Tee Ball Lessons

If you think “Tee Ball” is not very challenging, it’s quite a surprise to see the learning that takes place.

My granddaughter played her first Tee Ball game at age six. The volunteer coaches pitched 3 or 4 balls to the kids, to give them a feel for hitting a pitched ball. If they were unable to hit, the tee was brought out and they hit off that. Any contact with the ball pretty much resulted in a base hit. All fielders were instructed to throw to first base, whenever they picked up a ball. There were no outs at this stage in tee ball. Every batter advanced to first, and then around the bases on subsequent hits. The last child in the batting order got the thrill of running around all four bases.

It was impressive to see the learning that took place in just the first game, and the related life lessons.

Line up in your batting order -–that’s how to be orderly and take turns.
Wear a batting helmet--don’t take unnecessary risks.
Drop your bat and run to first base--no need to carry excess baggage when you are trying to get somewhere.
Step on the bases as you go around and don’t skip home plate-do things in the proper sequence.
Take your batting helmet over to the other team when it’s their at bat--be generous and show good sportsmanship.
Pick up or catch a hit ball and throw it to the first baseman--learn the basics first and then progress to more advanced skills.
Crouch in an alert position when you are in the field and pay attention to the batter--be ready for opportunities that may come your way.
Huddle up with your coach at the end of the game--always good to assess and improve.
If you’re the snack person, distribute snacks to the others before you help yourself--this is how we share.