8 Tips For Surviving Baseball In The Summer

I promise this isn't a post where I complain about the heat.  We all know its hot and talking about it doesn't make it any cooler.  Instead, I'm going to give you my tips for surviving the heat during the summer baseball season.

Daulton made the 8 year old All-Star team this year and that means we are spending our summer on the baseball field.  We are having fun and Daulton loves adding new trophies to his collection!

Tips For Surviving Baseball In The Summer

1. Get a chair with vents in the seat that is easy to carry.  Trust me on the vents, sweaty back and butt is not comfortable.  If you happen to catch a breeze, you will be grateful for the vents.  Make sure its easy to carry as you never know how far you will have to go between your car and the field.  My in-laws got me a new chair for Mother's Day and I'm very grateful for the vents and that its easy to carry.
2. Setup a canopy.  Most baseball fields are in open areas with no shade around.  With the canopy, you can make your own shade.  I know it feels like more work to carry it out and set it up, but you will thank me when its brutally hot and the shade is the difference between enjoying the game and misery.
3. No canopy?  Make friends with someone who has one.  We do not technically own a canopy, but Daulton's mom does and we make sure to always help her carry it to and from the car (technically its Matt who does the carrying, but since we are married I can take the credit for it) and we help her set it up and take it down.  As a result, we have a permanent spot under the shade and its well worth the effort.
4. Pack drinks and snacks.  Its hot and you need to stay hydrated.  There may be time between games and you will need a snack.  Trips to the concession stand can get expensive and the concession stand isn't known for its healthy options.  For what to pack, check out my mom's post on How To Eat Healthy At The Ballpark.
5. Invest in a bag or wagon to help you haul everything.  I've told you what to bring, now you've got to get it to the field.  I use the Retro Metro bag or the Organizing Utility Tote from 31 Gifts to  carry everything.  I've seen other parents use wagons and it makes it easier to get the canopy, chairs, coolers, and everything else to the field.  
6. Bring something to do.  We have to have Daulton at the game early and there is usually time to kill between games, so I like to bring something to do.  I usually use this time to catch up on my reading, so I will bring my Nook, iPad, and the occasional real book.  (I just finished The Host by Stephanie Meyer and it was amazing!)  
7. Brush up on your cheerleading.  Be positive and encouraging.  Good job, good try, good inning (assuming its been a good inning), you can do it, find your pitch (only yell this when your team is batting), and shake it off are all acceptable to yell during a baseball game.  Its the coach's job to coach and your job to encourage and support. (tweet this)
8. Make friends with the other parents.  You are spending the summer with these people and they are your fellow cheerleaders.  This was tough for me as we came into a new team that had already been established and I felt like the new kid.  But everyone was welcoming and friendly and it makes you realize that players, coaches, and parents are all on the same team.

The summer is what you make of it.  We are choosing to spend our time on the baseball field and the 8 tips above make it even more enjoyable.

Check out Daulton sliding into home!

The End of the Baseball Season

Baseball season is finally over for us.  We played a regular season and then had the All Star season.  Most of our summer has been spent at a game or traveling to a game.  Matt and Daulton spent their time on the field and I spent my time in the stands cheering them on.  Spending this much time in the stands has given me the opportunity to observe fellow baseball parents and fans.  I have come to the conclusion that baseball parents fall into five categories.

Types of Baseball Parents

The Yeller - The Yeller yells at his kid, your kid, the coach and the umpire and disagrees with every call and every decision.  You can spot The Yeller easily because there is usually no one sitting next to them as no one wants to have their eardrums blown out.  The Yeller is also likely to get into fist fights and display the complete opposite of good sportsmanship behavior.  Avoid this type of fan at all costs.

The Pacer - The Pacer never sits down at a baseball game or any other sporting event.  They can be found pacing the sidelines and can be found giving advice to those in the dugout.  Whatever you do, do not try to get a Pacer to sit down and watch the game with you.  You both will be miserable and it will not end well.  Let the Pacer do his/her thing.  (For the record, I married a Pacer and it took some time before I realized it wasn't that he didn't want to be seen in public with me.  I no longer mind being left on the bleachers where I can chat with other parents and catch up with the grandparents.)

The Cheerleader - The Cheerleader is baseball's equivalent of the eternal optimist.  You could miss every ball that comes by you and strike out at every at bat and The Cheerleader will continue to cheer regardless of your performance.  If cheering too loud, The Cheerleader will be spotted sitting alone but can most likely be found sitting with other Cheerleaders.  The Cheerleader is also most likely to be the team mom or snack coordinator.

The Fair Weather Fan - This type of fan can only be seen when the temperature is perfect for baseball watching.  You will not see The Fair Weather Fan in rain, snow, or any temperature below 65 degrees.

The Living Vicariously - This is the worst type of baseball fan.  This fan, usually a parent, had aspirations of their own baseball domination and fell short.  So now its up to their kid to make their dreams happen.  The Living Vicariously has their child's rise to athletic stardom already mapped out and failure is not an option.  Its sad and frustrating to watch. 

Most fans fall into those categories.  Occasionally a jerk shows up.  But the good people outweigh the occasional jerk or two.  For the most part, everyone is there to cheer on the team and the boys playing the game.

This baseball season we learned that you win some and you lose some.  Its important to be a good sport and to always give it 100% effort.  

The End of an Era

I am a little behind in my blogging so this post is a little late.  Better late then never right?

This summer Matt played in a softball league with some friends.  He was an excellent baseball player in high school and played on several championship softball teams several years ago.  When Matt and I first started dating I used to go to his softball games and I loved watching him play.  I also thought he was really cute in his baseball pants!

So when Matt told Daulton and I he was going joining a softball league this summer, Daulton and I were very excited to watch him play.  Later in the season I had to play a few games, which I wasn't thrilled about but I did it.  (I apparently am still harboring resentment from being forced to play softball as a child, but we will save my issues for another day.) 

During Matt's last game of the season he hit it out of the park.  Daulton and I were so excited for him and loudly cheered for him from the stands.  On our walk to the car, I spotted the ball lying in the grass and sent Daulton out to get it.  Matt could have cared less about it but Daulton and I wanted it as a souvenir.  Its a good thing we grabbed it because when we got home, Matt declared he was retiring from softball and this was his last game. 

It was fun watching Matt play this summer and I am sure there will be some family ball games in the future.  (We won't be using real softballs due to an incident two weeks before school started and Daulton caught a ball with his face.  It was thrown by yours truly.  We have not played catch since but if we do, the new rule is to use tennis balls which do not leave bruises.) 

If Matt ever decides to come out of retirement, his two biggest fans will be there! 

Baseball 2010

Tonight was the last game of the season for Daulton.  He had a great season and has improved significantly since last year.  We missed picture day because Matt and I were getting married so we took our own pictures. 

My two favorite guys!

Notice the fans in the background...

I imagine their conversation went something like this:

Coach:  "Daulton when the next batter hits the ball I want you to run to 2nd base."

Daulton:  "Yeah, I know.  2nd base is that way."

He had a great season and we are looking forward to many more years spent at ball games!!