By Nick Pedley
News Editor 

Pedley's Ponderings

'Coach'

 

July 7, 2022

NICK PEDLEY/SENTINEL-NEWS

The 5 o'clock tee ball group in Hartley breaks down the post-practice huddle for the final time on June 30.

I've held several titles in my life. They run the gambit from professional ones like "reporter" and "news editor," to more personal ones like "dad" and "husband." This spring, I added "coach."

We signed up our oldest, Oliver, for tee ball this spring in Hartley. My better half suggested I volunteer as a coach, and several weeks of staring at the COACHES NEEDED ad in this very newspaper finally resulted in me joining on.

Lindsay Kracht and I were the only ones who originally volunteered to lead 35-plus tee ballers. Eventually, we were joined by Emma Vollink, Nick Stueben and Scott Wagner. Their assistance was beyond needed and profusely appreciated – we could not have done it without them.

The first few practices were admittedly tough. Tee ball is the very root of organized sports, and most of these kids came in as green as the grass. Nonetheless, I can't complain. They all tried very hard and by the end of June, us coaches could see sizeable progress.

That progress might be somewhat comical to those not overseeing five and six year olds. When they can throw straight, swing a bat, know the bases and field a ground ball at the end of the season, that's a big deal. That goes double when they know they have to run when the ball is in play and where to go.

We had to run two separate practices due to the amount of kids. Both groups were markedly different, but we noted their progress throughout the season. No, we didn't have games, but we held scrimmages in the last two weeks of the season. The youngsters loved being on the "big kid" field. It was fun to watch.

Coaching this age level came with its own benefits. As previously noted, we had no actual games. Everyone was there to learn, which was beautiful. The parents were great, too, and my heart nearly burst a few times when folks would comment on how smoothly our practices went. That's all thanks to the kids, though – they listened (for the most part) and paid attention to what we were trying teach them.

I learned my own lessons, too. I played baseball from age 8 until I graduated and I still follow the sport passionately. Tempering expectations is key when coaching kids this little – you have to find the positives when they come. Sure, we had a few all-stars on the roster, but most kids were just trying to figure out what the heck they were doing. They did a great job of it, too.

I also have a bit of advice for parents out there, myself included: If you want your kid to excel at something, lay those foundations at home and work with them when you have the time. Us coaches had two hours a week with them, and there were so many kids that one-on-one work was nearly impossible. It's important to teach them how to play catch and how to swing a bat. We can point them in the right direction during practice, but you have to work on repetition at home.

Admittedly, Oliver and I never got in enough time this spring – life is life, and it can get busy. Still, I accepted that his shortfalls at practice were on me. I'm his dad and it's my job to teach him how to throw and swing a bat correctly.

Like other kids, Oliver wasn't great at hitting off the tee. I let the other coaches work with him – mixing parent with child at an official setting like practice can be a recipe for disaster. Still, he gave me a lesson last weekend when I finally had time to play some ball.

"I'll get the tee," I said when he grabbed the bat. "No. No tee," he responded.

Oliver then proceeded to smack almost every pitch I threw to him. Internally proud and equal parts impressed, I had to ask myself, "What do I know?"

Not much, that's for sure. I love being surprised.

Nick Pedley is the news editor of The Hartley Sentinel-The Everly/Royal News.

 
 

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