My son is not an athlete.

May 22, 2014, 10:02 AM

He has improved tremendously during his first year of coaches pitch, but just doesn't yet have the coordination it takes to be a baseball player. He loves going out there though. He loves the friends he has made.

The coach he has had this season was excellent and had him play several different positions throughout the season so that he could learn, but right field was his position, and that is where he was playing in the end of season tournament.

The boy's team won their first game and the whole team was full of hope that they could win it all. My son was just happy he got to play baseball again. When the second game started, you could tell our team was outmatched. Their opponents' fielding was fast and accurate, and more than half of their lineup had the potential to hit yard.

In the bottom of the third inning, my son was out in right field standing straight legged with his glove hand behind his back. Keeping his head in the game is not his strong suit.

The first up to bat was their 3rd in the lineup. He had already hit a triple and a hr. He swung at the second pitch and hit a hard line drive to right center. I could only mumble the words "catch it" as I watched it fly to the outfield and my son start to run for it. He dove. Then I hear the POP of the ball hitting the palm of my son's glove, followed immediately by the crowd from both teams erupting in screams and applause. It was truly an amazing catch, by any standards, and the only outfield catch anyone on the team has made all season.

I couldn't take my eyes off his smile, even though other fathers were patting me on the back saying things that I didn't hear. I can't explain my pride in the boy for that moment. It doesn't really make sense to me why I am so amazed by his single accomplishment on a baseball field, but it made me want to cry. Still does.

Our team lost. Most of the boys were moping, a couple were crying, because their season was over. My boy was still just happy he got to play baseball. After the pep talk, the coach asked the team who they thought deserved the game ball. Every one of those boys yelled out my son's name, and he got his only game ball of the season.

I've never liked baseball. Until now.

tl;dr: read it.

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My son is not an athlete.

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