Periodically, a thread will concern how to either get kids interested in baseball, or keep them interested in baseball. Sometimes there are talks of marketing programs by MLB, etc.
Yet, perhaps it comes down to one kid at a time.
Texan Son was throwing his bullpen tonight at a local field. As he is warming up, a 10YO boy rides up on his bike and starts watching.
Texan Son speaks to him for a minute or two. Finishes warming up & starts into the bullpen. After a while, I see the boy go to his backpack. He pulls out a glove and ball, holding them while he continues to watch. When one of those 85 mph fastballs pops in, his eyes get a little big.
At a break along the way, I play a little catch with the boy.
At another break, Texan Son teaches the boy how to use glove signals to let the catcher know what pitch is coming during warmups. He goes over it until the boy has it down.
After Texan Son is done, I move the bucket up to 46' and ask the boy if he would like to throw a few pitches to me. Texan Son teaches the boy the basic footwork of the windup. The boy listens attentively and does very well applying what he has been taught. He also picks up quickly on the two seam and four seam grip.
Obviously, no one had ever worked with the boy, even though he plays LL ball. He was just trying to mimic what he had seen on television.
We gave him a good baseball to keep when he left. He thanked us most politely. As he rode off on the bike, he looked back at Texan Son with a little awe in his eyes and a smile on his face.
One "big player" spending a few minutes with a little guy may play a small part in keep the little guy going in baseball. Perhaps the best way to keep the love of the game going is one kid at a time...
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