I was watching four-five-and six-year-olds playing T-Ball this past week. I watched as the adult pitcher tossed the ball to them from a few feet away. Hardly any made contact, and after three or four tries they placed the ball on the tee to give them a chance to hit it.

After a swing or two they would make contact and then take off running while the other team tried to get the ball to first base. It was a sight to see as those little kids ran in all directions. Several adult coaches were on hand helping them get around the bases. They sure were trying hard and having lots of fun. Some were playing in the dirt; some stood around talking to each other and some took the game quite seriously.

In all seriousness T-Ball is the start of most kid’s baseball careers. They get better with each outing and before you know it they are playing little league.

I always like to remind parents and others that these are just little kids. Each year about this time I publish Chaplain Bob Fox’s Famous Poem – He’s Just a Little Boy. Here it is, use it as a guide when watching the kids play.

He stands at the plate with his heart pounding fast.

The bases are loaded; the die has been cast.

Mom and Dad cannot help him; he stands all alone.

A hit at this moment would send his team home.

The ball meets the plate, he swings and he misses.

There’s a groan from the crowd, with some boos and some hisses.

A thoughtless voice cries, “Strike out the bum!”

Tears fill his eyes, the game’s no longer fun.

So, open your heart and give him a break,

for its moments like this, a man you can make.

Keep this in mind when you hear someone forget,

He is just a little boy, and not a man yet.

The first time I read this my boys were in T-ball. Now my great grandson is playing, and I must have softened up some because it means much more to me now. I hope you feel the same.

Besides all the youth sports and high school sporting events happening, I have noticed a lot of fishermen on the river banks, along the creeks, and at the lakes. My cousins own a large charter boat up in Port Clinton, Ohio, on Lake Erie. Besides taking others out on fishing excursions, they also fish for a living and sell their daily catch to local eateries.

I’ve been out on their boat several times and usually have a great time, however my most recent trip was not much fun for me. With waves 3-4 feet the boat was rocking back and forth, but they seemed to enjoy it.

I was like, get me back to shore, I’m pretty sick. We were out for over three hours and believe me that was two hours and 59 minutes too much. Once we got back, they started cleaning fish, Yellow perch and Walleye. Once the fish fry started, I forgot about the trip and focused on a good meal. The problem was my stomach was not ready. You know the rest of the story!

Anyway, if you love fish and love fishing, it’s that time of year. Don’t let it pass you by. The big Walleye tournament will be happening at Port Clinton in early May. My cousins are fired up and ready. The top prize is $100,000. They say up to 75,000 people will converge on the community for the weekend.

Here locally there are bass tournaments all over the place throughout the summer. Trout fishing in the mountains is another favorite for many. Earlier in this column I spoke about little kids in sports, let me tell you Dads out there, nothing is any better than teaching those little ones to cast-A-line. With summer coming on quick, make sure you keep those kids busy and out of the house. They’ll never forget it!