This post is a bit late in coming because I was hoping to have some positive results to report. TP got off to a shaky start here in Auburn. Their first game ended in a 6-2 loss, mostly due to errors. Coach C was not happy with them and told them they needed to man up and play ball like he knew they could. The second day they played in two games, both at the Auburn University baseball stadium. Their first game started out poorly, but they rallied and ended up with a 4-4 tie. Their second game was dismal, ending in a 5-2 loss when it was called early due to a thunderstorm. They might have rallied, but we'll never know. Following that game, Coach C was, to put it bluntly, pissed. They were not playing with the heart and fire that has become their trademark this summer. He called a team meeting for 10:30 in the parking lot of the hotel and told them to wear running shoes. They discussed what was going wrong and ran sprints and suicides for about 45 minutes. He also took the time to point out a strength of each player. And wiped the slate clean. Today when TP took the field, they had their fire back, and proved it with a 4-2 win. Coach C was pleased, not just with their win, but with how they played. It's not the losses that upset him, it's how they earn those losses. Simply being out played is one thing. Handing games away is another. When they play with heart and give him their all, he's proud of them, win or lose.
We're finished here, and will head home in the morning. a few families left tonight, along with Coach C and Coach K. But several of us just didn't want to start an 8 hour drive this late in the day. If we get an early start, we'll make it home by late afternoon. Drive safely home TP families!
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