This woman has a new hat...Actually it's a baseball cap

As a woman, I like many of you, wear many hats - wife, mother, daughter, teacher, doctor, disciplinarian, psychiatrist, I could go on but you get the drift. These last 10 years or so, I have grown accustomed to wearing them and become quite proficient in changing them on a moment's notice. My new hat, or should I say baseball cap, is the newest addition to my ever growing collection.
Yes, that's right I did say baseball cap. A black one with a teal "T" on it to be exact. "T" stands for Titans btw. (I find it odd that as a baseball team we have a football team mascot - that is another post for another time). This year I volunteered to be Carter's coach pitch baseball coach. You may be wondering why I would take on the enormous task of teaching 16 5-6 year olds the game of baseball. Kurtis certainly was. The answer seemed simple enough. Our team needed a coach and I thought really how hard could it be?

Famous Last Words! - Okay, so there is a lot more to coaching than meets the eye. After 3 practices and 2 games, and a lot yelling and whistle blowing, we are finding our way out of the paper bag that is coach pitch baseball. We have been practicing fielding and running bases and hitting. (Did I mention this was coach pitch and with me being the coach and all, I am the one responsible for the ultimate success of my teams batting average. No Pressure!) I am starting to see the fruits of my labors because at tonight's game we had a break thru. Most boys held their positions and didn't all run and fight over the ball(Picture soccer here). I think we've had more injuries from the kids running into each other fighting over the ball than we have from the actual baseball itself. I'm also proud to say most boys can run the bases without running the wrong way or running to the outfield to try and find the base. You think its funny, so do all the parents. I think I would find it a lot more humorous if I was the one sitting in the stands and someone else was out there coaching.

The Most Important Rule in Baseball! - Don't forget the snack. Yes, that's right, it is not a rule about baseball itself but you better have a snack at the end of every practice and game or you will have a full blown riot. I'm not exaggerating either. Well, maybe a little, but most kids only come to the game or practice for the snack at the end. The minute they get there they are already asking about it. It is a good motivating tool, however, to keep them alert and standing rather than sitting in the outfield picking the grass.

It is still early in the season and I'm sure I'll have more to say about coaching but this is a hat that I'm definitely getting used to wearing. Maybe I'll want to dust off this new hat or cap of mine for next year. More famous last words? Maybe.