Kate's a walker

Kate is playing softball again this season. She just moved up to the next league and it is much harder than t-ball. She is the youngest on her team and the shortest by at least a head. Everyone loves Kate's personality and get so excited when she is playing because she is so small and does funny things (like practicing her ballet in the out field instead of watching the game). It's girl fast pitch and the first half of the season when the pitcher got 4 balls then the coach came in and got to finish out pitching the strikes. Now, when they get 4 balls you walk. Kate has hit off the pitcher twice this year but both times has hit directly to first base and gotten out, so no base hit yet (we have some bribes for her for when she does). Last week was the first game with this new rule. Kate got up to bat and walked, first time on base. She was so excited, she stole a base and made it home. She got up 4 times that game and never once swung the bat, she walked twice and struck out twice. I talked to her about still needing to judge the pitches and swing when they look good, but she doesn't see any point in that and has already stated her goal in walking every time. She is really enjoying being part of the game now and is having so much more fun, but I'm afraid her batting will not improve now. O well. She like to steal bases too and everyone laughs when she does because she's not that fast and she runs with her hand up. She's never gotten out stealing yet and has scored every time she's on base so she's doing really good. Last night's game she got up 3 times and walked 3 times, they ended with 6 runs and 3 of those were Kate's. Here is a video I took of her stealing 3rd last night. She is so cute.