Girls Soccer, Little League & Summer Baseball:
Kathryn leaned hard on me and got me to register her for soccer instead of softball this year, and she was so right. She loved it, and was such a natural. There is no doubt she's a soccer-kid.....is that all that's necessary for me to be a soccer mom? Perhaps, but not a natural. Her coach was a very kind gentle guy who was more than happy to teach her and was as stunned as I as she took to the field in those first few games and understood the strategy and game so much better than we assumed she could. On the hottest days the struggle to not overheat was great - baseball is a much slower-paced sport and soccer requires almost constant running....but she made an impression on everyone! The record was solid, the experience was great and she will surely be back!! She already is counting the months until next spring! (The picture to the right is our home-away-from-home...baseball, soccer, football...amazing sunrise and sunset...newly lit Memorial Park at NHS)
Bryan had a banner year on the Cardinals team with Coach Niles. He learned a ton, had a great record, and endless fun...the baseball trifecta! His Summer Ball teams, historically, have not been open to allowing kids to play a broader spectrum of positions (the favorites remain the favorites for most key positions), which is discouraging at times to me, but not to him. I looked at Summer Ball as an opportunity to hone and perfect strengths - but the key is to expect little from the coaches in terms of their commitment to the "new" kid, and let the kid play wherever the coach puts him. Vital lessons for parents: opinions are yours - keep them that way. Bryan has a great outlook and I'll be dipped if I point out what is obvious to me. Nothing good can come of it, so we don't go there. You hang on an hope for another year like Bryan's was with Tom Niles and crew. That was enough to rejuvinate us for years to come. You walk away a better person, player and team mate. Life lessons & inspiration. Bryan has had several of them, actually...the Greats.
Joe's Defenders team had a more wide-spread variety of skill-sets and understanding of the great sport of baseball (not surprising at his age bracket)...so his year proved to be more of a challenging year, but his Summer Baseball season has more than made up for it! Summer Ball is nearly over and his team is udefeated. With numerous drastic comebacks from deep in score-hole to double and even triple-play scoring....this team is not powerhouse, but definately a DreamTeam of dirt dogs. Again, he has an awesome coach, and thank God because he'll go right from Summer Ball to football with the same coach - he's ours right into November!
A few pics from the last round (or 2) of sports season...
Now, what DO you suppose that Ump said to get that expression?? Wish I knew...
Kathryn playing goalie for N. Korea (ya, what? N. Korea? I dunno....)
Joey pitching for Defenders
Sunshine & Blue Skies...we're in our glory.
Bryan pitching for Cards.
Bryan Pitching - threw short innings, and pitched nearly the whole game. 76 is the max per game...
Kathryn leaned hard on me and got me to register her for soccer instead of softball this year, and she was so right. She loved it, and was such a natural. There is no doubt she's a soccer-kid.....is that all that's necessary for me to be a soccer mom? Perhaps, but not a natural. Her coach was a very kind gentle guy who was more than happy to teach her and was as stunned as I as she took to the field in those first few games and understood the strategy and game so much better than we assumed she could. On the hottest days the struggle to not overheat was great - baseball is a much slower-paced sport and soccer requires almost constant running....but she made an impression on everyone! The record was solid, the experience was great and she will surely be back!! She already is counting the months until next spring! (The picture to the right is our home-away-from-home...baseball, soccer, football...amazing sunrise and sunset...newly lit Memorial Park at NHS)
Bryan had a banner year on the Cardinals team with Coach Niles. He learned a ton, had a great record, and endless fun...the baseball trifecta! His Summer Ball teams, historically, have not been open to allowing kids to play a broader spectrum of positions (the favorites remain the favorites for most key positions), which is discouraging at times to me, but not to him. I looked at Summer Ball as an opportunity to hone and perfect strengths - but the key is to expect little from the coaches in terms of their commitment to the "new" kid, and let the kid play wherever the coach puts him. Vital lessons for parents: opinions are yours - keep them that way. Bryan has a great outlook and I'll be dipped if I point out what is obvious to me. Nothing good can come of it, so we don't go there. You hang on an hope for another year like Bryan's was with Tom Niles and crew. That was enough to rejuvinate us for years to come. You walk away a better person, player and team mate. Life lessons & inspiration. Bryan has had several of them, actually...the Greats.
Joe's Defenders team had a more wide-spread variety of skill-sets and understanding of the great sport of baseball (not surprising at his age bracket)...so his year proved to be more of a challenging year, but his Summer Baseball season has more than made up for it! Summer Ball is nearly over and his team is udefeated. With numerous drastic comebacks from deep in score-hole to double and even triple-play scoring....this team is not powerhouse, but definately a DreamTeam of dirt dogs. Again, he has an awesome coach, and thank God because he'll go right from Summer Ball to football with the same coach - he's ours right into November!
A few pics from the last round (or 2) of sports season...
Now, what DO you suppose that Ump said to get that expression?? Wish I knew...
Kathryn playing goalie for N. Korea (ya, what? N. Korea? I dunno....)
Joey pitching for Defenders
Sunshine & Blue Skies...we're in our glory.
Bryan pitching for Cards.Bryan Pitching - threw short innings, and pitched nearly the whole game. 76 is the max per game...
