Calm Down and Play Kickball

Sunday was great. Our team theme was “mythical creatures.” We had unicorns, Sasquatch, various winged-creatures, various unidentified beings with and without beaks out on the field and in the dugout. Overall it was a very nice afternoon. We had a cookout and then played our second game wearing hats – an easy, fun theme to end a fairly long day of ball.

During our second game, we paused to do a Little Rock Kickball Association version of the Harlem Shake. Yes. That happened.

It was my first day being “captain” on a game day. I couldn’t have done it without my predecessor being very active, or all my co-captains or my super incredibly awesome teammates.

I feel like, as captain, I should be more present in the game. Not physically, but mentally. I only had two beers, a hard cider and whatever bonus alcohol was passed my way (Jell-O shots, Squirrel juice, etc.). Can’t be rude and pass up offerings from opposing teams. It was a happy day.

It was a little hectic at first – passing out shirts, team hoodies, getting waivers signed, filling out the lineup, getting set up for the cookout – but I had help. I actually lost the team packet, so, there was the stress of running down the golf cart carrying our supreme leader to ask for another one.

Overall, the unsettling dreams from the night before were mostly avoided. I wasn’t late and I didn’t lose our balls.

At one point I was on second base and the kicker sent the ball straight to third base. I was “out” and it turns out that because I didn’t have a runner behind me, I didn’t need to leave second base. Which brings me to my next worry. I do not know the rules to kickball.

Rules. Pfft. I’m trying to read and learn them now, before our first umping duty (a week from this Sunday).

Pfft.

I’m pretty good at delegating responsibilities, but I feel like I should be available to ump most days. Umping is a job I’ve never volunteered for in the past as a co-captain or team member.

Paying attention isn’t my strong suit.

I’ve actually been invited to hang out with a team playing in the novice league this Sunday because they want me to write about them in this blog. How cool is that? I plan to try and learn a lot from this experience. They take things fairly seriously over there, so I hear.

The trick for me, it seems, this season is going to be balancing the ability to relax and have fun with keeping an eye on my attention span.

I also need to remember I am not alone. I have an incredible group to work with. This is the laid back league for goodness sakes. Calm down and play kickball, I remind myself.

And remember, beer spillage is more important to avoid than getting called “out.”