So I think it is pretty much established that I am a big baseball fan. I love watching my boys play. I love the time we spend together as a family. I love being outside in the warm weather, Diet Coke, gummy cola bottles and dill pickle seeds. I can't picture my life any other way. The past few months have been FILLED with lots and lots of baseball and it is a little bitter sweet that is has now come to an end.
First, let me bring you up to date. Following Douglas' super fun Memorial Day tournament win his team called it quits for the boys to split up and go to their various high schools. One season was not enough with that group of boys and the amazing coaches we had but I am so glad we got the opportunity to play with them for the time we did. There are so many awesome people out there. I am amazed when I think back on the past 6 years that Douglas has played super league and the friends we have made for life. Even though we no longer play with many of them it is fun to run into them at games and keep in contact through blogs and Facebook. I LOVE my baseball family.
High School summer league kicked my butt! I will just get that out there. I didn't really know what to expect but I was thrown right into it and WOW. It just so happens that Cottonwood High (our assigned school even though there are at least 5 schools closer to where we live) is the place to play right now. The field is amazing, the coaches are nationally ranked and the serious ball players go there. They practice EVERY morning for hours. The boys have field clean-up days where they weed, mow, sweep, groom and nurture. They have a dress code for practice. There are fines for leaving your stuff behind. The fee for summer ball was a modest $400 and the schedule was full. Every boy played on two different teams to get as much playing time and experience as possible. Douglas played 15 & 16. Between the two teams we had games every night but Thursday with double headers on Saturday. We played in Ogden, Syracuse, Spanish Fork and everywhere in between. Before the games they would take batting practice at the school and then would need to be shuttled to wherever the game was. I have spent the past 6 weeks driving back and forth to Cottonwood High. I have waited in the parking lot and run the sidewalks of the campus pushing my patient-go-with-the-flow Mason along. And Douglas...gets up early, works out for hours, waits for rides, stretches sore muscles and goes about his business doing what he loves. Oh, how he LOVES baseball. Now he is paying his dues. He played...not as much as he would like, not the positions he would pick...but he did get in. He pitched a bit too, something he hasn't done much of. The fee for the spring season if you make the team is close to $3000. REALLY? Now Douglas decides if all the hard work and money is worth it to him. He could go somewhere else where there are not 40 boys competing for the same positions and it is almost free to play. But, that would mean giving up his friends. Russell and I have told him to make his decison with his Heavenly Father. There are no regrets when you follow the promptings of the spirit. That I know. I am certain Douglas will do what he is supposed to do, where he is supposed to do it. For now, weight training in the mornings with no games at night. Maybe he will have a little time to do something besides baseball with his summer.
Through all of my high school ball, Stockton's season was still going strong. Weeknight games ended by the end of June. He played in the 4th of July tournament where they qualified for championship day only to lose in the first game. This past weekend, over the 24th, he played in the Tournament of Champions. Throughout the course of the year teams qualified by either taking 1st or 2nd place in the various tournaments. The 12 teams in the 9-yr-old division were all pretty good. We just happened to be better!
Stockton had a little warm-up mishap when a ball bounced off of the tip of someone's mitt and caught him in the mouth. He was spitting a bunch of blood but all teeth were accounted for and he was good to go when the game started 10 minutes later.
Stockton played great defense. I NEVER tire of watching him field a ground ball at short...
and he has a change up that floats in there so beautifully.
These little guys are SO much fun to watch. They play with such intensity and enthusiam. It brings a smile to my face even thinking about it:). Following the games on Saturday, we celebrated at Hires where Stockton placed his trophy in the middle of the table as a centerpiece.
So, after being in Spanish Fork on Monday, Cottonwood High on Tuesday, Weber on Wednesday, Lehi on Thursday and Heber both Friday and Saturday, it is done. Just like that the season is over. Now we have to figure out how to entertain ourselves until school starts. Sometimes I wonder if I am giving my kids the traditional kind of summer they should have...parades, picnics, mountains, water, lazy days. I have come to the conclusion that as long as we are having fun together as a family it doesn't matter what it is we do. Besides, we do get most of those summer things in.
We pack our car with all of the necessities...
and head to the mountains.
We pitch a tent...
and chill out for the day.
We have picnics...
and we even find a little time to play in the water.
We do the parade thing too. We pack as many people as we can as close to the action as possible...
making sure the little ones get the front row seats...
so we can cheer for our favorite performances.
We are even setting some new traditions of our own. There is nothing like earning the right to wear championship game day whites. That is the only time the boys wear them and I sure love how they look!
And how about this one...after winning a tournament the team huddles around home plate and kicks dirt until it is buried.
At times this hobby of ours may split us apart for a day or two but more than anything it makes us closer. (This picture was clearly one of those apart moments as we are missing Douglas. We let him have a day of fishing with his uncles.) 2010 season was SO much fun. I am sad to see it end. We will enjoy some less busy days over the next few weeks and gear up for it to start all over again in the fall. How I love this game and these boys of mine:).
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