It’s not always going your way

Post birthday Saturday and it’s the beginning of junior baseball finals . Leroy’s team is the 2 nd ranked team going in and it plays a team that it has beaten twice and most recently tied with . The opposition is the best un ranked team and the most dangerous wild card . We’ve copped a dangerous quirk in the draw . Kids sport isn’t meant to be serious , but the crowd noise in the earlier games is ramped up .Sometimes you read it , you fear it , you see it , it’s inevitable . They win the toss and bat and score immediately . You talk to yourself and scold yourself for getting pent up over 7/8 year old baseball. No matter the age there are telltale signs .As a parent and a dad who’s played a bit of sport you see the script pretty early , this is going down to the wire . Before the game our kids are playing around, there kids are doing drills . It gets to the 3rd innings and we are still 1 nil down , in fact they are on the brink of breaking it open . Leroy takes a lovely catch and has the where with all to rush back to 2nd base and tag out a wandering kid . He has a knack for doing this and especially against this team . It’s a double play from no where and they are suddenly out with bases loaded . I know it sounds like I’m cheerleading and I admit my obvious bias but he’s having a cracker . We get lucky . Eventually we get to lead 6 to 5 , there are only 5 minutes on the clock . It’s game over …. No , it’s decided as it’s finals we’l play another innings . Our coaches are keen to call it quits , they even phone the league president, but no we are to play a 5th innings , yep you sense it . They score 2 and take the lead 7 to 6 . We bat and are quickly 2 out and no one on base . A couple of our lesser lights get to bat and get on base , and it’s as tense as it gets . The coach then pulls a batting change , Leroy’s shuffled up the order . We have kids on 2nd and 3rd . Oh shit I really feel for him . He’s the only kid who hasn’t struck out all year ( super rare) , everyone is cheering and offering advice . As a subplot, he just got a new heavier bat for his birthday . We’ve been practising with it but he’s not ready for it yet . He’s too small . He walks out with it . Oh Jesus , I told him you never change a bat that works for you . When he connects with this bat it flies , but he’s been missing a lot , as the weight is a struggle . I declare that he has never struck out and quickly want to throw the words back down my throat . Strike 1 , strike 2 …., I told him you never change a winning formula . Bang ! He cracks it straight over 2nd base , the little fucker has pulled it off and delivered a mvp birthday performance ……no …. , the oppositions best kid just happens to be floating out there , and you know it . Whilst all the parents around us jump to their feet I stay seated .The kid catches it at full stretch over his head . The opposition rush from everywhere and jump all over the kid . I smile , it’s ok , it’s kids sport , and I saw this coming . Leroy was great , he did no wrong and his last hit was only the 2nd of the night to reach the out field . It was fate and a lesson learned . You don’t just win , you’ve gotta earn it and you’ve gotta deserve it , and they’ve been on the receiving end to Leroy doing this very same thing . The poor little fucker never shows his emotions but he’s distraught, he’s actually crying and sobs for the next 20 minutes . It’s funny , but it feels like he got more admiration in losing . It’s a painful drive home . I come up with all the cliches about losing is learning , and you gave it your best and you’l bounce back bigger tomorrow ( yes , they’re still alive but are now in the tougher half of the draw ) but we both know that’s bullshit . It sux to lose . I ask him what he wants to do ?”Can I get you any take away treat ?……. ” You know what he wanted ? … To go to the park and practice . And that’s what we did . I threw him another 200 balls to hit until it was dark . The poor little fucker is shattered , he’l sleep well tonight