T-Ball | 2017 Spring Baseball Season

We just wrapped up our third season as a baseball family. Jonah is already asking to play again as soon as they have sign ups! Please, no one tell him that they do Fall ball for his age... until I can at least get past how busy this Spring season kept us! 

This year we eased into Coach Pitch. They get 3-5 chances to bat with the coach pitching, then they get a chance with the tee if they are unsuccessful. Jonah was about 60/40 I think. Mostly hitting off the tee but got a few really good hits when pitched to also. This has been so good for him. He never hesitated to go out there and swing the bat. He needed lots of encouragement to swing hard and focus on his task, but overall just did his job. 

The biggest challenge this year was that Wesley volunteered to be head coach after the league approached him saying that they were short on coaches. He always volunteers as a helper or assistant coach but wasn't quite sure he would be able to do this whole head coach thing, BUT he did great and with only one other volunteer, I got to be the dugout coach. It was fun but a little stressful... mostly because 13 kids (add Ezra in the mix to make 14 total) in a very small space is asking a little much. I had to use my mean mommy voice a little but no one got hurt and everyone made it on and off the field for two innings every game! We'll call that a win. 

I will say there are a few advantages of being the Coach's wife (other than being called "the coach's wife" instead of my name by other parents) like getting to pick the team name and colors. We obviously grabbed Bulldogs before anyone else could and picked colors that would go with our uniform we had last year because everything still fit, except cleats. Red and Black are the colors of the school most of these littles attend or will attend next year though, so it's a win for everybody! 

There were a few things that helped us stay organized (organized chaos) that I'd like to share with you in case you find yourself being a first-time coach or t-ball mom in need of a few suggestions. 

Some of these suggestions may contain affiliate links. 

1.  Wesley downloaded the app GroupMe and found it very useful to communicate with parents throughout the season. It allows you to organize different groups, teams, etc and sends the notifications via text for those who don't prefer to use the app. Even for those who don't use a smartphone or aren't text savvy, it's very useful to just send reminders about game times, field location, etc. 
2.  We finally got a collapsible wagon. These can be a bit of an investment but I cannot believe we waited until now to get one! Since we had two kids and the team's gear every game. This was a lifesaver! Especially when it's a bit of a hike to the fields from the parking lot. It folds right up and goes in the back of the car. We will be using this thing for years to come for not just t-ball! 
3.  We bought white storage bins for each player to put on the fenceline in the dugout for each game. I wrote their number on the bottom of each and that is where they would keep their glove, cap, helmet and hang their bat on the fence right above it when all of these items were not in use during the game. Of course, this was still a struggle for many 5-6 year olds, BUT it helped A LOT with keeping things from getting lost and mixed up. I encouraged each player to learn their own number so that they could identify their bin each game. We picked the ones we used up at Dollar Tree so they were only $1 each, but they have some that are a little more sturdy on Amazon for about $2 each. Just to give you an idea of what they looked like. 
4. Late in the season, I bought the boys these Hydroflask water bottles for our trip to Yellowstone and for the games. I got Ezra the straw top and Jonah just uses the flip top. They keep the water so cold in the HOT Mississippi and if they ever get tired of them, I'll just use them for a coffee mug for myself!
5. Last but not least, having a 2-year-old in the dugout is super fun! So, this last tip is more about him...EXTRA snacks! The snacks at the concessions are yummy and all, but not wallet friendly. I always tried to bring something for Ezra to snack on during the game, because of the timing mostly (6:00 games) but also to keep him from doing what all the big boys are doing... like jumping off the dugout bench or driving NaNa crazy in the stands. We also have these little chairs that were helpful in not having him in the bleachers. The last couple of games, I got to use these awesome little reusable snack bags from Strollin' Dirty, the cutest little online shop for stroller accessories! 

Tell me your tips! Maybe next year I'll be even more of a pro at this T-Ball mom thing!