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By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
Walpole’s Stone Field, right behind Town Hall, is almost always packed with families on Saturday mornings when the weather is nice. April 21 was not an exception, as it was Walpole Recreation’s second week of tee ball games.
Children between the ages of 3 and 8 were allowed to register for spring tee ball and were put into teams with other children in their respective age groups. At 9 a.m., the kids made their way onto the field with their caregivers to join their teams and practice throwing and hitting the ball.
While the kids’ excitement and enthusiasm was apparent through all of their skipping around the field, hugging, and cheering, tee ball proves to be enjoyable for the parents and caregivers, too.
“You get to see your town friends and meet other parents,” said Jesse McCabe, emphasizing that tee ball is beneficial for both the children playing and the parents watching. “It’s a nice way to start the day.”
“I like how they start them off with drills, get them right into the game, and keep all of the kids engaged,” said Shannon Findley, who watched the game while socializing with other parents. “It’s super positive. The coaches seem to have good energy and get the kids excited at a young age.”
For other parents, like Jim Toomey, watching the tee ball game was a sentimental experience.
“I played baseball when I was a kid, so I was very happy he wanted to,” said Toomey as he cheered his son on from the sidelines. “I was giving [my son] a couple of pointers and he said, ‘Baseball is my favorite sport,’ so it means a lot. Growing up, I always played baseball and it was my favorite sport.
“I’m probably more serious about this than he is,” he laughed, as a group of children ran around the infield together, waiting for the next player to come up to the tee. “It’s nice to see him out there enjoying himself.”
Standing several feet away from the third base line was Lauren McKay, an experienced tee ball parent. Having already been through tee ball with her older son, McKay was thrilled to be a part of Walpole Recreation tee ball once again.
“It’s fun!” She exclaimed. “We love it. Fresh air, and I get to talk to other mothers and meet new people. It’s kind of a social event for us, too.”
With the season sliding in through the beginning of June, there will be plenty more opportunities for both the children and parents to enjoy a game of tee ball.
