There's no crying in baseball

Parker, 8, ready to play catcher.

There's no crying, unless you are me.  Parker moved up to play with the big boys this year.  No more machine pitch, no more coach pitch.  He started playing with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders this year.

As we started the season, I was so worried about him.  I cried when he struck out for the first time.  I cried when he stole his first base, when he scored, when be played catcher.  I cried really hard when he was pulled up to pitch for the first time.

My tears were a mixture of fear - he's so small out there - and pride - he's actually really talented on the field.  It wasn't until this year that I finally realized what it must have been like to be my parents on the sidelines.  I want my kids to do so well, to excel at it all and there are oftentimes when I just can't make that happen and it was really hard to sit back and just watch.

Kevin and I had to keep reminding ourselves to be fans.  Our mantra all season long for both boys, just be fans.  Support them to no end, cheer them on and let them know how proud you are (even when they make bad plays or don't swing the bat game after game).

The good news - he survived.  The even better news, Parker was selected for our league's All Star team!  We have a summer of baseball ahead of us!