This time around, Smunch refused to be #1, opting instead for #3, despite the fact that he's the smallest kid on the PONY All-Stars Red Fireballs...by at least two inches.
See him out there during the national anthem? Yeah, that's him. The shrimpy little kid in the middle.I hate to admit that I haven't been enjoying the All Star team as much as either of his other teams. Some of the parents take things seriously enough to be real jerks on occassion. The coach is no exception. He's normally a great coach and a nice guy, but if things get a little intense during the game...well, I'd call yanking a kid out in the middle of the inning for bobbling the ball a couple times an excessive move. And he thinks it's cool to cheat, by secretly coaching the kids while he's pitching to them. Nice role model, dude.
Still, I hide most of this distain from Smunch. Despite the fact that he sits on the bench for half the game and has been relegated to playing catcher...a position that could be important, but his coach seems to consider disposable...he's happy to be there. He's going to all the practices with little complaint. And he had practice every day last week, so a little complaining was probably in order. He's really been a super sport out there.
He's rarely put in a position where he really gets to play much defense, but he's hitting the ball, driving in runs and scoring a few too.
He doesn't get to bat much either. Apparently, he's permanently stuck at the bottom of the batting order. Still, no complaints. The Fireballs played in their first tournament last weekend. They had three games...Thursday, Saturday and Sunday...in a town about 45 minutes away. The Thursday evening game was windy and cold. Daddy didn't look happy as he kept score on his iPad.
This is no longer an official duty, but the coaches get a kick out of all the data he can capture about the players.The team was only just finding its feet at the tournament level. Many of the boys had never played in a tournament before. They lost rather handily, 12-6.
The team they played on Saturday had already lost twice. The Fireballs started out strong, but faded towards the end, still coming in with a 21-15 victory. Smunch had a great game and had three great hits, making it to base every time. He even made a couple of good moves in the outfield. Despite being a scorcher, it was a fun day.
Sunday was a fun day too, even though the Fireballs lost to a team that made it to the championship finals. Smunch didn't have a great game, hitting into the third out of the inning...twice. He still didn't let it get him down. I know I've said it before, but even though he can be a real pain in the rear at home, Smunch turns into an awesome sportsman-like kid in the unlikeliest of situations. Gosh, how I admire that!
Now, if I could just turn everyday into a game.
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