T-Ball REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. Due to the excellent turnout we are still in need of another Manager/Coach and more assistants for T-Ball. Parents, guardians and family members are encouraged to offer their assistance with the t-ball program. [Read more...]
Why play T-Ball in Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth? I remember asking that same question of myself just 8 or 9 short years ago when my grandson was 4 years old. Soon though our family was involved with t-ball along with so many other families that we still see involved in Cal Ripken and Babe Ruth youth baseball today.
Our family quickly learned that Babe Ruth Cal Ripken t-ball was not only fun for the child but great entertainment for parents. We would watch the players picking daisies in the baseball field or getting the baseball and coveting it as if it were a brand new toy. If they couldn’t throw the ball they might run it from the outfield to home plate soon learning that they were out run by the runner. There were always lots of smiles and sometimes a few tears and yet the kids were always having a fun and exciting time. [Read more...]
I have seen countless fast flying baseballs but a baseball certainly doesn’t seem to fly by as fast as time. If you are a parent or grandparent that has had a child playing baseball or other sport for several years you certainly know what I mean. As a matter of fact, if you have just been out of high school for a few years and are starting to get a few gray hairs you will understand how quickly time flies.
Just think back to the day your child was a newborn bundle of joy. Now look at where he or she is today. The child athlete in your family may now be a preteen or teenager. That sweet innocence seems to be quickly disappearing as they spread their wings. You are now experiencing those occasional days where he or she is a bit obnoxious with those hormonal changes brought on by puberty. Having once been that age our self we understand that our child is just trying to express their maturity.
If you are like me you sometimes miss that bundle of joy while at the same time you are proud of the accomplishments your child has made. We think, “Oh my gosh my mom said we would get ours!” We now understand “Payback Time.” Thank goodness we still have baseball and lots of other sports so our kids can work off some of the emotions they are dealing with as they pass through puberty and adolescence.
Today as my grandson Seth was preparing to join other Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth players that will be trying out for the Willamette Valley Babe Ruth – Cal Ripken All Stars I was thinking back to his years in youth baseball. No longer that bundle of joy or sweet little tee ball player, he is now a pubescent 11 year old 6th grader in his 7th year of baseball and t-ball.
Tee ball and baseball brings back so many wonderful memories to our family. I started looking over the pictures of Seth in Tee ball, Little League and Babe Ruth – Cal Ripken baseball. As I looked over those pictures I saw so many other kids now in Babe Ruth that have also been playing for so many years. As these photos brought back memories to me I thought that I would share a few of them for perhaps they would also bring back some of those wonderful memories to others. Here are a few of those pictures and I hope you enjoy them.
~Terry W~
Note from editor: If others would like to share their story and pictures we would like to publish them.
Devil Rays Tee Ball 2005
Seth Dodgers 2006 (if any of you have this team picture please share)
White Sox 2007
Rookie Minor 2008
Rookie Majors 2009
AAA Navy 2010
Major Minor 70 2011
Some of us come from a background that involved lots of organized sports; both watching and participating. While growing up in your family sports was part of the structure. As you think back to the wonderful times you had playing baseball or basketball with your friends you want your own children to have this experience. On top of that you understand how important physical activity is to both to a child’s physical and mental maturity. Still, as with all aspects of raising a child there are considerations to be made and you must ask yourself if your child is ready?
There are many excellent reasons for children to participate in sporting activities, but before you enroll your child in his or her first tee-ball, youth baseball, soccer team or other sport, there are some things to consider.
1. Child’s age – Is your child ready to participate in a team sport? While most children are ready for a sport like t-ball by the age of 5 not all children have the same maturity levels and some may not be ready until a later age. If your child’s attention span is so short they cannot easily follow simple directions, they may not be quite ready.
2. Desire – Does your child have a desire to play on a team? If your child does not know if they want to play a team sport you may want to encourage them but not necessarily force them into it. Even if you know it will be good for him or her, back off if they don’t want to do it. If the child is eager to participate you will have a much better chance for success.
3. Purpose – What are your reasons behind participating in a sporting team?
Consider the purpose behind the decision.
4. Aptitude – Maybe your child isn’t very athletic at a particular age, but it may be something he improves with as his body matures and he becomes more coordinated. A sport like t-ball, machine pitch or coach pitch may offer the young child an opportunity to become more coordinated, athletic and the opportunity to learn to play as a team member. With many young children t-ball and machine pitch is a perfect opportunity to learn baseball and with some children the timing may not be right.
5. Family dynamics – If your child is ready to be involved in sports you are now faced with the decision to move him up to the next level. This is not a decision to make lightly. A more competitive team, or year-round sport requires a bigger commitment of both time and money. If this is the situation and this is the child’s first introduction to sports you may want to consider a sport such as t-ball or machine pitch that last only 2 or 3 months.
Is the time factor going to affect the family? Are you willing to sacrifice the time for other activities and less of your time? Are you willing to put the time in to drive the child back and forth to practice and/or arrange for car pooling with other parents. Also consider the changes to be made on family together time. When participating in an activity it is important that you are willing to make the time commitment to support your child and the team.
Can you budget the expense? There is the cost of participation and uniforms. In Babe Ruth baseball as with many other sports there will be travel to neighboring communities. Many of the games for Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth are played at the Willamette Valley Babe Ruth Complex in Eugene or at schools in other surrounding communities.
While many sports organizations such as Pleasant Hill Babe Ruth do fund raising to help cover the expense of building and maintaining our baseball fields and to assist with scholarships, full scholarships and the other expense of participation can usually not be offered. It is important that a family be willing to work these costs into their budget.
Participating in a team sport offers a most positive affect on the life of a child. There is a lot of good that can happen with kids in sports; such as gaining self-confidence and pride, learning to be part of a team, gaining a winning attitude, and learning how to become a leader and much more. If your child is ready to play and you are ready to participate this could be a wonderful life changing experience for both the child and the parents.
