It’s the crack of the bat.  It’s the cheers from the kids in the dugout, “Let’s go Phillies, let’s go!”  It’s being huddled under a blanket in a foldable chair as the sun goes down just to see my son catch a fielder and throw it to first base.  It’s the coach’s empty threat of laps to be run if he hears another kid throw him a wisecrack, only to then toss that kid over his shoulder with a grin.  It’s seeing the ability of each boy as they round the bases and slide their way safe. It’s watching the life lessons that the game teaches, from learning to win with grace and lose with a smile, to how to spit so that the saliva doesn’t leave a trail, to paying attention to what’s going on at second base while being aware that someone is on their way home.  It’s all the reasons that I am juggling the crazy schedules of two practices along with two games a week, and so far surviving the whirlwind of life as a Baseball Mom.

This is my son’s first year doing baseball.  We’ve always been a soccer family, for the past 7 years.  The crazy autumn schedule of carting two kids to two separate games and practices was all I could handle for the year.  But my son was ready for baseball, and he was asking to play.  And the truth is I wanted him to play.  So in February we signed up.  And come April I found myself suddenly three times as busy as I was before.  And we are officially a two sport family.

Having my kids do sports takes a lot of planning on our parts.  I have a dry erase calendar that lists all of our activities for the week so that any one of us can glance up and know our schedule on a moment’s notice.  In a super organized month, I will even have it color coordinated so that each person’s schedule is in their own color.  Right now, though, it’s enough to just have it all up there in black.   My kids have both learned to utilize this tool so that they know what to expect that morning.  It’s important, because then they know how to pack for the day, and my son knows whether it would be best for him to do his homework at daycare to save time.  Once we leave the house in the morning on baseball days, we will not return until 7:30 that night.  On those days it is my son’s responsibility to pack his uniform and gear into his baseball backpack and then carry that along with his regular backpack.  His biggest responsibility is to make sure that he is dressed and ready to go by 4:30 pm when he is picked up.

Meanwhile, I have to leave directly from work, pick him up, then pick up his sister on the opposite side of town, then go back over to our side to get him to the field by 5 pm for warm-ups.  During practices I utilize that time to get in the jog I never got in for the day, or I catch up on the newspaper, or I just sit and relax for most likely the first time of the day.  When it’s all over, we pack it in and head home to finally have dinner.  On these nights I really try to have the crockpot full of something yummy, or I plan on a quick dinner like tacos, spaghetti, or hot dogs.

As a single parent, it’s the extreme juggling act I must perform that has festered a sense of dread for each game or practice.  During soccer season I learned the hard way how important it is to utilize help from all sources.  The kids both had conflicting games and practices.  I was running myself ragged trying to split myself in two and make each kid happy.  Obviously it didn’t work.  I made friends with several parents on each team who were more than happy to drive my child if I needed to be at another child’s game.  And I asked for help from my family to pitch in when I was spread too thin.  For baseball, I only have my son’s games and practices to worry about, thank goodness!  But I have gotten better about asking for help to prevent myself from burning out.  I could not imagine either of my kids not being in a sport, and the help on the sidelines is the biggest part of what makes their involvement possible.  It’s also what helps me to enjoy the fun in the season instead of viewing it (for the most part) as one more thing to check off of a busy schedule.

Tomorrow’s another game.  We will wake up early so that he can get dressed, eat enough food, then make it to the ballfield for warm-ups.  They might win.  They might lose.  My son WILL perform a slider, either during the game or afterwards if his pants look too clean.   Each homerun and ball caught will elicit cheers from the sidelines reminiscent of the cheers at a professional stadium (on a much smaller level).  And the end of the game will bring on grins, pats on the back, and another memory of a childhood that smells of fresh cut grass, leather, sweat, and spring.

(P.S. Speaking of sports……don’t forget to sign your child up for soccer.  Check the links in the forum for the league in your area)

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