The week may feel long at times, but today flew by. It seems like not long ago I was crashing after a fun, tiring Tuesday. Now we have a whole other day finished, and it was packed full.
The boys weren’t quite as quick to get up today, but they were ready to go after breakfast. It started off cloudy and cool, which was perfect for running around. The morning was full of field time. Each team practiced hitting from the plate and in the batting cage. After instruction on pitching form, the kids were excited to try and throw strikes. Some of them even got to practice from the mound, a rare sight since all the games are coach-pitch.
Lunch and a pre-game pep talk were followed by another simulation game. Today the campers graduated to playing with three outs instead of just hitting through the lineup every inning. They’re getting ready for the big game on Friday with outs and strikes. Both red and blue had some awesome hits and defensive plays.
Field time wrapped up earlier than normal today so everyone could head back to camp for some sliding instruction. Rather than practice this on the field, it’s camp tradition to break out the slip-and-slide. The boys enjoyed seeing how fast and far they could slide on the wet, soapy tarp. Racing each other and the staff is always a big hit.
It seemed like we hadn’t been sliding that long when it was time to get ready for our outing. Every year that we can, Run Home Camp goes to a local minor league baseball game. It’s extra fun with lots of rookie campers like we have this year. They’re thrilled by everything from the charter bus with TV screens we take on the drive to the stadium itself. I saw one boy’s eyes literally widen in shock and excitement when he saw the field the Altoona Curve play on.
There’s an all-you-can-eat buffet before the baseball game, and the boys certainly put it to good use. Most of them went back for seconds and more. I saw one kid eat three hamburgers with buns. We’ve had burgers and hotdogs in the past, but this year’s meal also included chicken and ribs to the delight of both campers and many coaches. Another thing that’s camp tradition is getting to go out on the field and be introduced in some way. This year the boys got to be part of the pregame show. An announcer went down the line, asking each kid his name and age. It was great to see the campers both on the field and on the big screen in the stadium.
We sat in the picnic area by the third base line, which we heard is a great place to catch foul balls. While those only came close a couple of times, the majority of the campers went home with baseballs tossed their way by the players warming up just a few feet away. It was awesome to be so close to the field. I wasn’t surprised to see lots of focus on the game from the kids. The home team even won with several home runs. Not bad for some of the boys’ first time at a baseball game.
Today went by quickly as we moved from one fun activity to the next. I hope the boys are able to hold on to the memories they’re making this week at camp. So much happens that sometimes it’s hard to keep track. Any time I worry for a second that they’re getting too much to even process, a kid will pull all the things he’s learned together to make a great play. Like one boy said today after a ridiculous catch, especially considering this was the third day he’s played baseball in his life: “I told you I’m a fast learner.”
Every evening, each camper is partnered up one-on-one with a coach for huddles. Part of this time involves remembering what happened that day. I’m usually not part of huddles, but since they did them on the bus on the way to the Curve game, several boys asked me to remind them what the skit was about today or what activity we did in the morning. It was great hearing them all chat about what they learned and what they want to write down. The hope is they’ll either remember it all better or even go back and read what they said. I’d imagine it’s helpful to have these papers when you’re trying to figure out everything that happened in the week afterward. Sometimes I forget things that happened in a single fast day. New experiences come one after another during RHC. Camp may be zooming by, but the bonds formed here and the stories about this week will last long into the future.