For the first time in 6 years my son is not playing full-time travel or club baseball (whatever you call it).
No more weekends spent constantly checking the weather and tournament websites.
No more every other weekend out of town, traveling around the greater midwest. No more Fridays trying to get work done while not missing games.
No more spending $20 for a weekend gate fee to see a team of 12 year olds maybe play only 2 games because of rain (Pastime Tournaments I am looking at you. "we charge that much to help subsidize the cost of the fees the parents have to pay. I am the parent!).
No more signing up for a tournament that advertises that all the games will be played in one town but it turns out the games are spread out over an area of 1800 miles (Pastime Tournaments I am looking at you again!)
No more buying cups at many different sporting goods stores.
No more replacing a wood bat after 1 at bat.
He plans to play baseball in college at the Div III level. He has his work out plan from his coach and has been following it.
After 4 years of playing HS football and baseball (plus basketball freshman year), he needed a break mentally and physically this summer. No daily football workouts, no daily baseball workouts with 40-50 games over the summer. Just rest, fun and working part-time. And helping to coach a LL tournament team
To keep in baseball he decided to join our local rec baseball league. He joined late. Did not get put on a team with anyone he knows. He is having a blast. The baseball is not good but the kids are having a great time. Unearned runs out number earned runs 2-1. Most of the kids on his team do not play HS. One is 17 years old and playing baseball for the first time. It is great to see kids play just for the pure fun of baseball. No pressure, no coaches yelling, no scouts, no radar guns, no scholarships to play for.
Throw the ball. Catch the ball. Hit the ball.
Just baseball.
