Updated: Feb. 9, 2021
Originally Published: Aug. 22, 2015
In our household, baseball transcends mere leisure; it’s woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Thus, when we pondered if our daughter would embrace the sport with the same fervor, we recognized she was stepping up to the plate with considerable expectations. With two older brothers who spend countless hours on the field and parents who have long been involved in the sport, young Mia was almost fated to become a passionate fan of baseball.
What many outside of Southern California may not understand is that there is no defined baseball “season” in this region. The high school calendar includes summer ball, fall ball, winter ball, and spring season. Before reaching high school, children as young as four can engage in Little League, filling every day with games, practices, and volunteer commitments. And let’s not forget travel ball, which is accessible at any age for a price.
Our sons, Jake and Liam, participated in all these activities simultaneously. For as long as I can recall, our baseball schedule has been all-consuming, often requiring my husband and I to split up and attend different games on weeknights and weekends.
So, when I discovered I was expecting a baby at 40, it felt like a curveball. As I saw the positive sign on the pregnancy test, my immediate thought was, where on earth will I fit a car seat and stroller? My mid-sized SUV was already filled to the brim with equipment bags, batting tees, pitching nets, and buckets of balls. The sheer size of a rolling catcher’s bag is astonishing!
We made an off-season trade: farewell to the compact SUV and hello to a spacious, gas-guzzling vehicle. I stepped back from my coaching role, and when Mia arrived in November 2010, we eagerly welcomed her into our baseball-loving family.
Given that she was born during a statewide whooping cough outbreak, we were cautious and didn’t take Mia out in public until she was four months old and fully vaccinated. However, at just three weeks old, she attended her first open-air travel ball game, proving her adaptability. While I nursed her in my folding chair, I kept my eyes glued to the game as Liam pitched. If Jake’s evening games got too cold, we simply moved to the backseat of our SUV, watching the action unfold from a cozy vantage point.
When All Stars season arrived, I decorated her onesies with fabric paint in Liam’s team colors, although Mia mostly napped in her stroller during games. She effortlessly coordinated with the family at Liam’s weekend tournaments, proudly wearing her mini zip-up jacket. A lucky find at Target allowed her to flaunt the only El Camino High School baseball logo embroidered in pink, showing support for her oldest brother.
Now that she’s four and developing her own sense of style, coordinating outfits has become a challenge. I had a win with a sparkly “Lil Sis” tank top, but my attempt at a black “My Brother Can Get Your Brother Out” T-shirt was a failure, requiring candy bribery for her to wear it once.
Baseball has opened many travel opportunities for Mia. She has journeyed across San Diego County and even road-tripped to Las Vegas for Liam’s tournament at six months old. She has attended numerous games across Arizona and has made it to the greater Los Angeles area more times than I can count. This year, she jetted off to Denver for Jake’s college baseball opener.
Mia has braved games in sweltering heat and bundled up for others where snow flurries danced in the air. This past March, we watched ten games in a week, and I often hear people remark, “She is such a trooper.” While it sounds cliché, it rings true; she is indeed resilient. However, our extensive collection of game-day essentials, including snacks and toys, is a testament to the planning required to keep her entertained. Thank goodness for our spacious SUV!
Even better than toys are teenage girls. Mia has amassed a fan club of high school cheerleaders since Jake was a freshman, and by the time he graduated last year, her popularity had soared. Of course, nothing beats the rare chance when one of the boys’ teammates has a sibling close to her age. With a significant age gap between her and her siblings, these interactions are few and far between.
To the fellow baseball moms who have embraced our community spirit, I extend my gratitude. They have generously shared treats and toys, helping keep Mia entertained during lengthy games.
As seasons shift, it’s not unusual for Mia to mix up which families belong to which teams, and she often asks if her friends will be present. Unfortunately, many of them have moved on to higher levels of play, leaving her longing for familiar faces.
Four years into this baseball journey, we can sense Mia’s patience wearing thin. At times, she whines, “Can we go now?” before the first inning ends. With more than two years left of Liam’s high school and travel careers, plus Jake’s college games, we still have a lot of baseball ahead of us.
However, Mia is developing her own identity, and it remains uncertain whether she will share her family’s passion for the sport. Just last weekend, at a college game, she looked up from a book she was sharing with a friend and asked, “What are we doing here?” revealing her confusion about our baseball-centric life.
Naturally, people wonder when Mia will transition from spectator to participant. Will she someday follow in her brothers’ footsteps, potentially sporting number 9 while playing third base? Or will her interests remain solely in the realm of pretend play, with the only diamonds capturing her attention being the plastic ones in her tiara? While she enjoys hitting wiffle balls and smiles when catching with her glove, I often wonder if she would even be interested if the equipment wasn’t pink.
Being born into a baseball family might either inspire Mia to pursue the sport or turn her away from it altogether. Only time will tell. For now, as her passions clearly lean toward dancing and horseback riding, I must ponder our future if she decides against baseball.
The answer is simple: we will wholeheartedly support her in whatever she chooses. However, I won’t deny that I would miss the excitement of the game, the thrill of a stolen base, and the chance to critique the umpire’s calls. And what a pity it would be to lose the opportunity to showcase my infield dirt removal skills during laundry day.
Regardless of Mia’s future pursuits, I know I have plenty of enthusiasm left to cheer her on. I might transition well to being a horse show mom or even a dance mom, but I hold onto the hope that one day my little girl will find her passion in the dirt and diamonds of baseball too.
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In summary, this journey through the world of baseball as a mom has been filled with challenges and joys. As Mia develops her own interests, I remain optimistic about her future, regardless of whether it includes baseball.