Tag Archives: high school sports

Apr 27 2014
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Baseball, high school baseball, Youth Sports

LESS IS MORE

I’m not going to start this entry by apologizing for not blogging for weeks – but, I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to blog for weeks! The irony is, observing, managing and volunteering for my kids’ collective 4 teams has occupied most of my non-work life over the past few months, arguably generating TONS of content for TFTB! Here’s what has gone down, nutshell version, in the last 45 days: baseball season with new coach who in his real life trains military special ops, winter football workouts with new “dedicated” trainer,  trip with varsity baseball team and parents to AZ (new group for us…), two college visits, two football camps, and a run in with a coach from youth baseball as a high school coach (who used metaphors about boobs as baseballs when he coached my kid in 5th grade ball…)  Yeah, much to catch up on.

In the meantime, my neighbor, we’ll call her Sherry, is on the other end of the spectrum with her son, we’ll call him Joey –  just jumping into the thrill of it all, she sent me a note earlier in the spring:

“Had to write and give you big kudos for having two boys who are in multiple sports.  Today was Joey’s 1st soccer game (1st practice was 3 days prior) and 1st t-ball practice.   After watching the majority “of players” run around without objective and spend more time trying to take their teammates hat, play tag etc- I realized it has to get less comical and exasperating or you would surely be on the funny farm. Here’s hoping I’m not the first to go.”

Ohhhhh, Sherry…. hahahahahaha. That is rich! Did you catch that? “It must get less comical and exasperating..”  Stop, wait…hold on let me just regain control…

I don’t have the heart to tell her that she will really need to seek some sort of crutch, routine, or other, in order to maintain the “it’s not me it’s them” perspective for the next few years. And by next few years I mean, the kid’s in coach pitch baseball, so he’s still got: kid pitch, tryouts, competitive baseball…not to mention juggling the same in both sports – wait, are you adding football or lax to the mix? will he? will his friends? to say nothing of the input that will  inevitably come from Dad…has he weighed in yet on what sports will bring THE OFFERS?  All of this excitement is yet to come.  And this is all before he gets out of middle school. Sherry, you won’t be the first to go to the funny farm – many, many have gone before you, and most are parents on one of my kids’ teams! Cheers!

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photo credit: J-K Photography Parker Colorado. http://www.j-kphotography.net/

 

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May 31 2013
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Baseball, basketball, Fan fun, Football

100 Games in 100 Days

So…Schooolzzzzzzzz, OUT! FOR! sumMER!!…..(channel your inner Alice Cooper here…)  And that can mean only one thing right?  Take a deep breath, sit back, and time to relax!

Wrong.

School out of session means MORE TIME FOR SPORTS.  And here’s a new wrinkle..while summer really used to be about just baseball, or lacrosse, or maybe youth soccer season, as you approach middle and high school, it is now not really anyone’s “formal” season…so, obviously that means that it’s EVERYONE’S season. And when I say “everyone” I mean “coaches.”  It’s summer football, summer baseball, and summer basketball, summer LAX…In case you missed the memo: If you have a tee-baller, pop-warner, soccer bunch-baller…or any sort of fun-loving sporty kid ages 5-8, start thinking “year-round sport.”  This trend has now legitimized every coach’s dream of being able to ask your kid to play “their” sport every month of the year. Oh that other sport they usually play in that other season?  “Hey, just, you know, give them equal time this summer.”*

*BS alert

This is fast-becoming one of the classic BS lines a coach will ever utter.  No coach wants you to give equal time to another sport. This statement does not suggest that they will not lay a bit of guilt tripping on you, and your kid.  And who’s to know for sure that there is not a nasty little attendance tracker hidden deep under practice notes on that clipboard of his/hers that will allow them to hold a grudge when the regular season tryouts roll around…

So, in an attempt to keep up, and prepare my loyal readers for their future or, just provide a relatable point of reference as you juggle car pools, schedules, meals and bleacher seats this summer – I am going to track 100 games in 100 days or thereabouts – as such, will also hope to contrast the emotions and enthusiasm of coaches, fans and parents at our variety of venues. Join me?

GAME ON!

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May 29 2013
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Football, On the bleachers

Serious Biz

So..we’ve entered into a whole new phase….I’m talking football, talking High School, I’m talking varsity, I’m talking CAMPS!  I’m talking RECRUTING…I am talking, this is serious biz.

So, I had the pleasure, no really – I was 100% up for this…of escorting my teen-age son to a football camp in beautiful San Diego.  Right?  Beautiful San Diego…I’m thinking spa day, beach reads, maybe even a cabana boy to bring me a cocktail while I wait for the call that camp is over and where are we dining tonight?  Ahhhh….the perfect weekend.  Wow – let me join those of you in-the-know with some out of control hysterical laughter.  Who’s the idiot? Who’s the naive, ignoramus who thinks high school football camps are NOT a full contact parent activity?  Answer: yeah, it’s me.

You, the parent, are expected to sit on a concrete bleacher during the camp and document their every move on film.  Better yet, get as close as possible and videotape the ENTIRE day’s activities. I mean, not sure if “expected” to, is the right turn of phrase, but evidently that is the drill as nearly every parent was equipped with a tripod, high-speed telephoto digital camera, or, of course, the iPad.  Parents, let’s be honest, nothing is more awesome than holding up a 6″ screen in a foot in front of your face for 5 hours in direct sun. Well, not if you’re from Texas anyway..again, EVIDENTLY.

By day two at 2 PM my ass was in such a state of numbness that I asked the trainer to asses the situation. (no this did not humiliate my son. Well, at least it did not humiliate him as much as my inability to throw a football when the parents were called down to get a taste of what their boys were working on…)

Okay YES I filmed my kid, YES my kid was the best and best looking on the field, YES the morning at the beach on Coronado was awesome, YES I did squeeze in a cocktail or two…but I digress.

I’m not sure how I drew this camp, as the boy and his dad will be attending a couple more this summer – and I have a sneaking suspicion that this was the most unique and really low-stress camp there is – but how did I get here? I’m talking Talking Head’s “how did I get here…”  What the hell is going on? College? Recruiting? One minute they’re peeing in their athletic cup in left field on a hot July day, and the next he’s hanging on the words “there is no reason you can’t play in the NFL” from a guy who actually knows something or two about that league.  Am I ready? Is he? But more importantly, do I have the right AV equipment? I clearly don’t have the right gear to camp out at a stadium for two straight days listening to other parents talk about how many offers they got, are getting or are expecting for their little all-star.

Anyway, I’m pretty sure my son got a lot out of this endeavor, not the least of which was that they have really great oysters at the Fish Market on the bay (tip: sit at the oyster bar and ask for Mannie)  Here’s what I learned

  • My hand is too small to adequately throw a football
  • I am afraid to catch a pigskin that is coming at me like a missile
  • I need a better cooler that will fit in my luggage
  • I need a cocktail that resembles Gatorade
  • His dad should accompany him to all future camps, I’ll stick with baseball tournaments where I can rely on a simple red solo cup.
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