practice. Where to begin as a Dad, a former athlete, a driven competitive individual, to watch your son, not want to participate as 30 little 4 year olds run bases, throw balls and have fun. Let me mark the occasion that mine was the only child not to participate and cried for his mother the entire hour. Now this is not the first sporting event to try for my little munchkin, but the third. And with each sport comes the practices with us parents rooting on someone else's child as ours sits alone on a cold aluminum bench, choosing not to participate. Let me make this clear...he chooses not to participate. Something always snaps from the house to the practice where the excitement stops and the bribing (from us parents) begin.

Now let me tell you, I quickly lost the cool card and began to show embarrasment among my new parental friends. I offered Granville a couple of hefty bribes, even throwing in the much wanted Bat Man Monster truck. However to no success, i stay committed to make him sit through the entire practice telling him its a commitment and its a team sport, and he participates or continues to sit. I truly believe if I give in to what he wants to do, he will never understand the social elements of participating in team sports, nor finding the gratitude of becoming a team player from the respect of another (coach); to keeping his head high and working through defeat as he gets older. Team sports allow a young man to succeed on the playing field and in the world. Team sports build character, help young men control their actions and learn respect. Team sports allow you to thrive individually while learning to keep the focus to a group and harness individual pride.

Now part of my conflict with Granville was not to see who wins the battle. Some parents may say, take him home and come back next week. All the things I want to facilitate with Granville in my mind start at the age of 4, where he wants to push his will, without the foresight and consequences of how it could affect his future. Crazy as it sounds, I truly believe that you train a child early to compromise and become a team player, and the individual wants never become apparent later on.

Look what Christ did for us. He did not die just to save himself from the sins of this world. He took our sins for the betterment of his team....us, our eternal salvation.
At some point, Granville will get off the bench, and he will reap the rewards individually of becoming a team player on the field and here at home.

Every Day Dad