Is your booth selling food or what? Or is it a display booth? I was thinking you could get one of those wall murals that shows a stadium full of fans & afix the mural to a folding screen behind you. Attire could be an umpire uniform, baseball uniform w/catcher's mask & a vendor with a tray of hot dogs, peanuts & cracker jacks on the tray. You could have a big glass jar full of mini baseball shaped gum balls & have a 'guess how many' and give a prize for the closest entry. Music in the background would naturally be "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Posters of Baseball greats..Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, etc.

Education is only part of the experience of high school. I have great high school memories because I had a great group of friends. My sister had a very unhappy high school experience because she didn't fit in. Same school, 1 year apart. This may already have been voiced above, but a few additional things to consider, which I have seen happen to other people, are the lifestyle issues and the donation issues. Specifically, will your child feel left out if they cannot afford to do the things their classmates do? I can remember being the only one of my friends in (public) high school who didn't get to go to Europe senior year (in my case it was my mother worrying rather than money, either way, I was left out). I've seen the activities and things friends' kids want. Will your child feel left out if they can't go skiing in the Alps over Christmas break? Will there be an issue if he has a beater car rather than a BMW? Another issue which I was a little surprised by was the "donation" issue. A good friend of mine has her only child in a $30k per year high school. They can easily afford it. However, the school also expects a sizable donation every year, and it keeps going up (he is in his third year). Think thousands - extra. They also do expensive things to raise money for the school, like auctions. Regarding treating kids "the same". It is very difficult. My parents didn't pay (or even help pay) for my law school because my mother didn't think they should do something for me that they were not going to do for my sister. But they weren't going to do the same for her because she wasn't going to go - she dropped out of college. I didn't argue with them about it at the time. In fact, it wasn't until after I graduated that my father even knew they didn't help. He assumed they had. My mother handled the money. So now all the money they saved my father is spending on his chi-chi girlfriend (my mother passed away). I have to admit, it irks me now. But it wouldn't have bothered me if my parents had used the money together. My in laws took the "equal" thing to a ridiculous extreme. DH was the "perfect" child. He was the oldest, and was a great student, athlete, and was very handsome (voted "best body" in high school, which we have a good giggle over). His parents wouldn't even give him praise unless they could give the same praise to his 2 younger (and less stellar) siblings. One story he mentions is when he came home with all As in all AP classes. His mother said something like, "well, Sally and Billy tried very hard to". My MIL was an early example of the dangers of praising trying as much as succeeding. His siblings learned they would get as much credit for failing as DH would get for succeeding. No one lived up to their potential as a result. I guess my point is this, you can't treat kids equally, and you can't be perfectly fair. Every kid is different.

This is tough, I go through this with my kids, too. DD is 7 and involved in gymnastics. She loves doing, is very proud of learning a new skill, and enjoys the company of the other little girls (girls of the same mold, who would all rather be upside down). She does go 4 hours/week, which seems like a lot for a 7 y/o. So some days she balks. Like a kid, she lives in the moment. So when she pouts and claims she doesn't want to go anymore, I question her sincerity. When I tell her "next month we'll move you to the class that only goes once/45 minutes a week." Then she cries, "Noooo!" I think she's even conflicted inside, it's a lot of time to give up, she gets tired, but she'd really miss gymnastics if it wasn't in her life anymore. It's hard to know if what they say in the moment truly reflects what they think and feel. I agree with talking with the boys individually so one does not influence the others. They are getting to the age where they have different interests. I also think it's good for siblings to have their own "thing," something they feel good about without comparisons to each other. Listen to what they say, and ask questions to get at the heart of what they think. I'd ask them what they think they'll be doing if they don't play baseball. Have they mentioned another sport/activity they want to try? Or do they just see it cutting into their video game time? I do agree, though, that if the committment has already been made for this season, that I'd probably make them finish the season, especially considering you are counted on as a coach. My 10 y/o DS does taekwondo. That came about 18 months ago after he rejected every team sport we tried for him. And I said "you need to do something besides video games" and started suggesting more individual activities, also suggested art classes and golf or tennis lessons. He has moods when he can't wait to go, and moods when he doesn't want to go. That frustrates me b/c I know once he gets there he has a great time, it's just getting him away from he's doing to leave the house. My oldest, 13 y/o plays hockey, roller and now starting ice. Not my pick of a sport, as DH and never followed hockey and knew nothing of it (but found out it's kind of expensive!). He loves it and saves his own money for some of the equipment. I *never* have to drag him out the door. He is always ready and waiting at the door saying "Mom, I want to get there early!" I think he'd walk if he had to, and it's 6 miles one way, carrying a bag that I'm guessing weighs 35 lbs. I think that is his age, just more mature than the younger ones who live entirely in the moment.

I love the idea of sports at all levels in schools. It would be fantastic for all involved. However, it would require a vast change in the coaching staff! At present, most of the coaches I know are frustrated, washed out wanabe jocks (only one recent exception!). I have a son, brilliant boy, rising Sr. He CHOSE to drop out of track giving up pole-vaulting, a sport he loves because the head coach "sucked the life and fun" out of it. The boy volunteered to do any other jump event, offered to run hurdles or sprints if needed by the team; the head coach insisted in running him in the distance events. The boy found no joy in long distance, and the field had plenty of participants. When my son asked why long distance and not the other events he was told "because that is what you want to do and you need to learn I'm in charge". So, he ran the event once, using it as a warm up rather than trying to WIN. The next assult/insult was refusing to allow the boy to attend the study sessions for his 8 AP tests. To this he was told "the commitment to track should be before your academic goals". NO! I must say at this point the jump coach took my son aside and told him to come back next year, coaching staff would be different and he would welcome him back with open arms AND "if you need any assistance with your review or someone to go over any information with, call me". I can honestly say we are all looking forward to the next track season!