Why We Play Eastbank Little League Baseball
BASEBALL – It’s often referred to as “America’s Favorite Pastime,” an activity that someone does regularly for enjoyment rather than work; a hobby. But is baseball a pastime for kids or is it a requirement if you want your child to have a competitive edge in the sport as he
gets older? Has the sport of baseball lost its why? Why was baseball created? I think we forget why we looked forward to the first time we signed our child up for a sport, probably at a local playground. We signed them up to have FUN! We didn’t sign them up because we thought one day they would get a scholarship or go pro. We probably didn’t even have travel baseball on our radar during the tee-ball days. But often times I feel like most everyone watching their child play a sport, any sport, forgets that originally they primarily signed up to have fun. Spend 20 minutes in the stand at a baseball game, and here’s everything you will certainly hear. As I have come to learn, it’s sadly not always about the kids having fun. Parents care more about wins and losses. That pressure trickles down to our “littles” … WE have forgotten our WHY.
All of that being said, I am here to tell you that even locally in New Orleans it doesn’t have to be that way! Eastbank Little League (EBLL) has not forgotten its WHY!
And that’s exactly WHY this particular family chooses to play EBLL. The game is about our “little” people, our little leaguers. And that’s exactly what our children are…little! Scott
Frazier, and his coaches, coach our little boys far beyond baseball. Scott’s awesome wife, Susan, has even shared her story on New Orleans Mom before. It’s not just about learning how to play the game, but how the boys handle the game. How do you handle an out, strikeout, error, etc. are all covered by the coaches at EBLL. Sometimes the coaches have to remind us parents that our boys are only 11-12 years old. These boys are the leaders of the league, yes, with the opportunity to potentially play in the Little League World Series one day, but they are still “little.” EBLL has definitely created a balance between discipline, skill and fun. For that, I can’t say enough about the league.
We do play travel baseball and other competitive sports. I watch my son stress over it all. During basketball’s regular season, he stressed over making “all-stars,” then when he made all-stars, he stressed over becoming a starter. At dinner one night, I had to remind him to enjoy each moment! It’s crazy to tell an 11 year old this, but he never enjoyed a game because he would worry about what he could have done better and how it would affect him moving forward. Sure, there’s a competitive edge to the way he thinks and I love his hard work towards doing better, but I also try my best to remind him he’s “little” and that he needs to enjoy the sport simply for its fun and his friends.
EBLL is genuinely a great complement and supplement into all of our other sports commitments. My advice as a mom is simple: don’t be afraid to explore more sports or different programs. Sometimes it’s the right sport for your child but simply the wrong environment or culture. The good news is that we have a lot of options, but we cannot be afraid to try them. Our littles learn more than the sport when they experience challenges in the right environment and with the right culture. Whether it be a different coach or a different sport, give it a try if you feel like something is off. Don’t give up on sports entirely because of a bad experience. Everyone has a different approach to challenges and that’s extremely important for our kids to see and learn from.
Play sports, but don’t forget to have fun doing it. Parents, watch your “littles” play and don’t forget your WHY!
Natalie Johnson
Natalie is a mother of 2 boys. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing with a minor in Supply & Logistics all while working for Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., where she was a part of helping the company grow over 600 US locations. Her naturally outgoing and hard-working persona has helped turn her passion for real estate into a success. She knows how important it is to not only find someone’s dream home, but to also provide advice and support throughout the home buying and selling process. As her boys have gotten more involved, her nights and weekends have become filled with practices and games so she decided to take on a position with Authentic Title as their Marketing Representative. Natalie loves her role with Authentic Title as she is passionate about real estate and also being present for her family; this role allows her to do both!
