" . . . I suffer from Little League Syndrome, a syndrome found commonly in parents of boys who play Little League baseball but now recognized in several other mutations as well, among them Pop Warner Football Fixation, Gymnastics Flip Fever . . . Drama Mama Disorder, and even Youth Symphony Shock Disease . . . "

                       --excerpt from Put Him In, Coach! by Martha Payne

Welcome!                             

In May of 2007, my oldest son, Sam, graduated from high school, and less than two months later, my first book, Put Him In, Coach! A Mother's All-Star Memoir, was published.  The timing of these two events proved serendipitous since the memoir was inspired by Sam's journey through the "golden years" of his childhood, ages 6-12, years that happened to coincide with his participation in Little League baseball. 

A native of Atlanta, I grew up with the Braves and am a devoted baseball fan.  When Sam began playing baseball himself in the early 1990s, I discovered I loved watching Little Leaguers play just as much as the pros--maybe even more.  You might say I became obsessive about the ups and down, ins and outs, of Sam's play in particular, and the only way I knew to work through the emotional quandary this landed me in was to write about it. 

As I mused and wrote and mused some more over Sam's youth baseball career, I realized that even though my behavior (like that of many coaches and parents of athletes) was at times over the top, the benefits of youth baseball for both of us were many.  In fact, in many ways, baseball has become the backbone of my relationship with all of my children as they grow and mature.  Because we all love baseball and understand its language, we have something in common--something to talk about during those moments of silent tension that inevitably arise during the teen years. 

To find out more about this story of a mother and son and their family's tumultuous journey through the Little League years, visit my Book Page.  If you like what you read, be sure to order your copy through clicking on the Order link. Put Him In, Coach! is also available through your favorite bookseller or at on-line bookstores such as www.amazon.com, www.bn.com, and www.borders.com.