I rarely write more than one post in a day, but this one has been brewing in my mind for several days since I've been unsure whether or not I wanted to write and post it. Since this blog is as much a journal of sorts for me as it is a place for family and friends to keep up with us, I decided to go ahead and write the post. Here goes. I warn you, this may get long.
A few weeks ago I posted about J's rapidly approaching future and some of the decisions he'll have to make regarding college and baseball in the next few years. Since then, a situation has come to light that could threaten the dream J has held dear for so long. J is certainly a good ball player. As I stated in that previous post he has a mixture of some God given talent, a love for the game, and a work ethic that is second to none. He's not that one in a million player, but he's determined to make the most of what he has and achieve his dreams. So what's the problem? Coach C had hoped that by this point, he would be seeing certain improvements in J's game. Subtle things like how he fields the ball, how smartly he plays the game, his approach at the plate while hitting, etc. Unfortunately he wasn't seeing those improvements. In fact, he realized that J was missing some fundamental mechanics in his game altogether. How could this happen? How did none of us notice this before? That's easy. Last summer J did well playing for TP and Coach C fully expected that his school team combined with his training program would help him make the necessary improvements needed to take his game to the next level. Keep in mind that Coach C was away at school and had not actually seen J play in many months. Fast forward to the current TP season and the alarm bells started going off. J seemed to be at a plateau with his game, lacking the finesse that would carry him further. During last weekend's tournament, J had a pretty rough game, making three very costly mental errors that forced Coach C to pull him from first base for the remainder of the tournament. That alone was enough to shake J up, but the worst was yet to come. Coach C told him if he didn't manage to pull it together, he wouldn't be able to play first base at all this summer. Not only that, if he continues to plateau, his dream of college baseball could end before it begins. Needless to say, J was devastated, I was heartbroken at the thought that my firstborns dream could be crumbling, and it was no picnic for Coach C either. Remember that he and J have shared a special bond from the beginning and I know it wasn't easy for him to have to be so tough on J. Many serious discussions and gallons of tears(mine) ensued. So again, where did J miss learning these mechanics? Coach C says he should have been being taught these things at the high school level. It isn't something he would have learned at the Little League level. That brings me to something that until now I've avoided talking about on the blog except in the most general of terms. J's school baseball program. To be blunt, it's terrible, probably one of the worst if not the worst in our county. It's really nothing more than daddy ball, a hot bed of brown nosing and politics. The boys really are not taught anything at all. It's simply an extension of Little League. Coach C flat out said J's school program has failed him. However, all of the blame is not at the feet of the school program. J shares some blame in this, too. We knew that the school program was nothing great and warned J he needed to be very careful not play down to the level of the program. It may have been sub conscious but I believe he did exactly that. His JV coach usually told him he was doing a good job, he was hitting decently, and managing to play a couple of positions that were not his usual. It was a very short season, only eight games for JV, so J had a lot of time between the end of the school season and the start of the TP season. I won't spend a lot of time harping on the poor quality of the school program. I've done that, bending Coach C's ear numerous times throughout the season, as well as hubby's. Bottom line is there is really nothing we can do about the school program. But we can do something about J's problem.
One of the things I respect the most about Coach C is the fact that he always plays it straight with J. If J's having a problem or not getting something right, he says so. He doesn't pump sunshine and tell J that he's the greatest thing baseball has seen since Babe Ruth. He's honest with him, both as a coach and a friend. This is no different. Once Coach C had talked to J and to hubby and I about the issues, he set out to do everything he can to help J get over this hurdle and continuing on down the road to his dream. So what's the plan? It's simple. Good old fashioned hard work, along with a crash course in the mechanics that J's missing. Coach C has enlisted the help of the entire TP coaching staff,which includes himself, Coach K,the assistant coach, Coach P the infield coach, and Coach C Senior, the speed and agility coach and Coach C's dad. Also on board is Coach C's roommate T, who plays on the club team at UF and is the son of Coach P. Got all that straight? They're all doing everything they can to give J extra time in practice, working with him on the things he is missing, and encouraging him. Last Tuesday night, Coach C, Coach P, and T spent two hours working exclusively with J on his fielding mechanics. Watching the session, I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders. In the back of my mind I think I had feared that the mechanics J was missing would be so huge that he'd never catch up to where he needs to be. But that's not the case. By the end of that session, he'd already made improvements. Coach C is pleased with him and keeps assuring me he's going to be just fine. J will be working daily on the things that the coaches are going over with him because repetitive practice is what's needed here. This weekend, he showed improvement. The differences are subtle, but are evident even to my untrained eye. He fielded the ball with a little more finesse, he's a bit more graceful with his footwork, and most importantly his confidence is up and he's determined to be where he needs to be very soon. He's been struggling some with hitting, too, but did quite well there this weekend as well. Overall, we're all pleased with how he did and as always are extremely proud of him. If sheer heart and hard work could achieve his dreams, J would have this thing sewn up.
I do want to say that I am so thankful that J has a coach, role model, mentor, and friend like Coach C. It's no secret that Coach C is a dear friend to us all, which made this situation both easier and more difficult. Easier because it's so evident how much he cares about J and wants him to succeed. Another coach might have blown him off or given up on him but not Coach C. He's in this with J to the very end, wherever that may be. In one of my more tearful moments, I suggested that perhaps if J's difficulties were going to make him a liability to the team it would be better if I pulled him. Coach C did not take kindly to that idea and promptly let me know exactly how he felt about it. It made me cry when he said that J will always have a place on his team and that he most definitely has a lot to contribute to the team. Then he forbid me to ever try and pull J from the team which made me laugh and lightened the moment. On the flip side, that very loyalty and affection for J makes the situation harder. I never want Coach C to be put in the position of having to defend himself to other players or parents for the decisions he makes regarding J. I never want him to feel like his friendship with all of us would be in jeopardy if things don't turn out exactly the way J dreams they will. I told him he means too much to all of us for that to ever happen. The fact that he would move mountains for my kid simply makes me love him more, for I do believe he will do everything in his power to help J achieve his dreams. He also said something to me while I was weepy and sad, not knowing what to do to help J turn things around that really helped put things in perspective for me. "Mrs. M, J is so much more than just baseball. He's going to go far in life no matter what he does because you and Mr. M have raised him right." And he's absolutely right. We have done our very best to raise a son who is kind hearted, compassionate, full of life, and not afraid to dream dreams that are brighter than the stars. J may achieve his greatest dream or he may not. But no matter what happens, he's going to know that he gave it his all. And that he had more love and support than most people could ever imagine. Which is why I decided to go ahead and write this post. Our family and friends have been so supportive of J as he takes this journey, it only seemed right to share the hard times as well as the good.
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