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A Pitch For Parents and Children Watching Baseball Together

"Whenever my father and I couldn't talk about anything else, we could always talk about baseball." - Billy Crystal as Mitch Robbins in “City Slickers”

Nothing bonds generations in this country like baseball. It is a great game for parents and children to watch together. And now that the season is upon us, many families will spend many hours in front of the television enjoying our nation's pastime. The reasons:

1.) Baseball’s pace

2.) The game’s built-in life lessons

3.) The issues baseball raises for discussion.

At Positive Coaching Alliance, we use sports to teach life lessons. Our goal is to transform youth sports so sports can transform youth. The media landscape is critical in our fight to ensure that sports provide children with a positive, character-building experience. Opening day is April 2 -- making this a good time to remind parents how to best bond over the game. Our kids will imitate our behavior and follow our lead, so here are some tips:

Take Time to Slow Down

Baseball games offer kids an alternative to MTV-style quick-cut editing, and demand more of their attention spans.

The length of time between pitches, often without a camera cut, feels more like a Sergio Leone film. That’s great for building dramatic tension -- whether the star is Clint Eastwood or Derek Jeter -- and the pace forces viewers to slow down.

Respite from the furious speed of modern life is reason enough for a family to take in a ballgame together. Of course, the real payoff is what can happen during gaps in the action.

Teach and Learn Life Lessons

The typical three-hour Major League Baseball game offers an innumerable amount of life lessons if you know where to spot them.

For example, every routine groundout is an opportunity for a parent to tell a child either “Did you see how he ran all the way through first base? I hope you put that effort into everything you do, whether it’s school work, cleaning your room, or your own baseball game.” (Or, “Did you see how the runner quit only halfway down the first base line? I hope you don’t give up so easily.”)

It is unrealistic to expect a constant educational dialogue -- or worse, monologue -- during a baseball game. Families that discuss only the events of the game itself still cultivate a bonding communication.

However, at least a few times per game, parents should point out examples of behavior they want their children to emulate or avoid. To further engage the children, ask them to point out the do’s and don’ts they spot. And make sure you listen. In PCA Parent Workshops we teach parents how to engage in "empowering conversations" in which parents encourage children to talk by asking open-ended questions:

What do you think when you see a player really hustle? What examples of good sportsmanship have you noticed?

Address Larger Issues

Baseball today is a breeding ground for ethical questions on topics ranging from team unity vs. chasing the almighty dollar, to beanball brawls to steroid use. Families can get even more from watching a game together if they discuss these larger issues.

Topical conversations need not always address negative situations. For example, families can learn about the different cultures playing the game, here and abroad. Or to think about how the game breaks down barriers between countries. Using baseball as the basis of important conversations can form family bonds that address –- or prevent –- many problems.

In fact, as Billy Crystal and his characters might tell you, talking baseball can bring families closer together.

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