Little League Tryouts 少少棒選拔賽

Now that my son is 8, with 2 years of Little League experience, he is qualified to enter the minors team in his little league. But the caveat is that he has to try out for the team. Parents received flyers for baseball camps before the winter break and because we were going on a cruise, I couldn't sign my son up for it. The boy hasn't played baseball since May, he was a bit rusty at the try out today. Both my husband and I thought our son is a borderline kid--meaning he may or may not make the minor team. He can hit and catch, but he's weak in throwing the ball. One thing going for him is that he is a fast runner between the bases. Like I said he is a borderline kid. If the try outs are for coaches to select the best players, he will make the minors if they need more players to form the teams. So we were keeping our fingers crossed.

The morning started at 9:45AM with his first winter soccer game. There were 2 other boys on the team who were also going to the baseball tryout, so we all left the soccer game early at 10:15AM. They changed into their baseball uniform, then we drove 15 minutes to the Little League field. There were many kids and families roaming the area, either watching, socializing, or practicing. They have sign in first and get a number. Unbeknownst to us, the number did not mean the order in which you will be trying out. The boys were suppose to line up near the home base when it's time for your age group to try out (10:45AM). My son was walking around and watching (I think he was nervous) and didn't know to line up. When I told him to line up, he was near the end of the line. He didn't get to try out until past noon. It was a long wait. Had I known about this system, we would not have left the soccer game early.

At the tryout, each boy gets pitched a ball to hit. He gets 3 tries. Once he hits the ball, he runs the bases. Then after 5 boys have done the hitting, they line up to catch a ground ball, then throws the ball to first base. Once the 5 boys did that, they line up again to try out pitching. Then the next 5 boys is up at bat.

While waiting for my son to finish the try out, I talked to a few moms and realized that the try out wasn't aimed at weeding out the less skilled boys. The coaches from all the teams rate each boy so they can make the teams more balanced. They are trying to avoid putting all the best players in one team.

I think my son did the best he could at the tryout. He was worried that he wouldn't make the minor team. I said he will make it, but the minor teams are harder than farm teams because the boys will be hitting balls pitched by another boy, not by a pitching machine. The chance of getting hit by a fast ball while at bat is very common.

For a boy, growing up in America, playing team sports is a major part of his life. It is where all his social life begins.

話說兒子的少少棒選拔賽,聽起來好像很隆重,可是事實上只是讓所有球隊教練有機會觀察所有小朋友打棒球的能力,好讓教練可以依照小朋友的能力平均分配球員到每個球隊。這樣每個球隊比賽時,輸贏不會差太多。 這也是我後來跟其他比較有經驗的媽媽聊天後才知道的。

兒子已經參加了兩年的少少棒,從 T-Ball隊 到 Farm隊, 今年他8歲,所以要參加 Minor隊。 在 Minor隊 發表隊員名單之前,每個希望加入 Minor隊 的小男孩都要參與年初舉辨的少少棒選拔賽。 知道兒子必需要經過選拔賽的考驗其實我和老公也蠻緊張的。 我們兒子的運動神經還算不錯,可是棒球這種東西還是平常得練習。 兒子是從五月的棒球季節結束後就沒有再碰棒球了。 寒假之前,學校發了一些有關冬令營的資訊, 其中一項就是少少棒冬令營。 很多小男生趁放寒假的時間參加少少棒冬令營,一方面在放寒假時有地方去,另一方面可以在少少棒選拔賽之前有所準備。我們利用寒假期間去玩(坐了一趟遊輪),所以無法參加任何冬令營。因此一月開學後,我們對於這少少棒選拔賽也有趨之若鶩的感覺。

今天一早九點就出門。兒子的冬季足球賽今天是第一場。同隊的有其他兩位小男生也要去參加少少棒選拔賽。 所以我們 10:15AM 就提前離開足球場,開車前往少棒棒球場。 兒子在車上換制服。到了棒球場拿了號碼就等上場。 因為這是我們第一次參加少少棒選拔賽,不知道要到本壘後面排隊。快十一點才輪到 Minor隊 的球員上陣, 可是兒子因為排在最後, 輪到他時已經中午了。早知道是用排隊上陣的方式, 我們也不用那麼早就離開足球賽了。 兒子就一邊排隊一邊看別人怎麼打。 我也在一旁跟其他家長聊天。 那時才知道這少少棒選拔賽事實上只是讓教練評估每位小朋友的能力。 基本上每位來參加這次 Minor隊 “Tryout” 的小朋友都會被分配到 Minor隊。 知道後, 我們做家長的就不用那麼緊張了,可是我並沒有把這情報告訴兒子。 我想讓他盡力的表現自己。

選拔賽一開始就每五個小孩一組。 教練投手投球讓小朋友打。 擊不中有三次機會。 打中後往一壘跑, 一直跑回本壘。 五個小朋友都跑完後,輪流在二壘後面接滾地球,接到後要丟給一壘手。 最後一項就是做投手,把球丟給在本壘的補手。 這一組的五個小孩都評估完後就歸下一組人馬。 兒子也很順利的完成這三項比賽。

原來美國大連盟的球員就是這樣訓練出來的!

志願服務精神 Volunteerism

住在美國最讓我感動的事是美國人的志願服務精神(Volunteerism)。 做父母的除了需要到孩子的學校做免費服務之外,有些家長也參於很多社區服務,包括男女童子軍 (Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America),少棒連盟 (Little League) 以及美國青少年足球連盟 (AYSO-American Youth Soccer Organization)。 這一切的活動與教學全靠有經驗的家長推動及執行。

AYSO (The American Youth Soccer Organization) http://soccer.org/home.aspx
Little League http://www.littleleague.org/Little_League_Online.htm
Girl Scouts of the USA http://www.girlscouts.org/program/journeys/your_world/default.asp
Boys Scouts of America http://www.scouting.org/

我九歲的女兒目前是個 Girl Scout Junior。她二年級時加入女童子軍,從Brownies 開始。她的團長及副團長全是她同學的媽媽。如果沒有這幾位媽媽專心致力的安排所有的活動及連絡,我想我也不會讓我的女兒參加女童子軍。女兒的課餘時間有限,所以她的課外活動必需要對她的成長過程有所幫助。

在美國,小男孩最重要的社交活動就是參與球隊連盟。足球是從四歲就開始,少棒是從T-ball 隊 (幼稚園大班或六歲) 開始打。兒子的教練(或副教練)全是他同學的爸爸或媽媽。因為球隊連盟要求家長一定要volunteer,害我老公都不大好意思不參與兒子的球隊活動。還好他很會考試,所以他就去上課考了個小孩足球裁判員的資格。去年當兒子的球隊要比賽時,我老公就得上場做裁判,非常辛苦。我呢? 我就做所謂的Team Mom。有雜事就找我。

通常如果男孩子對體育沒興趣的話,他在美國這個社會就會顯得比較格格不入。我很慶幸我兒子的運動神經很好, 在學校也比較容易交到朋友, 不會被其它小朋友取笑或欺負。因為兒子才一年級, 功課幾乎沒有, 因此我也讓他參加男童子軍。最主要的原因也是因為他的 Den Leader 是一位非常有奉獻精神的媽媽。我兒子目前屬於男童子軍的老虎隊 (Tiger Cub Scouts)。

美國人的志願服務精神(Volunteerism)真的讓我大開眼界。

I have always admired the volunteer spirit of Americans. When I was growing up in Canada, I didn't see any parents volunteering at my schools. Maybe it's the sign of the times--school funding had been reduced drastically by the government, so parents had to step in and help out the teachers any way they can. I do see that as the kids get older, the opportunity to volunteer in the classrooms decreases, but parents continue to volunteer at school, either in the PTA or other fundraising activities. As for myself, I volunteer in my kids' classrooms once a month. I would do more, but other parents have signed up as well, so we take turns. I am also known as the Box Tops lady at our school. Kids cut off Box Tops and bring them to school. I then collect, count, and mail the Box Tops to General Mills. A few months later, General Mills will send a check to our school. Each Box Top is worth 10 cents to our school. Each year, our school earned about $1,000-$2,000 from this fundraising effort alone.

Another form of volunteerism that I come across daily is the selfless dedication of parents to their kids' extra-curricular activities--namely sports organizations and scouting. Both my kids are involved in scouting. If it were not for the dedication and hard work of the parents (scout leaders) involved, I would not be bothered with scouting. Our scout leaders make participating in scouting activities an easy thing. Neither my husband and I are the outdoorsy type, so the opportunity to expose our kids to outdoor activities is very valuable to us.

Each Saturday from September to December, my son participates in our local AYSO league's soccer games. Then from January to February, he does winter soccer, also sponsored by the AYSO. Other boys often choose to do basketball or other sports while waiting for Baseball's Little League to start in March. So from March to June, my son is involved in the local Little League games. There is usually a game Saturday morning and a practice session with his teammates one hour a week, to be determined by his coaches. Needless to say, all of the coaches and referees of the Little League teams and the AYSO teams are volunteers as well. This is how American passes on their values and heritage to their children. When these children grow up, they will also volunteer in their children's schools or teams. This is a wonderful, selfless thing to be able to pass down from generation to generation.