Ready, Set, Go!

I know I've posted on Whit's tendency to emulate every sport he sees but this week the cutest thing happened that I simply needed to share it as well. Throughout baseball season Whit has practiced sliding, stealing bases and blocking (what the catcher does), taken batting practice, thrown a bull pen (or twenty), driven the tractor and yelled at the players (aka what Daddy does). I've always assumed that it was repetition of exposure that lead Whit to do what he sees on and around the baseball field. Recent events lead me to believe that he's simply a copy cat. I won't go as far as to analyze whether this makes him a leader or a follower or how it might affect his tendency to give into peer pressure as a teen. Today has enough worry as it is, I ought not borrow trouble from tomorrow. This week, as Whit was roaming far and away from the baseball field during the game we came upon the football team's spring practice. The boys were lined up along the hill between the school and the athletic complex running sprints. After three rounds of sprints the boys grouped up for a talk from the coaches and Whit lined up on the sprint line. He placed his feet on the line and his hands on the ground in true sprinter form, as he had seen the boys do. He looked at me and said "Mama!" indicating that I should line up as well. I indulged him, of course. Whit yelled "Ready, set, go!" in his own language, and took off at a brisk sprint up the hill, glancing back to see if I was following. We repeated the exercise several times until Whit was so tuckered out that I had to carry him back to the ball field. Child development theorists say that around the preschool years children begin to develop hero worship. I assume that Whit has chosen the players (of every sport it seems) to be his heroes. To be honest, Kirk has had some amazing players come through his program. I can remember him commenting that, if he ever had a son, he would want that child to be like one or another of the players. There are definitely worse heroes Whit could choose and I hope those boys are aware of the fresh young boys and girls that they are influencing.