The boys of summer and lessons learned

You know

I've never been a big fan of baseball. Too slow. Too much standing around. Statistical mumbo jumbo. And the acronyms..Oyyy. ERA RBI BB...blah blah blah

Even less so this past season as I watched my family time being pulled apart at the seams by conflicting schedules for the boys and all the added work and stress endured by DH as he coached a team of 8 year olds. Yes. He deserves an automatic, "pass Go and COLLECT $200" Heh

So I find myself in the unusual position of writing with more than a soupcon of irony about my new found love for the game.

Born of a championship tournament team

And three short weeks

And friendships made. I feel like my circle of friends has been expanded threefold. My sons, yes both, the player and the observer, have play dates lined up for the rest of the summer.

And lessons learned

You can click on the link HERE to get the full scoop on Thumper and his team. Go to tournament links and look at the 8 Year olds for all the deets.

Thumper, my youngest. So named because he has this quietly contained supernova energy that threatens to explode at any given moment off his adorable self. Imagine an 80 pound lab grinning at you whilst thumping his tail waiting for his treat. got the pix? that's my boy. Minus 10 pounds.

He?

Was a rock star. Leader in RBI's (oooh look how easily that trilled off my fingertips) Second highest batting average. A certified member of the "no ball to the wall" gang.

Murphey Gold may not have won THE Gold in the final championship game. It was a Family Feud in the best sense. Two teams from the same park, battling it out like crazy and walking off the field friends. The winning coach, who coached Thumper a few years back, called BOTH teams, blue and gold to pose in front of the District championship banner for photos for the "press"

The thing that made my heart swell up to the size of Mr Grinch's after he decided to return all the gifts to WhoVille was this email that arrived in my inbox the next day from the league president


I was able to watch both teams in action over the last several weeks and I can honestly say that at a time when people are quick to sensationalize the things that are wrong with youth sports, these coaches, players and parents exemplified what is right. The parents and coaches from the other parks at the tournament commented to me, on more than one occasion, that they “have it right over there at Murphey Candler” and that “the President must really be doing things right” (thanks Jack!). They not only praised the boys baseball skills and the way they had been coached, but also raved about how well mannered and polite the boys were.


To the Coaches and Players, thanks for your hard work, discipline and dedication over the past few weeks and for a finale that could not have been scripted any better in a movie! To the parents and families, thanks for supporting your sons, coaches and teams and for tempering your support and excitement with good sportsmanship.

A little bit of good still shines in this sometimes dark world of ours.

And my cheeks are just a little flushed for being so...I don't know....what's the word?

Let's see...jealous, resentful, PO'D...take your pick, about the time spent at the park. Obviously there were some life lessons in the offing that I didn't see. Darn that forest for the trees.

On a final note, I will quote Jimmy Dugan from "A League of Their Own"

"The hard...is what makes it great"

BOO to the YAH