[thelionkinglives]

Well guys. Tonights the night. I'm coaching my 4 year old twins T-ball team. This is our 1st practice. Weather is great

I haven't coached a sport in 2 years & have not coached kids this young in 6 years.

I'm petrified at the moment. First introducing my self to the parents*gulp*
I've never had major issues with kids...if there is ever an issue it's usually with a parent

I have NO assistants!!

there are 14 of the little grimlins & 1 of me.

Then I'm worried about the 1st impression with the munchkins
But if I make it through this tonight, then bankers & loan officers should be a breeze...right??

I've got my notes...I've got my practice schedule...now I'm just sitting for 2 hours getting anxious

Ohhh, I gotta make sure to get medical notes for asthma & allergies

Just please nobody konk anybody on the head with a bat

I've worked some with the twins...they build sand castles on the infield
& pick dandelions in the outfield

They call the catchers mask a hockey mask

does somebody have a time machine & just fast forward to 8 tonight...

"there's no place like home, there's no place like home"

The only way to get back in the game is to jump...right?

Maybe I'll listen to some loud aggressive heavy metal music for an hour to get my self ready

[thelionkinglives]

Hello me, it's me again!!

Doof, & a treat sign up list...can't forget that...whew, that was close

[thelionkinglives]

Just me again...I hope I can pronounce the names correctly

There are more unique names that I've never seen before

Tezunique I hope it sounds like it's spelled.
Jertavion is it Jer ta ve on or Jer ta ve an or Jair Ta ve on or Jair Ta ve an...is the "ta" short a or long a*gulp*

[thelionkinglives]

Originally Posted by thelionkinglives

Just me again...I hope I can pronounce the names correctly

There are more unique names that I've never seen before

Tezunique I hope it sounds like it's spelled.
Jertavion is it Jer ta ve on or Jer ta ve an or Jair Ta ve on or Jair Ta ve an...is the "ta" short a or long a*gulp*

ohh yeah & Myrror...is it mirror like what you look in or is it like Myer as in I'm Miered in it deep

[thelionkinglives]

24 minutes

[thelionkinglives]

EEK!!! I almost forgot my tape measure!!!

I need to measure the proper distance to the bases & to the plate

10 minutes

[eskielover]

Oh, you are too cute........I can picture you with each post......as if watching a movie.........so we will be expecting a YouTube of tonights practice....lol.

"there's no place like home, there's no place like home"......yep, there is no place like HOME PLATE....lol. Right now, I have this picture in my head of 14 of the little grimlins running around with bats, konking each other on the head while running the bases....lol.

Actually I am sure the picture will be that of all 14 sitting fairly quietly on the bench taking in everything you say & following your instructions with a couple of little hande sticking up asking questions that you will have to hold back the chuckles on.

What a challenge you have volunteered for, but what a wonderful experience & how exciting they have a coach who really cares about them & cares enough to worry about doing it all perfect.

Will be looking forward to your description of "first practice"

Debbie

[hurtingintn]

tapping fingernails on desk here as i wait to see how it went lol

[thelionkinglives]

I SURVIVED!!! No one got konked on the head

I enlisted my oldest daughter, Samantha (13) to help along with her best friend. I use to coach Sam for a few yearss as well, she was the 2nd best player on the BOYS team....then she got...got...girly

Grimlins were awesome & excited for the most part. apparently nobody watered them after midnight(that'll only make sense if you've ever seen the movie grimlins)

I got like 2 dads & grandpa to help once I got there too

I figure it's better to put them to work instead of letting them sit on the bench talking about how they would do things different

2 kids showed up 15 minutes late (siblings, bro & sis) & they didn't even have a glove. The girl was fine...just a little shy. The boy didn't want to be there. He was refusing to run the bases because he said he doesn't run...so I carried him around the bases He walked around the bases the next time Since he didn't have a glove I wanted them to stay & watch while I instructed the other munchkins on how to throw & catch....then mom took them instead...so they also left 15 min. early...grrr

I let each of them throw the ball off of me with my hands behind my back so they would know that the balls are squishy & wouldn't hurt....I should have thought about the hieght difference on a couple of the throws...ouch!! So they got a kick out of hitting coach with the ball.

My twins were 2 of the most difficult. Noah, kept saying "I know dad" on everything I said & refused help & Lily was getting jealous when I started helping the other little girls on the team & was stuck to my hip...she thought she was the only girl on the team...never anticipated that...doof!

1 boy was stuck to mom for the 1st 10 minutes...until it was his turn to throw a ball at me.

Baseball was the easy part....a single file line was too big a concept.
I ran around the bases calling out each base as I touched it so they would learn the bases...then told them to do it.

I forgot to say ONE AT A TIME!!

Some ran to 1st base about 3 went to 3rd base first & one went to the pitchers mound.

That ONE was MINE, Lily...because that's where I was standing

So I showed them again by running myself again...same reasult...
i was getting pooped!!! So I decided to tell them they were going to have to keep running until they got it right...

THEN THEY GOT IT THE FIRST TIME!!! I guess they tricked me

I realized how out of shape I am though...I made a point when I was instructing them as a group to have them circle around me & I sat Indian style in the middle of the circle....the whole making them feel comfortably by talking to them at eye level instead of towering over them thing...

NOW MY LEGS HURTMaybe I'll go get a massage tomorrow when I go job hunting, hehe

I got home feeling pretty good about things overall.
The one down side is my oldest son who I started out coaching in T-Ball back in 2001 had a baseball game at the same time on the other side of town. this was the 1st one of his games I've EVER missed.

He's played sports for years...since he was 3. Baseball, Basketball, Football. He 60 lbs at 11 years old. He's by far the smallest kid on the football team, but the starting safety. He's NEVER had a moderate or severe injury. One time at pitcher he took a line drive off his shoulder that he had to come out for an inning. He was soooo angry back then at my wife for going into the dugout & trying to give him a hug...he said "MOM stop people are watching".
Wouldn't you know that THIS is the night he chooses to take a FASTBALL right in the kisser!!He bleed ALOT!!. My wife went to the edge of the dugout but restrained from going out on the diamond....what does he say when they help him back to the dugout?? "where were you mom? I was looking for you"

He showed me when he got home..HE HAS THE OUTLINE OF THE SEAMS OF THE BASEBALL ON THE INSIDE OF HIS UPPER LIP..ouch!!

The 1st thing he says though...I went back in a couple innings later & we won

Thanks for being interested in me lil' old life...you guys rock

[thelionkinglives]

I must have lost track of time...I said 24 minutes then 3 minutes later I said 10...oopppss....so much for that math education

[eskielover]

What a wonderful gift you have to be so good with children. Yep, my vision of them sitting on the bench quietly listening to you wasn't quite accurate.......it should have been that of sitting on the ground around you indian style......oh well, the idea was close to being accurate....they were sitting listening intently to you.

Not only do you have a gift with children, but also a gift with words. Your description is better than any YouTube video could ever be. It's very entertaining to picture it from beinning to end. Where there are kids, there are minds that are always coming up with something different that what we intend.....if you don't specify that the bases are to be run in order....lol.

It is sad that you missed your other son's first baseball game & then he gets hit....ouch. Just when they train us that they don't want us there worring over them, that's when they want us there...lol. Glad he was ok.....that's gonna hurt for awhile......at least he has proof it was a baseball that hit him with the outline of the seam on the inside of his upper lip...lol.....still is an ouch. And of course, the most important thing was that they won!!!!

I remember when I was a kid, I loved to play baseball. Only problem was when I was a kid, back in the dark ages, they wouldn't even allow girls to play on the baseball teams. So I was stuck playing with the all my neighbor guys in the street. My parents didn't have enough money to get me a baseball glove.....why would I need anything like that anyway....I was a girl...lol. I borrowed one when I needed it & could catch as good as the guys.....remember one hit where the ball came flying right at me..I stuck out my glove & there was the ball....right there in it. He couldn't believe he was out & it was a girl that caught it...lol. I could hit home runs with the best of them also. I just couldn't play on the organized team with them......but was always included in the neighborhood games & picked first for the teams. I never turned girly all my life however & continued competing with the guys......even when I was working as an engineer, I would play racquettball with all the guys at lunch even my boss liked playing with me. We had racquettball tournements & I would end up in 1st place competing with the guys because the girls weren't any competition. I ended up playing at the B level (A was top). I blew out the ACL in my knee playing an A player on the challenge court...it was on the last point.....I won!!!! But ended up limping off the court & had a hard time playing for a few years until they figured out what was wrong & I had my knee reconstructed by an awesome sports orthopedic surgeon. I was back snow skiing within 6 months after the surgery on our yearly vacation to Jackon Hole Wyo. Wasn't going to let a stupid knee surgery slow me down.....that was before they were doing that surgery using arthoscopic surgery also....so it was a much worse surgery than it is now.....3 months of that time I couldn't even walk on the leg & had to be on crutches. The ouch was in the breaking up of the scar tissue after 2 months in a cast.....they have come a long way since then.

I hope you enjoy your massage....you deserve it after your workout being the active coach. It is amazing how out of shape we get so quickly. I am in need of a good chiropractor as I was dumped off the horse I was riding a few weeks ago. I thought I was ok after a few days, but when I went riding again the next week, it was a little rough & then mowing several acres of lawn the next day, I woke up with an aching back....know something is out of wack......so will start with the chiropractor as soon as some money comes in next month (only a few more days now...lol).

Enjoyed reading about your fun coaching the kids.....they are luck to have such an awesome coach that is so good with kids.

Keep up the fun,
Debbie

[hurtingintn]

lol thanks for the visuals..however the one that sticks in my mind is some children running around today repeating how "cool" our coach is..good luck the rest of the season and enjoy it

[thunderbear]

Ouch your poor son that must of hurt. I'm glad everything went good though

[thelionkinglives]

Originally Posted by thunderbear

Ouch your poor son that must of hurt. I'm glad everything went good though

Yeah, I'm taking him to the batting cages in an hour or so just to make sure he isn't "flinching" before his next game. He won't admit it but I remember the 1st time I got beamed....it's in the back of your mind the first couple times you bat afterward...

Plus it gives me an excuse to take a few swings

[thelionkinglives]

O.k. 12 minutes to I leave for the 2nd T-ball practice...palms are starting to get sweaty again

I hope they all show up...on time would be a plus
All with gloves I hope

Check list:
1. seperating into teams like a real game.
2. Teaching position names, rotating each inning...
3. Got name tags...
4. Start coming up with cool nick names they like
5. lots of base running...by them this time not by me. I'm not falling for that one again
ohh & sunflower seeds....every ball player has to know how to chew sunflower seeds
6. Make sure they don't climb the fence

Here we goo..

shoot & Xanax....2 of them

LK

[eskielover]

Sorry I missed this last night.....I was sorta fighting a battle that ended in a huge anxiety attack......that would have taken 12 xanax to help......could have used one of your bats too.....not for separated husband, but for the guy who messed up installing my heat pump system. This is war.

Hope they all showed up with gloves this time.....or the ones without the gloves didn't show up???? Was wondering how that was going to turn out

Sounds like a very thorough list.

Definitely glad you chose sunflower seeds over CT. Was always wondering what the first level was on the chewing thing...innocent little sun flower seeds huh.

Fences can be fun to climb as long as no one falls off...chain link I presume......usually they just go smashing directly into them while chasing the ball.....that can be a little dangerous too.

Hope your 2 xanax didn't space you out too much...lol.....just enough to mellow so the shoot wasn't one of the kids????

Wondering how it all went....can't wait to hear the play by play.
eskie

Originally Posted by thelionkinglives

O.k. 12 minutes to I leave for the 2nd T-ball practice...palms are starting to get sweaty again

I hope they all show up...on time would be a plus
All with gloves I hope

Check list:
1. seperating into teams like a real game.
2. Teaching position names, rotating each inning...
3. Got name tags...
4. Start coming up with cool nick names they like
5. lots of base running...by them this time not by me. I'm not falling for that one again
ohh & sunflower seeds....every ball player has to know how to chew sunflower seeds
6. Make sure they don't climb the fence

Here we goo..

shoot & Xanax....2 of them

LK

[thelionkinglives]

Hope they all showed up with gloves this time
Yes everyone was on time with gloves
Sounds like a very thorough list.
TY.
1. Seperating into teams went well. They sat very politely in the dug out waiting for their turn at bat...no wrestling, fighting, bat swinging or climbing
2. Learned names of a couple positions but I don't think they'll retain it next week yet. I want to rotate them through a couple more next week.

Definitely glad you chose sunflower seeds over CT. Was always wondering what the first level was on the chewing thing...innocent little sun flower seeds huh.
Too me sunflower seeds is it! I can't stand the other junk. The last memory I have of CT was when my ex step dad spit it in my moms face....grrrr....I put his drunk *** through a shower glass


Hope your 2 xanax didn't space you out too much...lol.....just enough to mellow so the shoot wasn't one of the kids????
Yes the 2 xanax help. What helped even more was when BC told me that all the parents & grandparents their were praising me to her & the job I was doing with the kids....That made me feel all sparkly inside

Wondering how it all went....can't wait to hear the play by play.
Need lots of work on baserunning. They still want to go after the ball. They still want to run WITH the bat.

Tezunique, who was the sister that was late. She made a point to hug me three times...everytime she hit

Her brother though, Martez still has a poor attitude. I tell him how I want him to do something & he says "whateva...I'm a gangsta
I told him that gansta's are sissies & sissies don't play baseball...so since he's playing baseball he's NOT a sissy therefor he can't be a gangsta

LK

[thelionkinglives]

Time for 3rd T-ball practice...
I just remembered a half hour ago
right after I took a tasty 750 mg viccodine
on an empty stomach
The kids ought to love me tonight
Ok...focus....harder...reallly hard....super hard
I need a list
1. baserunning
2. see if they remember position names
3. crap...the twins are still in their Pj's
4. see if they remember how to chew sun flower seeds the way I taught them

[eskielover]

Time for 3rd T-ball practice...
I just remembered a half hour ago
Woah, you are loosing it now that BC is home....can't remember one day from another.....Maybe you need to find last weeks lists (ducking the flying baseball bat)
right after I took a tasty 750 mg viccodine
on an empty stomach
You really need to eat a more nutritional dinner.
The kids ought to love me tonight
Ok...focus....harder...reallly hard....super hard
I need a list
1. baserunning
2. see if they remember position names
Who's on first, What's on Second......???????? Where did the home plate go to.....who stole it??????
3. crap...the twins are still in their Pj's
Ok BC gets one, you get the other......hopefully there won't be a pink battle.
4. see if they remember how to chew sun flower seeds the way I taught them
Stick sunflower see in mouth.....chew.....eewww.....that stupid shell is hard to swallow & it doesn't spit out when chewed with the seed.....dang....bet that will take awhile for them to catch onto.

You did forget to add.....make them run around the bases to get them all tired out....that's part of what you are expected to do by all the other parents......so the kids will come home & SLEEP.
Hope you had a wonderful T-ball practice....
Will be waiting to hear
Eskie

[thelionkinglives]

[quote=eskielover;1020579]Woah, you are loosing it now that BC is home....can't remember one day from another.....Maybe you need to find last weeks lists (ducking the flying baseball bat)
I found it when I was cleaning...it was stuck to the ice cream cone under the couch
You really need to eat a more nutritional dinner.
I ate something to soak it up...I wasn't fuzzy when I got there.
Ok BC gets one, you get the other......hopefully there won't be a pink battle.
It was ALL PINK!!! for cryin' out loud I will never get that stuff

Stick sunflower see in mouth.....chew.....eewww.....that stupid shell is hard to swallow & it doesn't spit out when chewed with the seed.....dang....bet that will take awhile for them to catch onto.

You did forget to add.....make them run around the bases to get them all tired out....that's part of what you are expected to do by all the other parents......so the kids will come home & SLEEP.
Hope you had a wonderful T-ball practice....
Will be waiting to hear

The catchers mask is broken & I can't find the bolt that connects the T to the base I'll have to go back to the community center this week & see if the atheletic director has spares...

I don't know if the kids were tired but I was sore & tired...

My voice started going out on me when I was there last night...so the kids were making fun of my "sqeeky" voice...

Logan had a game tonight but it was cancelled
I've never been so happy for a game being called....

I have a sore throat & ache in places I didn't even know i had places...

A nice peaceful family movie night....we are going to watch Jeff Dunham He is so funny

LK

[bearchic34]

LOL And he has to have the pink battle all by himself because I had to take Logan to practice on the other side of town. Good lord we run a lot for these little monsters! Grrrrr...
I too am glad that the game was cancelled. ~wipes brow~ I gotta go check the schedule to see when the NEXT game is....he plays a lot more games then the twins.

[thelionkinglives]

OK I really thought I had this down...
I found my lucky gloveI had my schedule set, I left for practice feeling really good.

I leave for practice, feeling good, watching some self affirmation videos
i get there &...GRRR

There is a girls high school fast pitch softball game going on. I HAD THE DIAMOND RESERVED!!. My wife's sister was playing in that game...
There are 11 diamonds & all the other ones were reserved This was a make up game & one of the teams was a half hour late starting...
Of course they weren't going to stop a high school game so a bunch of 4 year olds can practice...so apparently reserving the diamond means nothing. My sister in laws team was losing & I'm caught in a position of needing to almost root for her team to get beaten into oblivion so it would be called for the 10 run rule...
It happened...yeah. It's hard enough when you have 14 4 to 6 year olds that know what to expect...then you have to make them wait a half an hour..GRRR

While I'm waiting, one of the mothers comes up to me & says her son will be at all the practice..right up until the season starts!!! Then he's going to be gone until the last 2 games for summer break..WTF!!! Why did you sign him up??I could have spent a little more time with the kids that were actually going to participate on the freaking team.

So I had to start chopping stuff off my schedule to speed up our
practice...then I get an awkward situation where the mother of a girl on another team is extremely dissatisfied with the coach of that team. So she walks up in the middle of practice with her daughter & says she knows a couple of the parents on my team & wanted her daughter to switch to my team & if she can practice with us tonight & she would complain to the Athletic Director tomorrow to officially switch teams...So at that moment I know the other coach at one of the other diamonds knows what's going on, I don't know what the AD(Athletic Director) would think of me letting one of the kids from the other team practice & I'm at the pitchers mound with an irritated mother & a 4 year old named Hannah staring up at me with big watery brown eyes & a pink baseball glove..So I let her practice with us.

So I know what's coming...the other coach is going to think I'm purging his line up & trying to steal one of his 4 year olds Coaching politics 101 here we come

I don't know if the Athletic Director is going to be ticked

I should have taken a Xanax

[bearchic34]

LOL OK, he missed the part of the story where he sics the po'ed momma and big brown eyes one ME to deal with. So I decided to let her practice and made the decision...ohhh the AD is gonna be pissy with me tomorrow. It's a good thing he loves me ~laughs~ He's almost like an uncle to me. So I am trying to appease momma, texting AD, and trying to hand out schedules & picture forms to thepparents whom I might add, were getting mighty snotty with me....they'd better be careful if they want their kids to get playing time....I sleep with the coach