- April 23, 2024
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As I stated in a previous column, there is a world among worlds at youth baseball games. But what I observed this past week was a perfect setting to commemorate Memorial Day.
While I sat in a dugout, looking for the next best photo opportunity, I heard a young voice yell, “Everybody, get in a straight line! This is serious. You are in basic training!” I looked back, and it was a little girl who had recruited two other girls—before adding a third—to her “boot camp.”
Samya Ford had positioned Bailie Galloway, Henesys Ortiz and Olivia Zisny-Bell in a straight line, with arms saluted to recite the pledge of allegiance in unison.
“Do you know why we have to do this?” she asked her young troops. “We do this to remember all of the soldiers in the military.” She said it so convincingly, I had to wonder if she was right.
Then, Samya ordered the “troops” to go to bed, so the first two ran to the mounds in the pitchers’ warm-up area.
After she “woke up” her soldiers, she presented to them her camp rules.
“Now listen here, there will be no bullying, and we will be polite.” She tried to keep everyone quiet and serious, but laughter often ensued with every serious tone. Samya named her next in charge, Bailie, “Sergeant Giggles,” because she couldn’t keep a straight face.
Despite her failure to keep her warriors in line at times, they all seemed to have a good time playing military, which was a first for me: Kids like me always played house or sports.
These kids created a boot camp, and they did it at just the right time. It was a perfect day to remember the many young men and women have endured weeks of boot camp to be called American soldiers, to fight for our freedoms, and many have paid the ultimate price.
