We get to play what today?
One of the parts of my job out here is to travel around to different schools to teach baseball. Although I do basically the same thing at each school, the kids are different and that always makes it interesting. I start every session by asking them where they think I am from. They all say America of course and then I ask what part. About eighty percent of the time they all scream either New York, or Los Angeles. I tell them that I came all the way from California just to teach them the game of baseball. That usually grabs there attention. We mostly just do throwing drills and then play a modified game. There are two things that most of them have trouble remembering to do. First, dropping the bat after they hit the ball. I have to go over it time and time again because as soon as they hit the ball, all thirty kids are screaming a million different things and they usually can’t hear me. The second is actually touching the bases. Some kids will just hit the ball and run as fast as they possibly can in the general direction of each base.
Depending on the school and how the kids behave, managing a group of thirty isn’t always easy but I make it work. I’m mostly around North London and close to where I’m staying. Neil would have me go around to every school in the London area if he had enough time and money. I’ve been to a few schools in rough parts of Hackney where the kids aren’t as well behaved or motivated to participate. You have to learn how to keep everyone engaged and interested while making sure nobody punches somebody over who’s up next. It’s fun and I like it, although sometimes it can be hard work.
Most of the kids just have a blast and there are usually about four or five in each group that follow me out asking questions and telling me everything they know or have done having to do with baseball. Last week, I heard a girl as she was walking back into the school say “Baseball is awesome!! America rules Kyle!!” At a different school a boy chased me down before I left to tell me he wanted to be a baseball player when he grew up. Fun times. Although, I did have a ten year old girl ask me if I supported George Bush’s foreign policy. It was rather intimidating, but I told her we could meet later for coffee to discuss American politics. July looks to be the busiest month for me, because the schools close at the end of the month. Neil wants me to get to as many schools before the kids get out. I’m sure I’ll have some more interesting stories about the kids in a few weeks.
