by Cannonball » Fri Apr 24, 2015 9:00 pm
This weekend, my dd will play her last 4 regular season games. There is a lot riding on those games. Her team, UMSL has qualified for the GLVC Tournament and is nationally ranked #3. In no way does it seem possible that her career will be over within a month. Since I have been a HS coach for so long, my dd grew up in a gym or on a ball field. When she was 7 or 8, she was attending my hitting camps and by the time she was 12, she was hitting 150 balls everyday. Her goal was to make varsity as a freshman. She created a poster for her bedroom wall that said, "The Dream." It was all about softball. So often, other parents talked about how I drove my kid. The reality was that it was just the opposite. She was the one always wanting to hit. I made a video once of her when she was so sick she could hardly move. Still, she had to get in her 150 swings. I sometimes watch it now and will keep it to show her kids someday.
For us, the recruitment process was a nightmare as one coach was telling all of the other schools she had verballed. So, it didn't seem as if there was any interest. Then, one day, we stopped at a OVC school on our way to Chattanooga and that coach told us what others were being told. We took care of that problem and just in the nick of time. My dd finally found the school she wanted to go to. She made her verbal and we are so glad that she did. That has been such a blessing. Coach told her that if she came to his school, she would become the most prolific hitter in the history of that school. With a little luck, that will come true in the next few days/weeks. DD's senior year has been all that she wanted. She set her goal to hit her career 50th home run. She did so last weekend. She has several other records. Now, she wants her team to make it to nationals. That is the one thing she told Coach that she had to do in her college career. I don't know if they will but they have worked hard as a team.
Well, I could go on and on. My dd is already coaching TB in a very good program and wants to coach at either the HS or collegiate level someday. I know she plans to talk to Coach about doing so next spring if there is an opening. My family has been so blessed by the parents and players my dd has played with. She has had tremendous coaches along the way. I was fortunate to be her HS coach and I will forever be thankful for that. As my Dad always says, "The hay is in the barn," Now all that is left for her is to finish the job. Good luck to all of you who have dds who are finishing their careers. I wish the best for all of them.
Granny said sonny stick to your guns if you believe in something no matter what because it's better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you're not.
CoachB25 on other boards.