(2020) No “Play Ball!” Heard This Year

Saturday would have been opening day of Little League in Harrison, Michigan.  I'd have already sat through a month of freezing cold practices as the 1,783 sports season of my Mom life begins.  The ski equipment and winter gear were just cleared out my car, but baseball equipment didn't replace them.

There is no Little League parade this year and no Spring sports season.  No lining up to watch for the sea of color-coded kids walking to the fields to sing the National Anthem and hear the loud booming voice of league president Jim Neff yell, "PLAY BALL."  He's really good at that.

I know most of the kids in the parade.   I snap their pictures and wave.  The parade is one of my favorite parts of baseball each year.  The Veterans Honor Guard is always there to do the salute and raise the flag. 

Though I've always been somewhat of a reluctant sports Mom the thought of telling our kids the season was canceled was difficult.  Suddenly, I wanted nothing more than to sit at the fields with my friends watching our kids. 

Most parents feel the same way. Our social media accounts are popping up with memories of seasons past, opening days, great plays, and bittersweet defeats.  It’s not fun to lose or sit in the freezing rain and a watch a game or a practice.  But afterwards when your child says, “thanks for staying out there with me Mom” or buy ice cream to celebrate or sooth it feels like a rare parenting victory. 

Not having a baseball season or any other sports season is painful for many.  It’s one of the many reminders how quickly our lives have changed and the small and large things we are sacrificing.  Sports was never very important to me until I had four boys to raise and watched them learn, work hard, and be coached to be better players and better people by playing sports.

We can live without playing a season of Little League and a great many other things except each other.  That’s what sports does, it brings us together.  Whether to support the same team, the same community or special kids in our lives.