For a while now, I’ve had several people ask me the same question: “Are you ever going to bring your column back?”
The honest answer was always, “Maybe someday.”
Life has a funny way of shifting the seasons on us. When I first started writing How the Ball Bounces with Bekka, my perspective came from the stands as a sports parent, grandparent, and a lifelong athlete. Like so many families in Saline County, our schedules revolved around practices, games, tournaments, and all the chaos that comes with youth sports.
But as many parents eventually discover, those seasons change. Kids grow up. Cleats get hung up. The bleachers get a little quieter.
For our family, that chapter shifted when we no longer had anyone in the house to chase around the ball park. It felt strange at first not packing the lawn chairs or watching the scoreboard with that familiar nervous excitement.
But as it turns out, the game never really leaves you.
Not long ago, my husband Speedy decided to start umpiring baseball again. If you’ve ever spent time around baseball fields in Saline County, you know the umpire has one of the best — and sometimes most interesting — views of the game. Suddenly I found myself back at the ballpark again, only this time with a slightly different perspective.
Instead of watching from the stands as a sports parent, I’m now seeing the game from a step removed — observing the players, the parents, the coaches, and yes, occasionally the fans who feel very confident about the strike zone.
And let me tell you, you see the game a little differently from that angle.
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You notice the kid who hustles even when their team is down by ten. You see the coach quietly encouraging a player who just struck out. You hear the excitement when a child gets their first real hit of the season. And sometimes you witness the kind of sportsmanship that reminds you why youth sports matter in the first place.
Of course, you also occasionally hear things shouted from the stands that probably sound better in someone’s head than they do across a baseball field…especially when they may or may not be about your husband!!
But that’s all part of the game too.
One thing that hasn’t changed is how much sports mean to a community like ours. Around here, ballparks are more than just fields with chalk lines. They’re gathering places. They’re classrooms where kids learn resilience, teamwork, and how to handle both victory and defeat.
And sometimes they’re simply where families spend warm evenings watching a game under the lights.
Through my work with The EMpact One Foundation, I’ve seen firsthand how powerful sports can be in a young person’s life. Access to play, to belong to a team, and to learn life lessons on the field can make a lasting difference.
So while the view from my seat may have changed, my love for the game — and for the community that surrounds it — certainly hasn’t.
That’s why How the Ball Bounces with Bekka is making a return.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing stories and observations from around the ballparks of Saline County. And the Arkansas [not so] Senior Olympics are right around the corner so you can definitely expect some anecdotes from my latest personal endeavors. Some will be funny, some might be thoughtful, and a few may come from behind the plate thanks to Speedy’s latest adventures in umpiring.
Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned after years around sports, it’s this:
No matter how the seasons change, the ball keeps bouncing.
And sometimes the best stories happen when you least expect them.
Until next week…that’s the way the ball bounces!
Read more from How the Ball Bounces with Bekka in the archives at www.mysaline.com/bounces.
About the author: Bekka Wilkerson is a lifelong lover of all things sports. Raised in a super athletic household it was no surprise when she too began to love sports at a young age. It seems like from the time she could walk she had a softball bat in her hands, but her true athletic passion came from all things Basketball. That love served her well as a Bryant High School Lady Hornet and ultimately earned her a full scholarship to play at the University of Central Arkansas – among many other adventures.
These days Bekka can be found running around Saline County with her husband, Speedy, or chasing one of her grandsons. She is also the Executive Director of The EMpact One Foundation, a Saline County Nonprofit Organization that helps young people stay connected to extracurricular activities through tuition assistance and equipment provisions.
Reach out to Bekka with questions and/or ideas about things you want to see in this column at [email protected] and learn more about The EMpact One Foundation at www.empactone.org.
