Sports (Besides Auto-Related) For Kids - Thoughts?

My son is going to be 7 in a couple of weeks, and for the last couple of years he's developed an increasing interest in baseball.  I had, as near as I can tell, almost zero influence on this interest.  In fact, as far as sports-encouragement goes, I am woefully lacking as a father.  I hardly ever talk about sports, we don't watch ESPN, and the only time we've really watched sporting events on TV has been a handful of NFL games during the playoffs.  I played some sports when I was a kid- soccer, basketball, track & field- all with a similar mediocre ability.  I was reasonably fast, pretty strong...and woefully uncoordinated.  

Little VCH, however, loves to play ball in the back yard.  He's got his own bat and glove, and hits and throws with surprising strength and ability for his size (he's about 50" tall and 55 pounds or so- not an ounce of fat on him).  We did take him to a baseball game with my parents a couple of years ago, which he seemed to enjoy, and my dad did play some sports when he was younger (including baseball) so maybe that's where the inspiration is coming from.  Anyway, about a month ago Mrs. VCH told me that Little VCH mentioned to her that he wanted to play baseball.  Sign ups were just starting for spring league around here, so I went and put him in for a local rec league.  He came with, met a couple of the coaches, and seemed excited.  Next Sunday afternoon he goes in for evaluation, which is basically where the coaches look at all the kids and try to figure out their skill levels, so they can put together roughly-equal teams to play each other.  

My concern is how this enthusiasm about the idea of playing baseball holds up with the reality of what this actually means.  Since I've never played, I don't really have a whole lot of knowledge to help guide him.  We watched a little league world series game on the internet, to try to familiarize him with how the game is played.  Mrs. VCH, who is probably more sportsy than I am (she played soccer pretty competitively for awhile, and her college, unlike mine, was an actual top tier division powerhouse) drew him an outline of a baseball field and told him what all the positions were and what they did.  I'm hopeful that the coaches will understand that he's starting from practically zero here, and help him.  I also hope that all the practicing and learning the rules isn't discouraging, and there's a lot more to it than just throwing the ball as hard as he can and whacking it with all his might.  I want him to enjoy it, I want him to have fun, and I hope he decides to stick with it- but I also know I need to temper my thoughts with the possibility that the reality of playing baseball might not be what he wants.  

Just ramblings from a sports-agnostic father....anyone else have kids doing sports?  Any thoughts/ recommendations/ advice?

My wife is kind of a jock.  Played a lot of tennis and made her college softball team.  Somehow or other we got in with the local youth sports organization that teaches kids baseball skills and puts together a coaching staff and picks several teams for each age group.  My wife was, at varying times, everything from "Team Mom" to Assistant Manager to Manager.  My older son played for years, from Tee ball up through the start of "kid pitch" which is where it's not a coach and a pitching machine throwing at you, it's a kid starting to learn how to pitch.  He got hit a few times, and decided not to go out the next year.  He was always about average in ability, but had a good head for the game and generally enjoyed the experience.

My little guy, who used to go to his big brother's practice and games with us, was always asking me to have a catch with him and practice batting every chance he had.  As a result, he was well above the skill level of most of his teammates from day one.   His second year of tee ball, they selected All Stars and he was a fixture on that team all the way through his baseball playing days.  Lots of regional tournaments, lot of awards and trophies.  He always played with intensity and great field awareness.  He played virtually every position, but was most often on the infield until the kids got to a point where they could frequently hit the ball to the outfield, and then he played a lot of center field.  He also pitched--not with overpowering speed, but great accuracy.  Coach would put him in when he needed somebody to just get it across the plate.

Coaching staff was volunteers of course, and most were very good.  A few less so, but we didn't have any really bad experiences.  Lots of great memories.  His last year of 17U was the last year he played.  I'll never forget some of the awesome plays that boy made.

I encourage you to see what organizations are local to you.  It's always easier if the ball field is just a couple miles down the road as opposed to all the way across town, but ultimately it's going to hinge on the people.  Talk to neighbors with kids.  Find out about organizational meetings.  These groups are always looking for folks to step up and coach, or assist, or whatever.  Now is a good time to check things out.  

Sorry, just read your post more thoroughly.  I had no idea things would get started this early.  But yes!  Jump in.   Encourage your son.  Go to practice and games.  Be excited.  And he doesn't care if you aren't a great player.

Hope I didn't ramble too badly! 

The reality means that he will be on a team with kids of varying levels of knowledge and skill. His coaches will be good, great, terrible, or ok, and any way it goes it will be a good learning experience. He will learn to be a good teammate and hopefully learn to be a good ball player. As long as you are interested, as it sounds that you are, you'll pick up enough of it very quickly, so just be present and attentive. The coaches have coached kids with parents who are baseball noobs before. He'll be fine. 
 

Get him a wall that he can throw against and have it rebound back to him, especially if he's an infielder. I used to throw in the basement against the wall. Same goes for a tee and a net to hit into. 
 

Used bats are fine. No need to spend big $$ unless kid is legitimately chasing a draft or scholarship. A good glove will last a long time. I'm partial to Rawlings but Mizuno, Nakona, DiMarini, all make good mitts. I was an infielder so preferred a smaller glove. Outfielders user bigger gloves. Catchers use a very specialized catchers mitt. First basemen use kinda a hybrid Catchers/outfielders glove. The team should have a communal catchers mitt, but if he decides to catch, I'd get him his own.
 

Catchers are ALWAYS needed, even if they're not great, just having someone that is willing to kneel behind the plate is worth it. 

Pitching... I personally wouldn't let my kid pitch more than... I dunno the number of pitches, but I'd want to ensure it was low and err on the side of caution and not blow up his arm before he's an adult. If I was coaching a kid to go for the majors as a pitcher, I would coach them to be a finesse pitcher like Greg Maddux. He threw it around 90, would tell you exactly where it was going, and he'd get you out every time. Chances are you'd never be able to throw fast enough to be relevant as a pitcher in any other way. (Sorry, not sure what the point of this was, I'm not an expert on any sort of high level baseball or pitching or coaching or getting there)

 

Start watching Jomboy breakdowns. This one has a lot of basebally baseball in it: 
 

I love baseball. I played Little League (never travel, though I could have), then Freshman high school, then was cut sophomore year. Still played rec league until I was 18. 

In reply to mtn :

Well said.  I agree with everything in your post.  Especially that bit about catchers.

Don't make it a chore or job. If they want to up and quit 2 yrs later so be it. Accept they won't be Jerry Rice/Babe Ruth/Sidney Crosby.

Also, be prepared that even in this age range, some parents and coaches are going to treat the entire process as if it is World Series level serious bizness.

Try to find a group that isn't too much like that.  Good luck and have fun!

Thanks for the input, all.  We looked at a couple of teams that were local to us, and the one we went with, the field is a 10 minute drive from our house.  While Mrs. VCH and I are here to support him and want him to enjoy it, we also don't want to spend half our waking lives driving every damn where.  The practices and games are all at the same park.  It's a really nice park, plenty of parking and pavilions, and the police department is next door.  

The sign ups were one Sunday afternoon at a brewpub we've been going to for years, so that was kindof a plus.  ;-)  Everyone seemed really cool, very understanding and helpful.  It's a small, rural town, folks generally have that small-town vibe to them, which is generally a plus, for me.  

I actually did have to sign a "parental behavior" form, stating that I would behave respectfully, they have zero tolerance for parents who act up, etc.  I read through it and said to one of the coaches, "So, basically, I'm signing this form to say I won't be a jerk?"  He laughed.  They asked me if I wanted to help coach, and I laughed.  My knowledge of baseball would fit on a cocktail napkin written in sharpie.  I told them if they need a guy to chase balls, I can do that.  Apparently some moms help run the snack shack, too.  

I do have to buy him a specific bat (U.S.A. I think?) and he needed cleats...and a helmet...and pants...and a cup.  He already has a glove, which he likes (Birthday present from my parents).  Cleats were a PITA, his little feet are incredibly wide for their length.  New Balance were about the only cleats in a Children's size that offered a "wide".  They came today, and he ran around the yard in them, loves them, thinks he's twice as fast now.  ;-)

This is machine pitch, they said around 30 mph.  

And yeah, things do get started this early.  It's crazy, we weren't even really thinking about baseball, but mid-January sign ups and they start practicing Mid March.  You gotta be on top of the ball as a parent, I tells ya.  We just signed up for the municipal pool's annual membership yesterday, to get the 20% discount by the end of January.  The pool opens Memorial Day weekend.  

I am looking forward to it, I hope a) he enjoys it and b) he gets something out of it, life-skill wise.  We homeschool, so any opportunity to socialize with other kids is sought out.  

At his age, do NOT expect that baseball is the sport he sticks with.  It could be, but he may need to try several things out before he finds what he likes...or doesn't want to play sports.

All 3 of my kids did this.  Between them we went through football (lots of it), karate, soccer (ugh), gymnastics, dancing, basketball and cheerleading.  All 3 of them wound up chosing lacrosse as their long term sport.  My oldest son played unti his senior year in high school.  My boy/girl twins are juniors in high school.  My daughter already committed to a D3 college.  My son is speaking to a bunch of D2 and D3 schools.  

Whatever they choose, support them.  Let them find their way and encourage them. 

My 21 year old daughter tried tumbling, ice skating, swim team, dance, soccer, martial arts, track, piano, cross country, badminton, choir and marching band.  
 

This is one of many......

Awesome! Enjoy this because it'll be over before you know it.

Throw a ball with him early and often - work your way up to long catch. 

My oldest played a LOT of soccer but one season of baseball when he was around 9. He started late. His coach was an shiny happy person. He literally told my kid "you cost your team the game" when he was playing 3rd and caught a grounder and didn't know what to do next (because the coach assumed every kid had played from age 5). I found this out when the assistant coach drove to our house that day and apologized for the head coach's behavior. Encouraged my son not to be discouraged. Son was really good by the end of the season - then we moved and he played soccer after that.

My youngest tried every sport and didn't like any of them. He joined the middle school band and had seven great years of camaraderie and good times as a musician. The fun and life lessons he got far surpassed his big brother's experience in sports - 99% positive also. Mostly because no parent stands on the sideline and calls a trombone player a Bob Costas.

Avoid the ones who do that at the baseball diamond. You'll see them very soon.  

I'll add to the idea to let them play as many sports as YOU can deal with.  Not enough to wear them out, but enough to let him have a variety of things to play, and won't be stressing his growing body in singular ways.  Let alone gaining more balance via other ways to keep upright.  But at the same time, you don't want to burn yourself out being a parent that shuttles your son to games, or he'll pick up on that resentment- and then may stop liking sports.

And try your best to not judge how much you enjoy watching the sport.  None of them are going to be terribly spectacular at that age- just a bunch of kids moving around.  But the motion of the sport is different even between baseball and throwing a football.  

IMHO, the other realistic restriction is budget.  I loved playing hockey, but it's easily the most expensive sport to play, since you have to get your own equipment and the ice time isn't cheap.  Most younger football programs loan the kids most of the equipment, and BB and soccer have mostly shirts shorts and shin pads.  You are above that with baseball- with a glove.

I'll also say try many different sports. He's at an ideal age to pick up new skills and will have similar knowledge and experience as his teammates.

Our rule for my boys was one sport per season, to avoid scheduling conflicts and avoid burnout. My boys did baseball/t-ball, street hockey, hockey, lacrosse, flag football, and tackle football. They also did summer camps that game them exposure to basketball, soccer, and other sports and games.

Both my boys played hockey, and the younger (14yo) is currently playing travel and high school JV.

If he has any interest in hockey you could just do skating lessons to see if he enjoys it, if he doesn't like skating he wont like hockey. Its also a very long season, so if you explore that path be aware of that part. Practices for my son started in August and the playoff will finish in late March/early April. 

It's definitely more expensive than many others, but there are some programs that take the edge off getting started, but you'll still have the annual cost. Around here we have the "little Bruins" which gets you all the gear and 4-6 weeks of learn to play for  approx $200.  Other teams/regions have similar programs. Once you have the full set of gear then it becomes a process of replacing different pieces of gear as they outgrow it, typically only 1 or two pieces of equipment a season (although we did have one summer where he outgrew everything). Also with the younger kids there is a lot of good used equipment and the ability to sell/trade in what was outgrown. 

All sounds good.

Only thing I can contribute is... don't neglect to consider skate boarding in the list of sports that he might enjoy.

Our situation is a bit different from most families in that, apart from the homeschooling, we also do a lot of stuff right at home. We have 3 acres, on which is a huge garden, an orchard, woods, a wood shop, a garage, and a farmhouse. We spend a lot of time just keeping up with all of that.  And the kids (we also have a daughter, she's 9) help with everything. And seem to love it. 

We've done swimming with them both for years, and I think this year may be the one my daughter goes out for the swim team. She loves it. Again, the pool is 10 minutes from our house, so this is easy. Not so easy, they've both tried BMX and love that, but the nearest track is an hour away. We're going to work on getting them there more often, especially her- end of last year she was impressing the track people and they suggested she come out some time and try a race. 

I think Mrs. VCH and I struggle, a bit, with fitting in- as I said, we have a lot of stuff going on here, and we do it all together. The kids don't have any tablets, video games, or any of that stuff, there's no time for it. When I tell other dads about my LeMons racing and all the work I do in the garage, most of them give me the "that's cool, wish I could" vibe. Both kids love helping me in the garage and shop, and will probably be angling for some seat time at a race when they're old enough to drive. But, as I said, they have other interests, too, and we want to support those. 

I am actually really excited to watch them do sports, whatever it is. The Bob Costas parents won't bother me at all.  I'll probably be on the older end of the parents there, and I'm not going to let anyone get me riled up. If they want to get angry and stupid, well, that's on them and their cortisol levels. 

Oh, and the nice thing about having 3 acres, he and sister can run out back with a ball and bat, and not need a net to hit into. 

volvoclearinghouse said:

I'm hopeful that the coaches will understand that he's starting from practically zero here, and help him.

It's probably safe to say the coaches realize all the kids are starting from zero, if they're only 7 years old.

If you're not sporty, ask your kid to show you what they're learning in practice. Throw the ball around with them. Have them teach you how to swing a bat. They'll love it

Stated above, have the little ones try as many sports as they are remotely interested in, maybe even recommend a few.   We have a YMCA membership, they are great for introduction to sports without pressure.   What the YMCA lacks is the competitive edge of club play and sometimes school sports.  If you are also looking for social, this is a great opportunity also.

TLDR; history of my kids sports

Her is my experience, Oldest daughter is 30 now.  She played a little soccer, but loved horses since she was born.  We got her into riding and working at a stable to be with horses and learn to ride.  She loved it and will probably someday board a horse somewhere.  Probably my least athletic child but did run a marathon as personal therapy.

My youngest daughter, 14 now.  Always loved basketball, somehow we never got her on a team.   She practiced constantly in the driveway, we started her on a YMCA team at about 9 years old.  In her first game she was dribbling between her legs, behind the back and had great ball handling skills.  The coach looked at me half way through the game and mouthed, first game?  You see they didn't teach those skills in practice.   She is now a shooting guard and top scorer.   I wish I would have started her at 5 years old and added some local leagues.  She followed her brothers foot steps by also playing softball, same story.  She was one of the very few kids who could throw the ball with accuracy from third to first, hitting, fielding, she did it all.  Mostly played first base until the skills improved on all teams then added third and catcher.  If she had her way she would play two sports each season including wrestling, football, volleyball, she is clearly my most athletic child.

My boys, twins at 17 now tried a few sports and did ok until they got to HS aged where the club sport kids rule the teams.   They tried baseball,track and field, cross country, soccer, one wrestled, one played football, one is in Volleyball now.  They are both enjoying basketball with friends now, the one sport that they never got exposed to at school or the YMCA.  Kind of wish not that I would have tried that with them.

Over all, I think offering all options to kids is the best at this age.  They will gravitate towards one or to or all sports, but having the exposure is key.  Also socially for the rest of their lives they will have at least a basic understanding of some sport ball talk.

I gravitated towards the garage and playing with engines, my 14 year old is my only hope at this point for passing on that gene code.

Don't worry about fitting in, you're there to support your child, not socialize with other parents.  Sadly, I think there are tons of parents who think sports is babysitting while they hang with their clique.  Like you, I'm a Lemons racer (running Barber this weekend) and am older than most parents of kids the same age as mine.  I'm often 10+ years older.  I didn't care.  Some parents were cool, but I ignored most and was there because my child wanted to be there.  I got involved in my own ways.. I helped coach a little, but mostly did tons of stadium announcing.  Not gonna lie, I loved it, especially when I could call out my child's name. 

stuart in mn said:

volvoclearinghouse said:

I'm hopeful that the coaches will understand that he's starting from practically zero here, and help him.

It's probably safe to say the coaches realize all the kids are starting from zero, if they're only 7 years old.

You might be surprised to know that the Cal Ripken Division of Babe Ruth League baseball starts tee ball at age 4.  I suspect most organizations are similar.  So that's three years of getting to know the game that some of the kids could have under their belt.

Even so, an active kid who's throwing and hitting with parents is in a perfectly good spot to excel at this level.

My son has played soccer from age 5.  His mom was a competitive player who could have played in college...so there was never a question what sport he'd play.  Her dad played men's league into his 60s.  Great sport, I wish I had played as a kid.  Once you're past the kiddie levels people recognize good play, regardless of who's scoring the goals.  If I had to do it over again, I'd have him play a little more basketball.  I'd also have him play golf more than once a year.  Most youth sports in FL these days border on a year-round activity.  It can be challenging to play more than one organized sport.  

One piece of advice I'll give before sending kids w/their pliable brains to a stranger to mold them:  Talk with the people who run the different clubs/programs.  Their mentality impacts the way the coaches interact, which impacts how the players view the game.  We were fortunate to have a local club that fosters a great community & focuses on player development.  Other clubs in the area can be  ultra-competitive, teaching kids how to pull jerseys w/out getting called for a foul...& that winning is everything.  If kids like the environment, they'll be more likely to be excited to improve their game.  Finally, you may notice when some kids make a mistake they look over at their parents yelling at them on the sideline, which is generally terrible.  It's a coaches job to talk to players during a game.  Parents should be observing, clapping, & cheering when people do well.  Nothing more.  I've heard kids/teenagers ask their parents to stop yelling at the refs after games at least a few times.  You'd be surprised how many times I thought kids were going to fight on the field only to have my son say "those kids were super nice, we chatted it up most of the game."  OK...I'll get off my soapbox.

I played baseball & basketball as a kid.  Baseball is fun for some....but games are long & can be boring for both players & kids.  I'm glad my son didn't show any interest.  I Loved baseball until I was in high school.  In hindsight I was good, but not in the top 20% or even 30% skill-wise.  I couldn't grapple with my role on the team & splitting time.  I wish someone had been brutally honest with me...it would have done me some good.

Families I know involved in competitive baseball will play double-headers...meaning hours and hours sitting & watching.  Soccer games are 90 minutes (shorter at younger ages).  I played basketball off-an-on up until my I was 40.  A bad ankle sprain convinced me to stop.  Luckily before I suffered something worse like a knee injury.

OK, storytime.    My dad coached my younger brother's team while he was maybe 7-12 years old.  Rec-league level youth baseball.  My  younger brother threw a few no-hitters & was very, very good.  His team was essentially an expansion team, so they got mostly new or leftover players.  It was co-ed and they had several girls (more than most teams).    They kept a big list of statistics, including total at-bats and innings in the field near the bench.  The goal was every player would play the same amount innings & at-bats, regardless of skill.  Not everyone loved the philosophy...but by midway through the fist season their worst players were better & more confident than any other team's worst players.  Even the least-atheletic/skilled kids could stop a ground ball, throw to a cutoff/base and could get on base...even if it was a walk.  The won the championship every, single, year.  I fondly remember watching some of the least-probable kids get base hits & throw-out runners & generally get to be excited about making a contribution & winning.  Other coaches tried to say they rigged the draft, & accused the coaches of cheating, etc.  My dad basically said we don't need to draft...we'll take what we get.  Long-story-short...who is coaching your kids really matters.  If you're not happy with who's coaching...volunteer or find another program. 

volvoclearinghouse said:

Oh, and the nice thing about having 3 acres, he and sister can run out back with a ball and bat, and not need a net to hit into. 

They may still want a net... If your kid is doing swing drills, it is going to get old fast going to retrieve all the balls. 

Less baseball specific post on sports.

People here like to make fun of them for various reasons, but the fact is that sports are a gigantic part of our culture. And while there are definitely issues with that fact, the benefits far outweigh it. It helps to create a community. It develops athleticism, and I'll also say it is good for the brain too. 

From a real-world perspective, what have sports done for me and my family? Well...

• My great-grandpa had a side-gig as a semi-pro baseball coach in the depression. It literally put food on the table.
• My grandpa caddied, became the #2 caddie at his course, caddied in the Tam Open and the group was Jimmy Hines, Jimmy Demaret, and Ben Hogan. He talked about that for his whole life, and played golf until he was 85, and the last time I talked to him, we talked about golf and it was wonderful. I got to play golf with my grandpa dozens of times over the years. I'm forever grateful for him passing his love of the game to us. 
• My dad and uncles caddied and worked on the grounds crew... Not much to say about that, but...
• My brothers and I caddied for 10+ seasons each. Basically paid for our college. Got scholarships too. That gave us direct experience talking with CEOs and advising them, at the age of 15! We were experts, and we were advising people in charge of Fortune 500 companies. Think about that and the confidence it can build for someone.
• We all played hockey. Great grandpa coached grandpa. Grandpa coached dad. Dad coached us. At Grandpa's funeral, probably 6 people showed up that said he'd taught them how to skate, along with one of my old hockey coaches, and the guy that Grandpa first coached with. Hell of a thing for sports to forge friendships that last 60+ years.
• Now I'm in my 16th season of reffing - it started as beer money. It turned into daycare and mortgage money.
• My first real job out of college? I got it because of two references - one from a guy I refereed with, one from a guy I played with. I'll note here that this isn't sports-specific, obviously, my second job was thanks to a referral from someone I played bluegrass music with. But it is a community, it is building your network
• I would say that, today, 90% of my social interactions have something to do with golf, hockey, or music. My best friends are people I played with 16+ years ago, or ref with today. My wife is still friends with the girls she ran with in high school. My BIL and brother are still involved with their football buddies. Heck, my FIL still talks to everyone still alive from his highschool football team and college football team. 

Some more random thoughts: 

• We had homeschooled kids on our teams growing up. For one kid, it was really his only connection with any pop-culture stuff. 
• I don't think I'd let my kids play football. 3 college football players in the family. None of them encourage it. 
• They can all get stupidly expensive. They don't need to be. House league is fine at least until high school. If your kiddo really is that gifted of an athlete, the cream will rise eventually if they want it to. But your kid probably isn't - I thought that my daughter might be, because of her family history and that she is a girl (smaller pond), but at 4 I can already tell she will be lucky to go beyond high school in any sport. I still hope she plays sports, but she won't be in any travel sports. 
• Between my brothers and I, we played Hockey, golf, baseball, football, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and fencing. My parents insist that the coldest they have ever been were at baseball games.
• We have been on toxic teams. Bad coaches. Bad culture. Unfair playing time (and this was always in rec-leagues). Don't put up with it. Find a better organization. 
• I've been reffing hockey a long time. I'm considering starting umpiring baseball as well. It has been said, you've mentioned it, but seriously, just leave the refs/umps alone. Especially if they're kids. It is astounding some of the things that I hear from coaches and parents. If the refs/umps are a problem - and you will have some bad refs/umps - there will be a mechanism to submit a complaint or evaluate them. Might just be an email to the umpiring director, but it will be there. (Probably. I guess there are places that it may not be)
• I personally believe that the focus-on-one-sport and focus-on-one-position is a bad thing. I think it decreases athleticism, it creates burnout, it makes a kid less-versatile within a single sport. 
• If your kid wants to stop... Let them. Make them finish their commitment to the team, the season, but don't force them to continue. 
• All sports and organizations are going to have politics that you'll have to figure out how to navigate. Sometimes it is really easy and there are no real issues. Sometimes... It is not that easy. 

In reply to mtn :

Thank you (and everybody else, again!) for your thoughts.  Sports was never as big a part of my life, it was just sort of something I did, and don't do anymore.  I don't have any connections with anyone I used to play with.  I officially quit golf like 5 years ago, sold my clubs.  I had zero interest in it.  I played because my dad played, and my grandfather played, but I never enjoyed it nor was much good, so after my grandfather died, I hung it up.  A few guys I work with play, but it doesn't seem to be as big among the younger generations.  

I do agree that there are a lot of benefits to sports in society, however the costs start to grow as you reach into college/ pro sports.  For children, it's awesome- keeps them active, social interaction, promotes teamwork, etc.  I will pin this post and make sure to follow through on the ideas here.  The overarching theme seems to be to make sure this is for them, and they enjoy it, they're growing, socializing, have good teams/ coaches/ parents around them.  Make sure they know it's OK to tell me if they have problems, or don't want to do it next season.  I suspect there will be a period of frustration starting off, learning new things, being told by coaches what to do, etc.  We need to be encouraging through all this.

In reply to SKJSS (formerly Klayfish) :

That's a good idea- the stadium announcing.  If they're looking for volunteers, I can do that.  Mrs. VCH says I have a voice like a bull horn, and a face that looks great hidden behind a microphone.