Life at the Diamonds

Many who live in Cowtown have no clue of the buzz of activity that goes on down a remote road near I-35. Even after you turn off on Old Hemphill Road, you might think you've turned onto the wrong street. But less than a half a mile down, the cars lining the road will clue you in that you've come to the right place.

Boys and girls with gloves and bats file into the gates and head toward their assigned field. They have to weave in and out of kids standing in the concessions line and dodge baseballs that are being pitched back and forth to warm up before a game.

If you are able to zigzag through all the above activity and make your way to the peewee field, the pint-sized players with their uniforms on, especially those with pink bats and helmets, will steal your heart. Some are more serious about the game than others, or at least as serious as their attention span will allow.

The seven-year-old team has seen its share of hard times this season. They are a young team that's had to face some stiff competition. Hits are hard to come by, and so are plays to get three outs on the other team. Sometimes the excitement of grabbing the ball boils over into throwing too hard, and a base hit turns into a double or a triple. Thankfully, losses seem to be easily overcome with after-the-game snacks from the concession stand.

But this little locale has more than just a few games going on. There's a lot of life being lived between the plays. As parents catch up with one another, wisdom and encouragement are served up left and right. One man shares pictures on his ipad of his son meeting Colt McCoy at an event earlier in the week and shows how his daughter was featured at the event. A mother tells about her trip to New Mexico that made her miss last week's game, but another mother is quick to fill her in on the fantastic play her son made. After the game, parents mingle with the parents of the older kids and cheer on their children, exchanging parenting advice in between plays.

Even as fun as it is to watch these young kiddos playing America's favorite pasttime, it's just as fun (and more beautiful) to watch this little community doing life together.