Baseball

Alternative title: What I have learned from Baseball during Elementary School

Still in the topic of autism, no worries here.

Baseball has been one of my favorite sports. I used to watch Ken Griffey Jr. on the television when I was very little when he played for the Seattle Mariners. Never really was in a team during school, but I sure do loved playing that game whenever we would have recces or when the P.E. teacher lets us.

Main reason why I wanted to talk a little bit about baseball is because to me, it has become a major breakthrough. A breakthrough in understanding a number of things.

• Fun
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Friendship
• Humor

How to have fun, how to communicate, what teamwork means, how to develop a mutual friendship with others, and what does humor mean? Developing a sense of humor was made possible partially by playing baseball.

You know the old banter. "We want a batter, not a broken ladder!" Yeah, that can get a cheap chuckle, the part that made me laugh with a lot of other kids was: "We wanna batter! NOT JOSH!" Josh himself thought that was very funny. Yeah, that's the thing about our school. I get to experience and understand what teasing means, and I think it can be very funny. Think humor itself is mostly laughing at ourselves anyway. So when I watch or hit some balls at batting cages, I would think of those hilarious examples of smack talk done right.

Make jokes, take jokes, have fun, work together; something about that sport really can bring people together in different ways, think there might be a reason why baseball is the national sport; America's pastime. Get to learn about the meaning of a pastime. I wasn't always a fun kid. Didn't know how to have fun naturally until I played more of the sport, baseball.

I'm more of an outfielder, actually it kind of is a fifty fifty for outfield and infield. Reason why outfield was because whenever I go to Dad's house, we would practice catch. Catching fast pitches and pop flies, those were the times; Practicing for recess, and when I play, I would be and feel like a team player. Just as good as the other kids, maybe even better on some parts, but we're all a team. Learning about teamwork, that was a breakthrough in itself. Even when we have failed on some areas, we just coach ourselves to be better. Josh.

Unlike the other sports like basketball and football, baseball was the game where no one had to feel like they had to go easy on me for the game. I loved that! I always love a good challenge since I was little. Strike me out! Catch those balls! If you can. How do you like that, I'm going back to sounding like a ball player back in elementary and intermediate school. Sorry about that.

Communication. Not just the smack talk and the silly teasing, but also to understand what would be a good strategy in playing the game. Sometimes at the bench we would do small talk or have small conversations just for the casual fun of it. Never a wasted opportunity to speak when you're on the bleachers. Many times the idea of people who have autism are antisocial are true. Many, not all; That's why to me, baseball became one of those breakthroughs in becoming more social. Made some school friends along the way with baseball, along with other things that have happened in school. Being in a class, playing games, reading books, all that good stuff.

Fun! Baseball is a fun sport! Learning how to have fun without forcing it to me is one of my favorite breakthroughs. Used to take baseball a little too seriously at one time and it wasn't very fun for a lot of the kids. Learned that lesson by understanding how to enjoy the game. I think players that play the games become really good at what they're doing when they enjoy the experience. See games as games, and games are fun! Learn to play the game and decide if it is fun to you.

Like every game, there is that competitive side. To me, it's fun to be competitive in sports; When I was in track, I was willing to do whatever it took to win. Trained hard and ran fast, pushing myself to limits so far my legs burn. Sometimes I wished I joined the Little Leagues. I know some classmates that did baseball and did the sport well, but I had other things going on. Writing the book, doing homework, spending time with family, and all that good stuff. Even I would treat a lot of things like a baseball game by understanding those five things. 

• Fun
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Friendship
• Humor

It is all a fun competitive game to me. Even when I make man mistakes, they hurt a lot, but I wouldn't heal and learn had I not have done these things.

Play ball!