The Official Deadspin Youth T-Ball League Held Its First Practice, Made Dirt Piles

The children of Rick from suburban Boston helped us with a little video project last spring. In return, we agreed to sponsor their T-ball league. Throughout the season, we will chronicle the league's exploits.

It's still spring training for our adorable little charges, who held their first practice Wednesday. David Lillian, a parent, tells us the session was "bookended by karate class, and a team dinner at Nick's Famous Roast Beef." For bonding purposes, no doubt. Here's the rest of David's report on the intensity and all-around sense of purpose that characterized Wednesday's drills:

The players did enjoy practicing their swings during soft toss, but they avoided any ball thrown their way during the fielding portion of practice, and many of the little sluggers' minds seemed to wander while in the dugout. It was apparent that creating dirt piles and chugging juice boxes (then sprinting to the port-o-potty) took precedence over making sure the fundamentals were perfected before the start of the season.

Just another reminder that there's nothing so extraordinary as the eternal promise of spring. The season begins one week from tomorrow.

Photos courtesy David Lillian.