“I’m getting more comfortable, I know I can do this now.”
Brandon was so excited after pitching for the first time in practice, but that comment when he got in the car meant much more. It captured the progress he’s made and confidence he’s built playing baseball this year. I never pushed the boys into team sports. I would joke I didn’t want to live my own failed athletic dreams through them. But I did want them to learn the lessons that come from being part of a team and being coached by someone else.
We tried lots of different activities over the years to see what stuck. Adam, from about 4 1/2, wanted to play anything organized. Brandon was different. He gravitated toward art classes, tennis and even Ninja Warrior training. He tried basketball but never really connected with the team aspect of it.
So last fall, when Brandon decided at 8 that he wanted to try baseball, I wasn’t sure how it would go. Because of his age, placement wasn’t based on skill. He was dropped right into AAA kid pitch without ever having swung a bat, playing with and against kids who were also on travel teams. It was a tough introduction. The first pitch he faced hit him on the elbow, which understandably made him hesitant to step back into the batter’s box.
When he told me he wanted to keep playing this spring, we had an honest conversation. We talked about what he liked, what made him nervous, and what he hoped to get out of playing. He kept coming back to one idea. He wanted to feel more comfortable. I told him comfort doesn’t come at once. It comes from repetition, from small steps taken over time. So we got to work. We played catch each day, spent time at the batting cages, and signed up for clinics through the league.
Before each game this spring, the main goal was simple. Have fun. Beyond that, we set small weekly goals. When he reached one, we celebrated and moved to the next. First, it was just staying in the batter’s box as pitches came in. That alone is not easy, especially after getting hit. Then it became about taking a swing. If you are going to be called out, at least give yourself a chance. From there, the goal shifted to making contact. A few foul tips turned into real encouragement, and eventually he started aiming for his first hit.
At the same time, something else was happening. Even when the comfort was still catching up, his confidence was growing. You could see it in the way he carried himself. He went from standing in the outfield hoping the ball wouldn’t come his way to playing second base, right in the middle of the action. He started calling for the ball, thinking through plays and trusting he belonged out there.
That’s what made the moment in the car so meaningful. It wasn’t about one practice or pitch. It was about all the work that led up to it together. It was about my kid, who was hesitant but tried something new, struggled, stuck with it and began to believe in himself.
Progress like that doesn’t always show up on a scoreboard. Sometimes it shows up in quiet moments, in simple statements that mean so much. Hearing him say he knows he can do this was a reminder that confidence is built one step at a time.
There are few things better than watching your child realize that for themselves.
