Sid decided she wanted to pay softball, so of course we signed her up and figured one season wouldn’t hurt anything. Then after we’d paid the fee, bought a mitt and bought a bat, we thought we should go to the batting cages to try this fun new equipment. Of course she hated it.
As soon as we got there and found out you had to wear a helmet, I knew we were in trouble. The helmets were made for big dudes with fat head like me, and even the children’s helmets looked like they were meant for large teenagers. She tried one on and it was so big the grill in front weighed it down to cover her face. Discouragement was hitting her fast and furious, so I quickly decided the answer was to throw more money at the problem and go find a helmet that fit.
As soon as we saw the pink helmet hanging on the wall at Big 5, I thought our problem was fixed. She loved it of course, the only thing that could have made it better was pink flowers with pink petals painted on it. So back to the batting cages we go, towing Wyatt who is upset that he’s too small to go in the cages with dad and sister.
I go first and hit a few so she can get the idea where to stand, then it’s her turn. She hit five or six out of twenty, with Britnie and I cheering her on. I thought she did great for a tiny seven-year-old that can bearly swing the bat. But I guess she was expecting more, because she started screaming how she wasn’t going to play, and she was awful, and she was too small, and she hated it. Ugh.
All the way home she’s telling us she’ll never play softball. I’m starting to get the feeling she’s going to be stuck playing individual sports if she wants to compete in any way. When I drop her off at school it’s a little shocking to see how much shorter she is than all the other kids. We know she was born small, and will always be small for her age, but I think I forget when we’re hanging out because she’s so energetic and excited that she seems bigger than she is.
So we’re still deciding if it’s worth forcing her to play something she doesn’t seem to like. If not, anyone interested in buying a pink mitt, pink bat and pink batting helmet?
She’s old enough that the friend issue might come into play. If she has or meets a friend there the first time, you may be in luck! Once Shaylie asked me if she could play soccer(and I think she was in first grade, now that I think about it….) She said she loved soccer, but hated running. Oh, and she also hated kicking the ball. But, she was going to love being with her friends. We decided to stick with dance, which she loved at the time, and just invite her friends over. Good luck with this one!
I was a small kid and my parents pushed me to get into all kinds of athletics. I spent a least two seasons of soccer playing as a fullback, most of which involved actually sitting down in the dirt and watching the distant mass of other kids kicking the ball around. Years later when I told my parents I had hated soccer, they were totally shocked. I asked them if they had ever actually WATCHED me play, and they could just shrug sheepishly.
I do think athletics is a great activity, though. It promotes health, social interaction, and self esteem. What I plan to do is expose my kids to all kinds of sports and just hope something sticks. But I guess I’ll learn from you and see if I can rent the equipment first.
I think it is important for her to understand that she needs to try things, even if they are hard. Think reading, for example. If you had let her give up on that where would she be now? I believe this lesson applies to most things in life (that are legal, moral and affordable). At least try it. She may be surprised.
I remember trying to get out of geometry in 9th grade after only a few days. I didn’t understand it and hated it! I went to my guidance counselor (two per school - imagine that in these days). She convinced me to have my dad drive me to school early and meet with the teacher for a few days. I am glad I stuck it out because the long term consequences would have been that I would not have been able to take some of the advanced math classes in high school, and I really loved those classes. I do, however, still dislike geometry, but at least I have that knowledge and background to use.
I also think it is important for her to understand that she cannot just go from thing to thing constantly without any type of consequences. Once she decides to play she should live with that decision until the end of the season. You have invested time and cash to get her so she could go. If she succeeds it will be such a confidence booster for her.
None of this is meant to be a criticism of anyone’s parenting decisions. That is just the way I worked.
That’s my two cents. Now, does that mean I have to walk the entire 5K next month or can I just walk part of the way with Wyatt???
I think it’s our fault though. Out of the blue she said she wanted to play softball even though all she knew was you had a bat and hit a ball. I don’t think she really understood anything about it. With things like swimming lessons she knew what she was doing ahead of time. So for now on I think we’ll make sure she understands what she’s getting in to.
Whether or not she actually plays on a team, I would keep the equipment around. I’m not the sporty type, but have fond memories of make-shift sports in the yard with my family. Maybe after a summer of playing catch and hitting a few slow pitches, she’ll be more interested. I played softball a couple summers and loved it, but batting cages still intimidate me.