My 7 year old son got hit in the mouth with a baseball, any suggestions to keep him wanting to play?

Question

It was a pretty bad hit too. And to top it off, I threw it, we were playing catch, he's a good player, but now he is afraid of playing, not putting any effort into anything. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Bribe him... Tell him if he hits the ball or catch the ball you'll give him some candy or something.... I dont know. Does he have a favorite baseball player? Do you live near a baseball stadium? Take him to a game, watch it with him, play a baseball video game. All of that might get him to want to play. Practice throwing a tennis ball with him for a little while, get his confidence back up.

Answer 2

Ha Ha J-RO BEE, good answer...

I bet every boy who ever has played little league baseball has a similar story. I took one in the eye playing third base. A short time before, I had hit a foul ball off a teammates father's eye at practice. It bled everywhere, and he had to get alot of stitches, and, as hard as this is to believe, two weeks after I hit the man, he died of a heart attack! I spent the better part of two months trying to understand if I had killed him, until I asked my father if he thought I had killed him. He explained to me that he didn't believe so, and that he didn't think the man would like me believing so either. I didn't believe him, but it helped. Well, when I got hit in the eye the same way, I freaked. I thought I was bleeding, which I was not, fortunately, but the memory of my teammates dad sort of took me over. After I found out that I wasn't bleeding I got over the beaning. I did, however, have a big shiner for a week or two. For me, the issue for him to get back in there, it seems, would be the same as it was for me...does he want to get back in there? I'm no expert, but maybe if you let him know that you'll pitch with him when he wants to do it might help. Also, maybe if you work with him on some slow rollers or something until he tells you he's ready to play catch. Pretty traumatic stuff. I don't know why, but, really, to my recollection, it seems like maybe that's a hard thing to get over because it's so unexpected...Anyway, good luck...

Answer 3

A banana split, a retelling of the story of Robert the Bruce (and, more topical, a review of the careers of, oh, Dickie Thon, Terry Steinbach, and others; maybe skip the examples of Kirby Puckett and Tony Conigliaro, and if he asks about Ray Chapman, point out that we wear helmets today), a couple packs of baseball cards if he likes them, and a quote from the football movie The Replacements: "Pain heals. Chicks dig scars. Glory lasts forever."

Get up, take a deep breath, brush off the dust, get back on the field, play, hopefully win.

If he's really skittish, switch to a tennis ball for a while.

Answer 4

Tell him accidents happen, brush it off. All ball players get hit by a baseball. It's going to hurt for a little bit, but after awhile, it'll be ok...plus the girls dig bruises. lol j/k Seriously, tell him he'll be ok.

Answer 5

Put him in right field hardly any action there and slowly progress to hit the ball at him in practice . He'll come around if he wants to play?

Answer 6

that happened to me when im a kid. it happens to everything. first he might just get over it and step up to the plate. a second thing is reassurance. keep telling him that boys get hurt, and chicks dig scars. ask him if it still hurts, he'll say no. bada bing.
also tell him having fun is the only way worth getting hurt!
in your terms, of course.

Answer 7

get his confidence up by throwing him ground balls then bounce him a few then some short fly balls then move back more when he isnt looking

Answer 8

Build up his conifidence with some tennis balls.