Little sluggers get first field experience

They might be major league ball players someday, but last Wednesday they were just learning which way to run and having fun with no ambition to smack a home run or thrash the opposing team.

And watching tball players can be more comical than competitive for players and spectators alike at Amundson Sports Complex. It was opening day for the Kitty Bears, sponsored by Blackfoot Communications and Team Speed, sponsored by Clark Fork Valley Hospital. Both teams were from Plains, which meant both teams were victorious for a game with no official score.

"I loved it. It's just fun watching them and it's all about them having fun," said Kerry Braaten, whose granddaughter, Barbara Braaten, plays for the Kitty Bears, coached by Danielle Paquet. "They're super cute," said Dakota Mull, whose son, Maverick, also plays on Kitty Bears.

T-ball is the beginning for the youth baseball career for girls and boys from 4-6 years old. The Speed Team has six boys and four girls on the team, which is co-coached by husband and wife team Nick and Ashley Painter, who moved to Plains from Georgia last year and have two children - Oliver and Harrison - on the team.

T-ball is different from most youth baseball. There are no bench warmers in T-ball. Everyone bats, everyone gets on base and everyone crosses the plate. The kids hit the ball from an adjustable tee that sits atop home plate. A few nailed the ball on their first swing, but most had a few whiffs or knocked the tee out from under the ball. It took one girl seven swings, but when she connected, the ball traveled past second base, a not so often occurrence in T-ball. "We have so many lefties that during practice they kept running to third, and I was thinking, this is going to be fun," said Paquet, who has two returning players, Ember, her daughter, and Oliver Fleenor.

Even the lightest hits weren't stopped right away. Thorin Sheets of Speed Team dived on nearly every ball, even though a few still got past him. And like most of the kids on either team, he held the ball while coaches repeatedly yelled for him to throw it to first - usually after the batter had been standing on the base for awhile. But the most common direction was "run, run, run" with basically every batter, some that tried to take the bat with them. "Stop playing in the dirt Oliver; we're not going to do this again this year," Paquet said to Fleenor at second base.

"Oliver is so silly. I had him last year and he was always playing in the dirt," said Paquet, who added that sometimes it gets boring for kids playing second base, short stop, third and outfield. "That's why I move them around every single inning. So everyone gets a chance to play in a place where you get some action," she said.

Although there isn't supposed to be any "crying in baseball," Cody Mairer of Team Speed went to tears when a teammate got to a grounder first. They quickly dried up after a short pep talk from coach Rick Painter.

"While it's a challenge to get them all on task, they all bring their own spunk and joy that we wouldn't get if we were coaching older kids. I think the word I would use to describe it best would be rewarding," said Ashley Painter. Her husband hinted that while he'd like to see a bit more competitive spirit, he admitted it's also fun to coach the kids.

Paquet said that safety is important and sports injuries are rare at this age. The number one concern is making sure a kid holding a bat hits only the ball. While getting her players in position at the plate, Paquet makes it a point to hold onto the end of the bat. "I have to watch that; Ember almost got somebody," said Paquet, who coached Ember, 5, on the T-ball team Cheetah Speed last year.

Ashley Painter said they've been working on catching, throwing and aiming at the plate, though she said catching is the toughest aspect at this point. She added that they are also working on focusing during practice and games and knowing what position does what.

T-ball games go three innings or one hour, but they only managed to get in two innings for their first face off. All the coaches said that the main thing is for the kids to have fun and when it came time to line up after the game for high fives, they were all smiles - mission accomplished.