Tag Archives: tales from the bleachers

Aug 06 2015
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Baseball, Life lessons, On the bleachers, What I've learned

The Kids Are Alright

To quote Cher in Moonstruck: “SNAP OUT OF IT.”

As they say: time flies. I think I started this blog quite a few years ago…my boys were in the thick of youth sports and the antics, experiences and observations of coaches, players and parents prompted this blog. I have notebooks, digital reminders, and scraps shoved into file folders with topics for blogs. They’re coming – I promise. But let’s face it: managing a household, a business, a dog and a blog is a challenge. But I love these stories and as you are my witness – I will get back on the blog bandwagon – ’cause really, it’s fun. But I digress.

As I finally take to the keyboard for a long-overdue entry,  I am faced with the joy, angst and reality that one of my own young athletes that inspired these stories is about to head off to college. The sporting life continues though, he’ll be playing baseball as well as stumbling into that wondrous world of quasi-adulthood and psuedo-independence. Exciting times.

He’s not alone of course. Most of his peer group is choosing the same traditional move from high school to a 4-year college. The kids are alright. But there is definitely anxiety, hand-wringing and tears, but not so much the kids. As usual, it’s THE PARENTS.

Don’t get me wrong – clearly this is a milestone for parents too. Especially if it’s your first-born. I mean, I shed a few tears when they trotted across the threshold of Kindergarten (wasn’t that literally yesterday?) and I can assure you I’ll shed a few as I drive away from his dorm two weeks from now.  But the all-consuming angst that seems to be devouring many of my contemporaries seems, well, slightly out of proportion. Kind of similar to say…YOUTH SPORTS PARENTS!

But honestly, can you blame us? We have been in this over-involved lane for more than 10-years now! Can we really be expected to disengage at this point and just be satisfied with the fact that they made a good choice, it’s the right fit, they’re legitimately excited to be starting this new phase of life? No. We cannot. Because it NEEDS TO BE ABOUT US. But hope springs eternal. We can do this. I know it. Say it with me. “We. Can. Do. This!”

So listen – when the big day arrives, hug him a few seconds longer, run through the checklist with her one more time, linger in the dorm room – get a good cry in on the way home. But before that day and after that day please: Snap out if it!

 

 

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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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