Opening Day
Scott Benner
Today is the official start to the 2011 MLB baseball season but major leaguers aren't the only ones that start throwing the ball around this week. It’s estimated that 50 million boys and girls play Little League baseball and softball in the US alone. That’s 50 million kids between the ages of 5 and 12 running around and working up an appetite on fields all over this country.
Arden is a softball player and her brother Cole plays on multiple baseball teams. Just like many of you we spend a lot of time on baseball fields from April to November.
One day last season I overheard a mother talking about how happy she was that her kids were out in the fresh air and getting exercise, I turned to agree with her but when I did I saw that her son was eating cheese fries and drinking a soda. That moment gave me pause and made me consider the ridiculousness of the situation. “I’ve done same thing” I thought. When Cole gets done playing he’s ravenous and he goes to the snack stand and buys some food-like product with money that I give him and when Arden visits the stand her BGs get thrown into a tizzy. I instantly felt stupid and more then a bit hypocritical, so I decided to take a shot at enacting change.
What is months ago now I spoke to the gentleman that runs our town’s little league program and said no more or less than what I have said here, then I expressed my wish that the stand could provide better options to refuel our kids. I told him that despite my best efforts it was difficult to keep up with our schedule while packing good food to eat at the games (I’m at those fields 4 and 5 times a week). He understood and said that he’d look into it.
Fast-forward to yesterday... I received an email that I am more then a little proud to tell you about - There will be yogurt and fresh fruit available at our snack stand on opening day and if they sell maybe they’ll add more! A tiny little triumph but one that I have a lot of hope for... I want our kids to have healthy options where ever they are all most as much as I want the my home town team back in the World Series...
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My kids would eat yogurt and fresh fruit at every meal and snack if I'd let them. (BOTH kids.)
Isn't it amazing how sometimes something as little as simply asking can help make change?
Now you'll have to stand by the snack bar and encourage everyone to buy the good stuff!