The last summer of travel ball

[coolstuff]

DD is playing her last summer of travel ball. Kind of bittersweet, isn't it? It's been fun over the years. Tears, drama, trophies, laughs, celebrations. Made a lot of friends I normally would have never met and traveled to places I would have never seen if not for softball. Lots and lots of good memories that far outshadow the bad ones. I would not have changed any of it. I'm sure DD feels the same. She's had her championship moments and her 4-and-out moments. Her superstar plays and her forgettable plays. To any parent reading this who is now experiencing 10U or 12U - you've got quite a ride ahead of you. Like that great scene in the movie Parenthood - it's not a carousel, it's a roller coaster. Enjoy the ups and the downs. It goes by so fast....

[snoop]

Well said coolstuff!!! This time last week I was trying to figure out what i was going to do all summer(wife had a plan, not me!)!! DD decided in the fall she was done other than HS! Then we got the call last week, a bad injury to a GREAT kid, the team needed her. Not the way you want it to go down! But, she decided to play and had a pretty good weekend and was glad to back with the girls! I was glad to be back in the parking lot saturday night......Jag1 not so much:)! You are right about how fast it goes by! You 10's and 12's going back and forth about who is this and that, relax! you most likely will be playing with the one your putting down right now before it's over!Have fun with it! Oh, thanks for the call Gunshy, all and all a great weekend and a few more to come!!

[slapperdad]

Well stated Coolstuff, kind of talked about that with my wife when we got home last night. I still have a summer to go, but I'm starting to think about it. Man it's been fun and I'm going to miss it.

Good meeting you guys this weekend, thanks for picking up the bucket! You guys have a great team, have a good summer.

[gunshy]

Slapper, good to put a face to the handle this weekend. I was obviously ill-prepared for the parking lot coaches meeting and I WILL do better next time. The light at the end of my softball tunnel is getting very bright for me, as I can count the number of events I have left on one hand now. It goes so very fast.....it seems like yesterday that the team was wearing full length sliders and really worried about how the hotel pool looked. This is our 11th season of travel and it has been some of the best times of my life, spending so much time with family and friends while our kids grow up in front of us. The lessons learned for adults as well as the kids have been beyond measure and I am sure my family is better for them. While I do look forward to spending a little more time in a tree stand in October and on a lake in the summer, I am not at all looking forward to that last out in Johnson City this August.

[NumeroUno]

[jag1]

Slapper, good to put a face to the handle this weekend. I was obviously ill-prepared for the parking lot coaches meeting and I WILL do better next time. The light at the end of my softball tunnel is getting very bright for me, as I can count the number of events I have left on one hand now. It goes so very fast.....it seems like yesterday that the team was wearing full length sliders and really worried about how the hotel pool looked. This is our 11th season of travel and it has been some of the best times of my life, spending so much time with family and friends while our kids grow up in front of us. The lessons learned for adults as well as the kids have been beyond measure and I am sure my family is better for them. While I do look forward to spending a little more time in a tree stand in October and on a lake in the summer, I am not at all looking forward to that last out in Johnson City this August.

good stuff....and yes, those late night coach's meetings are getting hard on this old guy...!

[bucketboy]

Well said gentlemen. DD's last full year of travel was 2 summers ago and a couple events last summer since she had a great softball birthday. Coaching without a daughter on a team has been rewarding and fun but the time has come for me to hang the clipboard up as well.

With 5 events left in my travel coaching career I find myself reflecting back on all the great memories from the many years we all have been doing this and of course some of those not so proud moments that I can look back at and just kinda laugh at now.

Gunshy how many battles, how many disagreements, how many great ballgames and at the end of the day how may kids are living their dreams or are just better human beings because of their involvement in our programs. We were told a long time ago by those that mentored us to leave it better than you found it and I am absolutely certain that Indiana softball is better because of our involvement. Who knows maybe we can get a 10u team started with grand daughters some day?

[gunshy]

Bucketboy, you are so correct. It really set in for me this past weekend when I realized that I didn't have that intimate knowledge of the coaches I was playing nor the familiarity with the players on their teams. It dawned on me that I was at the end of the tunnel and it was time for someone else to go forward; most of the guys I had moved up with are gone and the "new guys" were here. Strange feeling. You and I have shared wind, hail, snow, sun delays, sun burns, brain burns, unexpected wins, thumping defeats, even some shared tragedy and I would agree 100% with your assessment: Lots of kids have turned out pretty darn well on our watch.
I wish my good buddy Jim was here to finish this thing off with us, other than that I wouldn't change a thing.

[dailyjoy]

Gosh you all are going to make me cry and we are just starting in travel ball.

Thank you for all you have done for softball in the State of Indiana.

[slapperdad]

I'm just really having a hard time believing there was EVER any disagreement between Gunshy and Bucketboy!