By: Emily Carter
In our household, baseball isn’t just a game; it’s a lifestyle. So, when the question arose about whether our daughter would share our passion for the sport, we knew she was stepping up to the plate with the bases loaded. Born into a family with two teenage brothers who practically live on the field—and parents who have both coached and played for years—Maddie was destined to be our little slugger (whether she liked it or not).
What many outside of sunny Southern California don’t realize is that there’s no distinct baseball “season” here. At the high school level, it’s summer ball, fall ball, winter ball, and then spring. Before that, from the moment your child turns 4 until they finish middle school, you can fill every day of the week with Little League games, practices, and volunteer duties. Let’s not forget travel ball, which is available at any age, for a price, of course.
Our sons, Jake and Ryan, participated in all these leagues simultaneously. For as long as I can remember, our baseball schedule has consumed our lives, with my husband and I often splitting up to take each boy to their respective games.
So, when I found out I was expecting a baby at 40, it was a serious curveball. As I stared at the plus sign on the pregnancy test, my mind raced with thoughts of where I would even fit a car seat amid a car packed with equipment bags, bats, and a rolling catcher’s bag that could rival a small elephant.
We made a strategic off-season trade: goodbye compact car, hello massive, gas-guzzling SUV. I stepped back from my Little League coaching role, and when Maddie arrived in November 2010, we were thrilled to add her to our family roster.
Due to a statewide whooping cough outbreak, we were cautious about exposing her to public places before she hit the four-month mark and received her vaccinations. However, by the time she was just three weeks old, she attended her first outdoor travel ball game.
Maddie adapted like a champ. I would nurse while comfortably seated in my fold-out chair, never missing a pitch thrown by Ryan. On chilly evenings, we would simply move to the backseat of our massive SUV and watch Jake from the warmth of our vehicle.
When All-Stars came around, I used fabric paint to customize her onesies in Ryan’s team colors. Although Maddie mostly napped through the games, she still managed to rock her mini Encinitas Reds zip-up at weekend tournaments. I even snagged an 18-month-sized dark brown sweatshirt at Target, featuring what I believe is the only El Camino High School baseball logo ever embroidered in pink, just to support her oldest brother.
Now that she’s four and developing her own style, coordinating team attire has become a bit more difficult. I hit a home run with a custom “Lil Sis” tank top adorned with sparkles and the number 9 (thankfully, both brothers share that number), but I struck out with the black “My Brother Can Get Your Brother Out” T-shirt—Maddie wore it once, and only after I bribed her with candy. If only it had come in pink!
Baseball has provided Maddie with numerous travel opportunities. Over the years, she has traversed nearly every corner of San Diego County and even made a road trip to Las Vegas for Ryan’s tournament when she was just six months old. She’s cheered on her brothers in Arizona and has visited the greater Los Angeles area more times than I can count. This year, she even flew to Denver for Jake’s college baseball opening weekend.
Maddie has weathered games in both scorching heat and snow flurries, proving herself adept at handling a packed schedule. Just last March, when Jake’s college team came to Southern California, we attended 10 games in one week, and she never complained. I wish I had a nickel for every time someone remarked, “She is such a trooper.” And while it sounds cliché, she really is.
Of course, it takes a small army to manage all the gear we bring to keep her entertained—thank you, massive SUV! Our game-day essentials include a bottomless supply of snacks, coloring books, stickers, and even a special duffel bag for her tiny dollhouse.
Better than toys, though, are the high school cheerleaders who have adored Maddie since Jake was a freshman. By the time he graduated, she had quite the fan club. The only thing she loves more than those teens is when one of her brothers’ teammates has a sibling around her age, which is rare given the age gap of 12 to 15 years between them.
In the absence of peers, I must give a shout-out to my fellow baseball moms who have generously shared candy and toys, played with Maddie, and kept her entertained through those lengthy innings.
As one season blends into the next, it’s no surprise that Maddie sometimes struggles to remember which families belong to which of her brothers’ multiple teams. A couple of times each month, as we pack up for a game, she excitedly asks, “Will Lily be there?” But Lily’s brother, like Jake, is now playing college ball.
Four years into this whirlwind of baseball, we’re starting to sense that Maddie’s patience might be wearing thin. Every so often, she’ll say, “Can we go now?” before the first inning has even ended. With more than two years left in Ryan’s high school and travel ball careers—and with Jake’s games in another state—we know Maddie has plenty of baseball ahead of her.
However, Maddie is growing into her own little person, and we can’t help but wonder if she’ll share our family’s love for the game. Just last weekend, we attended a college baseball game for a friend’s son, Lily’s brother. Halfway through the eighth inning, Maddie looked up from her book and took in the scene, clearly puzzled. “Wait a minute,” she said slowly, “What are we doing here?”
As the seasons change, everyone wonders when Maddie will transition from spectator to player. Given her upbringing, it’s only natural to ask if she will one day follow in her brothers’ footsteps, possibly sporting number 9 and playing third base like Jake and Ryan. Or will her only interest in “diamonds” be the plastic ones she wears in her tiara while pretending to be a Disney princess? She does enjoy hitting wiffle balls with her pink bat and beams when she catches a ball in her tiny glove—but I wonder if she’d be interested if her gear weren’t pink.
Is Maddie destined to inherit our baseball passion or be turned off from it altogether? Only time will tell. For now, with her current loves being dancing and pony rides, I can’t help but ponder what our lives will look like if she grows up and—gulp—decides against baseball.
The truth is, we’ll support her in whatever endeavors she chooses. But I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t miss the crack of the bat, the thrill of a stolen base, and the opportunity to express my discontent with the umpire’s calls. And what a loss it would be if I no longer had to keep my infield dirt removal skills sharp during laundry day.
Regardless of Maddie’s future path, I know I have plenty of cheering left in me. I could probably transition smoothly into being a horse show mom or a dance mom. I might even be able to muster excitement for soccer (maybe). But let’s face it, I’m already batting a thousand as a baseball mom, so I have to hope that one day my little diva will find her passion for dirt and diamonds too.
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Summary:
Emily reflects on her life as a baseball mom, sharing the joys and challenges of raising her daughter Maddie amidst a sports-centric family. From adapting to a busy schedule filled with games and practices to wondering about Maddie’s future interests, Emily captures the essence of a baseball-loving family while also considering the possibility of supporting Maddie in whatever path she chooses, be it sports or something entirely different.