Yesterday, as I sat at C3's baseball game, slowing fuming, I began to wonder if Gingers, the new term for being a red head, are discriminated against.
Its obvious we stand out in a crowd. In the summer our hair gets redder and our bodies do too. Most red heads are slightly off the wall, funny as hell and very quirky. Ok, fine, I cant speak for most red heads, but I can speak for me and for my son. He is funny as hell. Just ask KLP about the time he yelled at her at a crowded baseball field. 'Look Woman'! she was dying with laughter, but the Christian preschool teacher sitting next to her was appalled! You have to know C3. Last week, while lost on the back roads of WI, C3 shouts out...'paddle faster dad, I hear banjos'!
So...Back to gingers...or maybe its just my kid I dont know. And here is a warning. I am going to complain about something and someone...but I am NOT going to use their name and no one I know who reads this is going to know who I am talking about. Even if they do, please note, I am not insulting them personally!!!! So back off!!!! Personally, I think these people are great...I am just annoyed at their decisions, and I AM ENTITLED TO MY OPINION! Can you tell that I once posted a complaint, not using any names, and it got around to that person and they emailed me and yelled at me. good lord...it wasn't like I said I didn't like their teeth or their breath smelled bad...sigh...
So, my son, 8 yrs old. Red head...burns like crazy...cute kid, is also a baseball player. He is not the best on the team by far, and he is not the worst by far. His coach has told me he is the top 3rd or 4th on the team. Quite a proud moment for a mom who rarely gets proud moments...I usually get the reports of what they did wrong...hardly ever what they do right ;)
So, My son, THE STAR OF THE TEAM, yes I am only kidding!!! is no worse or better than the other kids when it comes to paying attention. either. Well, ok, he pays attention better than some of the kids, well most of the kids but oddly enough, if he turns his head and looks at the fence, they are yelling his name, while other kids are playing in the dirt. Three times in one inning yesterday. He's in position, 3rd base, an important position and dangerous, and he has to pay attention. the other kids there are usually dancing around...He's there, facing the batter, looking away occasionally, since the ball is not being pitched and they keep yelling at him. He played catcher to that game. He was upset because the coach yelled at him to pay attention, keep his head in the game kind of thing. UM Its catcher. No one has taught any of the kids what to do there. One of the other boys who played catcher after my child, just sat there and let every ball hit him in the face. My son, at least tried to stop each ball. Why do they keep yelling at my kid. He's not throwing dirt around..he knows better because of his asthma. His mitt is rarely on his head while in the outfield. He tries when he's behind the plate, but they are always yelling at him.
One game, it was very very very windy. He is a left handed batter, the wind was blowing the dust directly into a lefty's face as they were trying to bat. I told him, next at bat to switch and bat righty. Cause I had told his coaches the first day, he is a switch hitter. He goes up and lines up right, coach pitching moves him back to lefty. Sigh...Next day at practice, I tell him to bat right. He says to coach, I want to bat right, coach says well if you think you can hit it. Coach was ducking and kids were shagging balls big time. C3 had early on also asked coach to pitch faster...it took me during a practice to tell coach to pitch faster. C3 asked and coach said he didn't think C3 could hit it, or something like that. Sigh.....
yes, its stupid little league 8yr old baseball. but come one! My child spends most of his time in the outfield. My child can catch the ball, stop the ball and throw the ball. Yesterdays game, He was on third, he's never played second or short, and he got two of the three outs. Next inning they put a player on third who ran away from the ball. He knows how to chase down the ball and how to get the out. He's not perfect, but he tries! and he spends most of his time in the outfield. 6 innings, usually 5 in the field, and three out of 5 in the outfield.
Batting. My son has the highest on base percentage. he hits the ball every single time! He has only struck out once the entire season. He is on base 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5 times. but usually he's 3 for 3 or 4 for 4. Its rare for him to not get a single. he bats in the 6th or 7th position. EVERY GAME. he has never batted higher.
Now if it was just this season, I would say oh well...but the exact same thing happened last year with different coaches. He batting was excellent, his fielding not as good. Last year, he never played 2nd, ss or 3rd. He always batted low.
Please dont you dare get me wrong. I love the coaches. and I get it. Dont tell me if you dont like it, you coach. I HAVE! been there done that. I volunteer for more positions than most people do. I am not an official coach for my sons team, but I have taught two of the boys how to throw the damn ball. Coaches I dont even know now use the term I taught last year...watch the bat hit the ball. It was my mantra last year. I can get any boy to hit the ball by yelling that to him as the coach pitches. I volunteer for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Softball, Baseball and things that I just get signed up for by my friends!
This is not about the coaches themselves. This is about the curse of the red head. At baseball, he's quiet, listens and works hard. You should see him in football. His first year last year he had a near asthma attack, because in 90+ degree heat he was the only kid running from and to every single event. He runs out to his position, and outfield is a long run, he runs in from his position. He always knows where his gear is. He's always ready to play. yet he's always overlooked.
You would think being a red head we would be more noticeable. Oddly enough, its the opposite. Our passion for things we love cannot be measured. yet its never recognized. I wonder why.
Back in the dark ages, it was thought that red heads were the spawn of the devil(hush mom!). Some cultures thought were were vampires. Perhaps these beliefs have never really gone away?
Maybe deep down people are afraid of us, or nervous around us, or maybe we are invisible?? Maybe this is why we are louder and more 'off the wall' than others...maybe we are invisible and we are just trying to be seen and heard?
Next year, they wont put baby in the corner again. BTW..dumbest movie line EVER!!! I wont allow it...well, i'm not a confrontational person, so I guess I ll just sit in my chair and cheer on every single hit he gets and watch him get stranded every single time. Actually, I dont cheer. Every hit he gets, he looks at me and we give each other a sign. Same for in the field...we have a sign..we use it often. He knows I am watching, I am proud, I am excited...he flashes me his sign, I flash mine back. its all we need.
Maybe deep down we are a quiet breed?
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