The Sluggers

Dane and Aubrey have been meeting with their t-ball team, The Sluggers, for the last couple of months. They play (2 at-bats, no keeping score) on Wednesdays from 4-5 and on Saturday mornings, 9-10. After the Saturday sessions, Coach Jack gives them donuts. (See pictures.)

Coach Jack has been volunteering here for 21 years. He coached the parents of some of these kids. He makes coaching look easy, with the way he splits the kids up for the field or to bat, and how he lets them each take a good couple smacks at his aluminum bat before they swing at the ball on the "T." It's pretty fun to see the huge satisfaction a kid has when s/he makes that bat sing. (And, yes, Jack's brave -- imagine letting a 5-year-old swing at a bat you're holding near your body.)

A few times I've begged Jack to let me take a nap in my van during practice, but he's made me the official assistant coach -- and Mick's helped coach a few Saturdays and even a Wednesday. That means we get to play catch, make sure they stay behind Coach's red duffle bag while a teammate is batting; it means that in the field, we remind them to stand in a ready position instead of picking grass or sitting on the cones used for bases. Oh yeah, we also have to encourage them not to fight each other for the ball that four of them want to pick up and throw to first base.

Pictures:
#1 - Xavier, Aubrey, Jaylen, Dane and Coach Jack in background
#2- Aubrey and Jaylen in front, Terrance and Dane in back, Jack in background
#3 - Aubrey and Dane
(We have more pictures to add when I can download onto my computer; we should also be getting official team pictures soon.)