Off Base or On Track

When this season of baseball began, we were a little concerned. We deliberately drafted a boy who, we figured, would come along with a problem parent. This boy's dad had coached a team last year, but this year did not get one. He was very vocal in his displeasure and called the player's agent and league president every name in the book and insisted they were racially motivated in not giving him a team. In fact, he was the only coach who had not yet paid his children's entry fee and their efforts to contact him were met with no responses. As it turns out, this was probably because of false information. He refused to take any shifts in the concession stand. He wouldn't even associate with the other parents at practice. At first.

Our coach, Travis, seemed determined to be as nice as possible to this parent although I have never seen or heard him be unkind to anyone. Kendra also took this approach by trying to "kill him with kindness." I approached him at the first practice even though he stayed at a distance and tried to engage him but he seemed disinterested and still bitter. I feared that he was going to complicate our season but I still followed Kendra and Travis' lead and we stayed positive. To shorten a longer story, let me just say that the season is almost over and he has become a pleasant fixture- at least more so than in previous years. He repeatedly thanks Travis for his kindness and eagerly visits with Kendra and me whenever he can. Two nights ago we even had his son over to hang out for a few hours. Last night when he nervously asked how it went Kendra told him that the boys had fun and "Shoe" fit right it. The dad was almost overwhelmed. I think there is an oppotunity here to offer a sense of belonging to someone who at one point was probably disenfranchised. That's one of the cool things about being in the world, but not of it.

I would like to congratulate Chris for getting the mystery song: Bohemian Rhapsody. The topic this time will be:

FOOTWEAR.

This might take a while.