Hmmm.  Who's that woman, you ask?  Ah, well that would be the mom of a (probably 2nd grader) Cardinals little leaguer who just struck out.  Can I just say the expression "hold your tongue" doesn't even begin to describe what I had to do so that I didn't go off on this woman.  Here's the scene:

Nathan, my oldest, had an evening baseball game and my hubs who is one of the coaches, decided to show up a bit early to meet some of the kids from the team and have an actual warm-up session.  So there I am with little Jacob in the stroller, and the big fat coaches bag sitting right beside me.  I was waiting right outside this dugout until the previous game had ended so that I could move all of our team gear into it and then get my butt settled on the bleachers to enjoy the game ready to chase Jacob around – all around – the ballpark for an hour and a half.  Fun, fun.  I swear, I wish I could just hire a babysitter so that I could actually sit and watch a game that my kids are playing in one of these days. 

But I digress.

So, I'm standing there just watching the kids play a ball game.  I mean, honestly I didn't really care.  I didn't know any of these kids.  But, in all honesty it was kinda fun just watching the game and not having really any attachment to it.  That's the nice thing about watching a game you have no team affiliation with.  It just takes all of the anxiety out of watching, you know? 

As I am watching, the Cardinals aren't doing so hot while up at bat.  In fact, that kid you see just to the right of that woman in the pic had just struck out.  As he made his way back to the dugout after his turn at bat, I see this woman stomp over from the bleachers and make a direct beeline for the dugout.  I thought nothing of it.  At the time.  Until she spoke.  Loudly.

All of a sudden I am hearing crap that NO mother should EVER say to her kid when it comes to sports.  EVER!  And, coming from me, that's pretty freakin’ bold!  I'm a VERY competitive person (though I will say I am more of a football gal than a die hard baseball fan, but hey, I have three boys so sports is sports.  It's all good.) and usually am the most animated fan screaming from the bleachers no matter what sport I'm watching.   Maybe that's where Jacob gets it from?  Ya think?!

No, seriously, crap like "there is NO excuse. . . . you WEREN'T trying . . . I SAW!" 

This woman was going OFF, and I mean, OFFFF on this poor kid who was obviously down on himself having struck out.  I could NOT believe the nerve she had sitting there talking to him like that in front of everyone.  You have NO idea how badly I wanted to march my nosey behind over there into the dugout and lay into her.  I was pissed.  Beyond pissed.  I'm getting all riled up j sitting here typing this!  Hold on.  Lemme get my wits.

Ahem.  Hmfff. Wheeeewwwww. Ok. All better.

I can honestly say that if I'd been there sans kids and especially NOT with my 21 month-old I would have had to say something!   Had to.  For realsies.  I felt AWFUL for that kid.  And he just kept trying to come up with a reason – any reason – to explain his inadequacies.  He talked to her about the bat, and the sun, and how his cleats were bothering him.  I just felt AW.FUL. for the kid.

And then his wretched mother decided to nicely depart  stomp her way out of the dugout and back to the bleachers.  And by that time that little boy's expression was just affirmed my notion that he was crushed.  Utterly crushed.  Boo on you, wretched mama!

After that whole ordeal, I took a deep breath as my son's team started to take the field just a few minutes later.  And I started to think – do I or WOULD I ever do that to one of my sons?? I just couldn't imagine crushing their souls OVER SPORTS!  I love my boys and I LOVE that they are athletic and interested in just about every sport.  Do I think they'll ever make a lifelong commitment to one of them?  I don't know, though I figure I have a 1 out of 3 shot at getting season tickets to some kind of major league sport!   With 3 boys, surely ONE of them will get me box seats somewhere, right?  Ha.  Just joshin'!  I have to admit, sure it would be nice but I would not wish for anything other than my kids to be happy.  I know that's cliche, but it's true.  For me, at least. 

I will say that as I take a step back and think about what that mother did, how she treated her son over a ballgame, it has made me realize that a) I'm not all that bad of a mother, even when I do let my kids have a juice box with high fructose corn syrup; and b) I NEVER WANT TO BE LIKE HER!

I love sports.  I love my teams.  But I'll always love my boys more.