Push

I've implimented a new policy for my T-ball team. It's very similar to a 'Time Out' where if they don't listen, they have to sit somewhere and don't get to participate for a specific amount of time. I didn't think that I'd have to resort to this, however there is one kid in particular on my team who is a whiny, pouty, pest. He doesn't listen to either myself or my coach, and at our last practice while doing a very simple drill/game, he led another of my kids on a run across the entire school site. So for not listening the two of them sat down for a few minutes while the rest of the kids got to do the next drill/game.

What are these drill/games you ask? Why, I'll tell you. The first one that caused the problem is a simple one that's meant to get the kids to learn to run through first base instead of stopping on the bag. It consists of two lines. One line runs to first base from home plate, the other line is between third and home and has a kid with a ball. The kid with the ball and the kid from the plate start running at the same time. The goal of the kid at home is to get to first. The goal for the kid with the ball is to tag the kid running before they get to first base. My little troublemaker was the kid at home. This kid also goes to a Montessori school. So you can imagine the type of parents that he has. The 'let him express himself' type. He's got a little sister that's slightly older than my Little E, and according to my lovely wife, at the games, she'll grab Little E and try to drag her around the field. My daughter doesn't appreciate this at all, and when the subject was brought up by my wife that this wasn't a good thing. The mom said, "Oh, she just likes your daughter." Annoying.

At this same last practice, before the above took place, he was in line with my boy waiting to run. This little kid pushed my boy, and he stumbled a bit. Then my T took a big step towards this kid, who is taller and a year older, said "Don't push me!" and with both hands, pushed the annoying kid and knocked him back onto his butt. I was at once very proud of my boy for standing up to this kid, and for knocking down someone who was bigger than him. On the other hand, it was an awkward position for me to try to tell him not to push back and to 'use his words'. Even though while he pushed the kid, he did say "Don't push me." So he was kinda using his words. In talking to my coach about this, I learned that this kid doesn't have many fans in the stands, if you know what I mean.

So all in all it was a pretty eventful practice. I don't know if they learned anything about baseball, but they did learn that if they screw around, they won't get to play. So that's something. We've got a game tomorrow morning, so we'll see how that goes. It's our first Saturday game, we've been playing for a month now and we're finally playing on a weekend.