Teaching Elementary, My Dear Watson

47 - Softball Begins

47

Softball Begins

Monday, May 8

The girls' first softball game was against Mountain View, but today, the other school didn't live up to its name. The smog was heavy, Eagle Mountain's crest hidden by the haze. To someone who wasn't from LA, it looked like fog, but that was only true until you took your first breath. The carbon monoxide from millions of cars backed up against the San Gabriel Mountains, settling into the valley rather than dissipating. Kevin instructed his team to take shallow breaths. This sucks. Not the part of coaching that I signed up for.

Once the game began, the players thought more about the score than their health concerns, but an occasional kid on both sides coughed after taking too deep a breath of the poison in the air.

As visitors, Valle Grande batted first. "Remember," said Kevin. "Just like in practice. Only three pitches for both Graciela and Erin. They will do their best, but nobody is perfect. Unless the ball hits dirt or a bird, swing." The kids smiled at the same joke. Then he added something new. "Watch the other team when it's their turn. If they criticize their pitchers, they'll have trouble. If not, then they play as a team; it will be tougher."

Hopefully, that will remind them to treat their own pitchers better than their opponents might.

"Just do your best out there today, and when it's our turn to bat, are we trying for home runs?"

"No! Singles," they said. They remembered his lesson.

It was hot. Kevin wore navy blue shorts and a white polo shirt, the better to sweat in. And he did, but made no mention of the heat or the smog. I want the kids to ignore the weather.

The game began. Graciela was their best pitcher, but Erin took her place when Graciela was the batter or was running the bases, so Erin batted first. She got a hit, then Sonya let one pitch go and hit two foul balls. She was out, reaching the three-pitch maximum limit. Bonnie had a single, advancing Erin to third. Yolanda hit another single, scoring Erin. Valerie grounded into the second out, then Graciela and Erin traded places. Graciela got a hit, scoring Bonnie. The next batter, Jenna, popped up for the third out.

Valle Grande took the field in the bottom half of the inning. As Kevin had hoped, Mountain View had both a pitching and an attitude problem. They had some girls who could hit, but kept the bats on their shoulders, waiting for a perfect pitch rather than swinging at one that was just okay. Then, when the last pitch was terrible, they were out of luck. Instead of taking responsibility, a couple of kids started criticizing their pitcher. I can't believe that the opposing coach allows that. I'd never permit such talk from our Valle Grande girls. I know how it can become a vicious cycle of blame and lead to worse behavior.

And that's what happened. The opposing pitchers got rattled, their deliveries became more erratic, and Valle Grande won easily.

Tuesday, May 9

Kevin looked at the clear blue skyline and smiled. I am so glad to get a reprieve from the smog today. At least we can see the mountains. I'm grateful for the winds from the east, blowing the clean desert air in toward the ocean, enabling us to breathe. Thank you!

Kevin watched his team begin to warm up and take the field. The boys played at home in their first game, also against Mountain View, so Valle Grande would bat last.

Kevin gave them a similar pep talk. Robert, and occasionally Little Joe, would do the pitching. Thang and José, his best soccer kids, played softball but were new to the game. Valle Grande didn't have skill levels as high as they did in soccer, but they were improving. Kevin liked the way they used their intelligence. On defense, he often challenged individuals with the play, meaning he would ask them where they would throw the ball if it were hit to any of them. His team was improving when answering such quizzes, and he saw them making better decisions during practice games.