Moonlight Returns

[Moonlight Graham]

Hi everyone! Some of you may remember me, I'm this poor little English teacher from Burgundy, France who wanted to start a school team. That was two years ago already. Gosh how time flies!

Some of you offered to send gloves and bats and all kinds of great stuff to help me, which turned out to be a wonderful blessing and the most gentle curse in the world. Baseball is now part of my everyday life. It fills every second of about everything I do.

The school team is a real success! It's still up and running, every Thursday, and it also gave birth to two other baseball related "activities" here: the very first real ball club ever in our region (we now have 15 adult players and about as many youth players), and a baseball section in the same school where I teach and which I'm particularly proud of. We use baseball as a teaching tool. Isn't it great? We talk about baseball and use baseball slang in English, they'll study American history through the history of baseball and have already learned a few things about American geography thanks to Major League clubs, statistics are used in Maths, and they practice baseball two hours per week.

What's really amazing is the fact that the kids really love baseball, I can tell you that. When I say "love", you really have to understand that they're mad about the game. I never thought they would get so much hooked! We played in the snow last year, when it rains they still want to play, when it's freezing like it is these days they want to play!! Can you believe that?!

Well, things are going so well that we plan to come and meet you next year. Hopefully, if everything goes well, we should go to California in June 2011 for about a week and maybe we'll get the chance to shake your hands and say thank you for sending so much to somebody you didn't even know then and haven't met since.

Please note that if you haven't seen me in a very long while in this forum it's only because I'm always snowed under tons of work and haven't much time for glove talking since I have become a part time coach (6 hours a week!!). But I wanted to let you know before Christmas that I'll keep a safe place for you all deep in my heart for blessing me with the gift of baseball. You really changed my life for the better! Thank you guys!

Let's say I'll see you next year! In the meantime, I'll try to stop by more often and see what you all find!

[Moonlight Graham]

About this project of mine, using baseball as a teaching tool, we now have our own website. You can visit it here:

http://abc-baseball.fr

It's mostly in French for now but there's a translator on the right hand side of the main page to help you understand what the first articles are about. Soon new stories will be published in English. We had another site last year, but it crashed over the Summer and it took me months to pluck up enough courage to get it up and running again. Soon, my pupils will publish articles about Sens and their experience of baseball. When I say "soon", it means hopefully by the end of the month or in early February. We'll also publish stories about the history of baseball, what I call bedtime stories, and you'll find fun stuff about the world culture of baseball, and other short stories to explain the game to our fellow countrymen.

For some of the stories I will write, because I will publish articles of my own, I would like to know if any of you would mind if I took some of the material and pictures contained in this forum. I would of course acknowledge the source every time I would use your stuff, and post a short link here to let you know I have written something thanks to your posts. Maybe some of you would be interested in joining the effort and write short articles of your own for our site. If you are interested, let me know, I'll tell you more about the length and format of the article you can write. I have already posted a link to this forum.

I'm also looking for help in some other way. As you know, my purpose is to teach English but also other subject matters through baseball and some of you may have great ideas, worksheets or activities, or references that would help me develop my project. I have found a few things on the web, things that teachers have done and posted here and there, I'm looking for some more. Eventually, I'd like to work with other teachers across the USA and create a data bank of activities related to baseball that other teachers here in France might use to help baseball develop in schools here.

If any of you is interested, please, let me know.

Thanks!

[wareagle34]

Hi Moonlight, I went to your website and I wanted to leave you a message but I wasn't sure what your email address was. I must say you have really accomplished alot over the last two+ years. You should be very proud of your success, and your students are very lucky to have such a dedicated and innovative teacher.
Talk to you soon.

Chuck

[Moonlight Graham]

Thanks for your kind words Chuck! Glad to hear from you again after all this time. To leave a message from the contact form on our website, you only have to enter your email address and fill in the other boxes. Are you still in charge of the oldest ballpark in the US?

I think I didn't tell you, but I also tell stories at practice. Stories about famous plays and players to illustrate the point of the day. Yesterday we had a doubleheader, and between the two games, I chose to tell my players about Ty Cobb and the way he studied the game and wanted to play it the perfect way. I chose that particular angle because my players are beginners and I want them to watch for details and start learning by themselves. After a few minutes, I realised the entire gym was intent on my very words, about 30 kids and adults were listening carefully to me making my point and trying to get the best out of my kids. It was a great experience.

Chuck, would you be interested in posting a few messages on our website for my players and pupils to read? About your ballpark or any other thing related to baseball. You're all invited to join by the way!

[robin_buckeye]

Hey guys,

If you have any young (8-15 years old) who would like to spend a week with Laurent & the Sens Dodgers, the Davis Little League is finalizing plans for a trip to Sens, France from June 13 to 20.

http://abc-baseball.fr/?page_id=11

There are a few spot available if you know anyone who might be interested.

Please respond soon to reserve your spots.

dll.france "@" gmail "dot" com

Best,

Tom

[wareagle34]

Ok Moonlight, I sent you a message on your website let me know if you get it.
Chuck