It was inevitable.

At some point in the first seven summers of his life, Miles would be on a ball diamond whacking baseballs and diving for grounders.

Softball and baseball have been part of our lives ever since Nicole and I met. Our relationship started on a diamond when friends put together a team in the Ottawa Sport & Social Club. We spent summer afternoons with friends watching Toronto Blue Jays games on the TV over cold drinks and barbecue. We still play recreational softball today, though now on separate teams.

Miles started playing T-ball this year, his first taste of an organized team sport. I was excited to see how he adjusted to a sport with teammates and sometimes even keeping score.

When it comes to gear, baseball is a funny introductory sport because you invest in a piece of equipment not knowing for sure if it’s the right version for your kid. Has Miles decided which is his throwing arm? Does he catch with his left hand and throw with his right? Well, his parents do, so here’s a left-handed glove, bud! Let’s see what happens.

Baseball, softball and T-ball might be tricky sports for some kids since the game happens in spurts of action, often not involving the whole team. Some positions on the field don’t see much of the ball in an inning, and players up to bat are sitting around waiting for their turn at the plate. I was worried a passive sport would impact Miles’ interest.

I was happily wrong.

It was hilarious to watch Miles and his friends, unprompted, before the first practice putting their hands in the middle, counting down and shouting the team’s name. Each kid took a turn smacking a ball off the tee and running wildly to first base. I watched Miles gallop from second to third base on all fours like a cheetah because that was clearly more fun than conventional running. In the field, the kids ran down a ground ball like a pack of wolves.

It was great entertainment for parents like us who were watching their kids explore teamwork, sportsmanship and a bit of competitiveness for the first time. I admired the coaches as they put the team through batting and fielding drills and watched in awe as the kids followed the instructions without too much chaos.

Nicole chuckled as she watched Miles chew the leather laces of his glove while playing second base. That was her fielding habit when she played ball as a little girl.

We wonder if the baseball bug will stick beyond this season. Something tells me Miles will be on the diamonds chewing the laces of his baseball glove for many more years.

Recently, Miles sat on a footstool in our living room to watch a Blue Jays game on TV. He became huffy when we called him for dinner and argued that he was busy watching baseball.

That’s my boy.

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