Let The Games Begin!

It's fun to watch kids operate, and to see their minds in motion when they gather in masses.

Today was our first official day of "work," as the Disney Sun & Surf Baseball Bash got underway at the Wide World of Sports complex. After an extensive set-up and prep period, the "Baseball Youth" village was open for business, and boy did it receive a warm welcome.
Between the bins of of Upper Deck and Topps baseball cards and Louisville Slugger posters, Backyard Baseball on Playstation 2, an Airheads prize wheel that included the distribution of free candy, t-shirts and blow-up thunder sticks and a TPX tent where kids could rent the very latest line of Louisville Slugger bats, our area was a hit!

Having the pleasure of working the Airheads booth for the majority of the day, I had the chance to watch children from all walks of life interact and compete. It's refreshing to watch the purity of their excitement over the idea of spinning a wooden wheel covered with different colors, simply to be handed a piece of candy. It was also funny to see the pride the kids took when they won a t-shirt or bragged to their buddies that they had won more candy than them.

It's also nice that we are able to offer so many prizes and services free of charge. Thanks to the sponsors of our road trip, kids and their parents have the opportunity to reap the benefits of our resources without paying a dime. And there is really no better way to raise the eyebrows and heart rate of a boy and the ire of his father than telling him that all of the prizes and candy are free.

The day was also a success in that the "Baseball Youth" magazine gained 10 new subscribers. That is a true testament to the work that has gone into planning this trip and to the hard work that Nate-squared and I have put and will continue putting into preparing and executing this family-friendly experience.

It was a great way to officially kick off our baseball summer and tomorrow should be even better (as long as the rain holds off and that darn humidity subsides!) You can enlarge any of the pictures from this blog by simply clicking on the picture. Our full schedule for this Summer is also listed at the bottom of this page. And feel free to leave comments on ANY of the entries!