London asked me several times to sign him up for baseball. I hesitated because last year was a bit of a disaster. He didn't want to play; he'd complain about his clothes; he just didn't want to go. I asked over and over, "are you sure that you want to play baseball this year?" The answer always was, "Yes. Stop asking me already." So I signed him up.
This year started a little better but quickly went downhill. He went to the first three practices but he behaved terribly. He didn't listen and acted extra goofy -- which he does often when he's uncomfortable.
We missed the first game and the second was a struggle. He didn't want to wear any of his uniform. We pushed the shirt and hat but didn't bother with the pants or socks. I sat with him on the bench during the first inning and talked him into just giving it a try for one inning. He said that he was shy and this was hard for him. But, after trying he decided to play the rest of the game. He hit a few balls and his big smile said it all. It was worth the struggle earlier that day. After the game, he told me that he loved baseball.
The next weekend, I was out of town and Blu wasn't as willing to go through the extra hoops to get him to play. He feels that if London doesn't want to do it, we shouldn't press it. I wonder if it's just easier for Blu if London doesn't go. The weekend after, his swim lesson -- which he really loves -- conflicted with game time, so we opted to skip the game. The next day, the game was rained out.
I struggle with making the effort to get him to the games because I saw that he really enjoyed himself once he overcame his initial fears. At the same time, I don't want him to hate baseball. We'll make the effort for the next game but swimming will always trump baseball. I imagine that the water is calming to his over-active senses and may turn out to be his "thing." Baseball? Maybe not.