Mr. A. has been a baseball player for four weeks.  He is already wanting to call it quits!

He plays ball on Sunday’s and has practice on Monday’s.  This past Monday he was goofing off and not listening to the coach.  Coach made him run laps!  You see, Mr. A. has a problem with using his ears (don’t all 5 year olds?).  He is this way at home and it’s carrying over into baseball, too.

After practice on Monday, he declared “pull me out of baseball, mom.  I don’t want to play anymore.”

When I asked him “why?”  he told me “because it’s too hard!  All I do is stand out there and be hot.”

On this day, he was miffed that he was forced to run laps, but it wasn’t the first time he had asked me to pull him out of baseball.

He’s so cute in his uniform!  There is nothing more adorable than watching a field full of 5 year olds chasing after balls and running bases.

So what would you do? I don’t want him to think that just because something is a little “hard” that he can/should quit.  On the other hand, I told him at the beginning that if he ever didn’t like playing anymore that he could quit.  I don’t want to be one of those parents obsessed with their boys excelling in sports, and I wouldn’t force him to play.

I’m at a crossroads here and I’m not sure which value is the better one to teach.  I don’t really want him quitting.  He generally seems to enjoy playing…when he’s not getting into trouble.

I don’t want to force it on him either.

*sigh*