The summer is speeding along and tomorrow is a day we've all been looking forward to. Aunt S arrives, along with cousins B and M, for a week and a half visit. We haven't seen them since our trip to Hawaii last summer. The kids love spending time with their cousins, and we have some fun things planned. Aunt K has been busily making plans for a dolphin watch eco cruise, a dinner show at Medieval Times, and a visit to Disney Quest. In between, we'll spend a lot of time hanging out around the pool, and probably hit the beach at least once. And of course, since we can't go for more than a two day stretch without baseball around here, we'll go to a few games. Team TP plays locally Thursday night and J is stoked because Aunt S, Cousin B, and Cousin M have never gotten to see him play. The whole family is planning on attending. We should fill the bleachers and give TP a good cheering section. There's also the tournament on the weekend, though I'm not sure who all will go to that.
We get together every year for an extended family vacation. This is one of the "off" years, when we stick closer to home and do more low key things. No matter where we are or what we do though, we always manage to have a great time.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Tournament Weekend Three, FAU Showdown
Okay, here's the rundown on Team TP's third tournament. On Saturday they played two games. The first ended in a 2-2 tie and the second they won, 7-4. They were scheduled to play at 3:00 Sunday afternoon. Around 1:45, Coach C received word that we were on a lightening delay until 4:30. Then about an hour later, he received word that the team we were supposed to play had decided to forfeit. He called a team meeting in the hotel lobby. At that time, he explained that the other team forfeited because they were already in the semi finals. TP was the 1 seed and we were scheduled to play at 8:00 this morning. The team was left with unexpected downtime, so Coach C organized a game of wiffle ball out behind the hotel. He also imposed a 10:00 curfew on the team and asked that they all be asleep no later than 11:00. Players had to report to the field at 7:00, which meant leaving the hotel around 6:45. Coach C was in need of a ride to the field, so I offered to take him and J while my dad stayed at the hotel to allow N and A to sleep a bit longer. After dropping them off, I went back for the rest of the family and we arrived just as the game began. TP started out rough, making some costly errors. They managed to tie the game up, 3-3 in the third inning, and it appeared for a while that they were going to pull it off. But they started making errors again and by the time they started to rally in the bottom of the sixth, it was too late. They lost 12-7 and took third overall in the tournament.
They have a game Thursday night against a local high school summer team. J is excited about that one because his aunt and cousins will be here visiting. They have never gotten to see him play and Coach C has told him he 'll play first base the entire game. They were going to have a double header on Sunday, but the opposing team backed out. Not wanting them to go two weeks without playing, Coach C has found a tournament in Orlando for them to play in Saturday and Sunday. We're at the halfway point in our summer season and so far, J is loving every minute. They'll take Fourth of July weekend off, then we head to Auburn University for a week long tournament. So far their record in tournament play is 8 wins - 6 losses - 1 tie.
They have a game Thursday night against a local high school summer team. J is excited about that one because his aunt and cousins will be here visiting. They have never gotten to see him play and Coach C has told him he 'll play first base the entire game. They were going to have a double header on Sunday, but the opposing team backed out. Not wanting them to go two weeks without playing, Coach C has found a tournament in Orlando for them to play in Saturday and Sunday. We're at the halfway point in our summer season and so far, J is loving every minute. They'll take Fourth of July weekend off, then we head to Auburn University for a week long tournament. So far their record in tournament play is 8 wins - 6 losses - 1 tie.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Mid Tourney Update
We made it to Boca safely and are all settled in at the hotel. Team TP tied their first game 2-2 and won their second,7-4. Coach C says they are looking good. Today they only play one game, at 3:00. If they lose, they will play one game tomorrow. If they win, they are automatically in the semi finals. So tomorrow could turn into a very long day of games! I hope it does. It would be fantastic for them to go all way this time. We have a while til game time, so we're heading to the hotel pool. I'll update after this afternoon's game. Go TP!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Boca Bound
Hard to believe Team TP is headed for their third tournament of the summer already, but here we are. Tomorrow we travel south to Boca Raton for the FAU Showdown. Due to the fact that Boca is about a three hour drive, we'll be staying over for a few nights for this one. TP has their first game at 10:20, and the second at 3:00. Due to a family event, we will actually miss the games tomorrow and head down tomorrow evening. They'll have two games Sunday, with the possibility of playing in the playoffs Monday. J is super excited about this one. I think the idea of traveling a bit further and having to stay over makes it seem exciting to him. My dad and I, along with N and A will be going with him. Hubby and my mom have to work. J has Coach C's cell number, so I'm sure he'll be texting for game updates throughout the day. I'll try to pop on and update on their progress over the weekend. And look for a full recap by Tuesday. Go TP!
Brotherly Support
Like many siblings, J and N don't always get along. They are very different in personality, temperament, and interests. If they go a whole day without arguing or complaining about each other, I mark it down on the calendar as the day a miracle occurred. But every so often, they make my heart smile when they have each other's backs. This time it's N trying to show support for his brother.
N is not into baseball. At all. In fact, he usually complains about all the time he has to spend at J's games. Loudly. To anyone who will listen. At the start of the summer there was a lot of whining about all the tournaments we'd have to attend. But something has changed in the past week. After last weekend's exciting tournament, N has changed his view on those "boring" tournaments. He suddenly can't wait to get down to Boca this weekend. Now, some of this may be due to the fact that he found the craziness of that last game a little too exciting. I've told him not to expect a repeat. (Hopefully!) But he still insists he wants to go, even after I gave him the option of staying behind with his grandmother. He needs to be there to cheer on Team TP he says. He's spent the week trying to get involved in all the baseball talk that goes on in our house, and asking J questions about his team. He's actually acting proud of his brother, instead of telling him baseball is dumb. I like to think that deep down he really is proud of his big brother, even if he doesn't always show it.
I'm not sure how long this cooperative attitude will last. I'll just enjoy it while it does and when the complaining starts again, I'll have the sweet memory of N cheering on his brother to help me keep my sanity.
N is not into baseball. At all. In fact, he usually complains about all the time he has to spend at J's games. Loudly. To anyone who will listen. At the start of the summer there was a lot of whining about all the tournaments we'd have to attend. But something has changed in the past week. After last weekend's exciting tournament, N has changed his view on those "boring" tournaments. He suddenly can't wait to get down to Boca this weekend. Now, some of this may be due to the fact that he found the craziness of that last game a little too exciting. I've told him not to expect a repeat. (Hopefully!) But he still insists he wants to go, even after I gave him the option of staying behind with his grandmother. He needs to be there to cheer on Team TP he says. He's spent the week trying to get involved in all the baseball talk that goes on in our house, and asking J questions about his team. He's actually acting proud of his brother, instead of telling him baseball is dumb. I like to think that deep down he really is proud of his big brother, even if he doesn't always show it.
I'm not sure how long this cooperative attitude will last. I'll just enjoy it while it does and when the complaining starts again, I'll have the sweet memory of N cheering on his brother to help me keep my sanity.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Stop the Madness
This post has been cooking at the back of my mind since the tournament Sunday. The behavior I witnessed there has me stewing over a problem that we will all come up against if our children play any kind of competitive sports. There is an appalling lack of good sportsmanship and common sense present in youth sports. This is something that I've been aware of for a while now and it really bugs me. When did it become okay for a coach to curse out an umpire? When did it become okay for players to deliberately try to injure a player from an opposing team? When did it become okay for a parent to throw things from the stands? When did winning become so important that it becomes okay to do whatever it takes to win a game, even if it means cheating? The answer to all of these questions is it becomes okay when we allow it to be okay. When parents sit by and allow their children to be coached by a less than stellar coach, they are silently giving their permission for their child to be taught that cheating and playing dirty are more important than playing with class and good sportsmanship. When a coach or parent does not model good sportsmanship and a positive attitude toward competition, kids will follow suit because they are not being taught any better. On the flip side, I firmly believe that if a parents and coaches do model these traits, kids will, too. It's a classic case of kids learning by example. It start with parents. We need to model these trait ourselves, and we need to make sure that the people coaching our children are doing the same. Perhaps if parents started removing their kids from teams with bad coaches, the message would start to seep in. I know there are great coaches are out there. J plays for a great coach now. Sadly, there are just as many not so great coaches out there. So be aware the next time you sign your child up for a sport. Don't accept anything less than the best. After all, this person will be a role model for your child. Make sure they're a positive one.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Tournament Weekend Two, Kissimmee Summer Slam
Team TP played in their second tournament this weekend and it was a doozy! I'll warn in advance that this post may be on the long side. But I promise it will be interesting reading.
Saturday, Team TP started out the day with an 8:00 am game. They poured it on and emerged victorious with a final score of 7-0. J was the designated hitter in that game and unfortunately appeared to be experiencing a slight batting slump. Coach C gave him a pep talk, telling him to keep his head up and he'd be fine. The talk must have worked, because in the second game, he hit a rocket over the center fielder's head. The other team managed to recover and tag him out at second just as he slid into the bag. He did get an RBI though. The second game was progressing along nicely(J was on first base for this one), and Team TP was up 16-4 going into the 6th inning. At that point, I'm not sure if they ran out of gas, got lazy, or what. But things got dicey as they appeared to fall apart defensively and let 6 runs score. Fortunately Coach C got them refocused and they won, with a final score of 16-10. That was it for Saturday games. Late in the day we received word that they were the 1 seed going into today.
Our game time today was not until 3:45, and as the top seeded team we had our choice of being home or visitor. Coach C chose home and the game began. J was again the designated hitter and got another beautiful hit to center field. The game was progressing nicely and Team TP was up 9-1. Again, they started dinking around, making some dumb errors, and allowed four runs in. Still, not so bad. Until a kid hit a grand slam at the top of the 6th and tied the game up. After the completion of the 6th inning, due to approaching darkness and no lights on the field we were on, the umps decided to do something called a Texas tie breaker. The last runner to be thrown out was sent to second base and the defensive team had to try to get three outs. Team TP managed this and then it was our turn. The other coach decided to intentionally walk our first two batters, loading the bases. The third batter got up and slammed the ball deep into the outfield, breaking the tie and giving Team TP the win. Then the fun began. We moved to a lighted field for the championship game. We were again home team. From the start of the game, the coach of the other team behaved badly. Protested every call the ump made regarding balls and strikes, and just generally kept flapping his mouth. One of his players bull rushed our catcher in the third inning and was ejected from the game. He protested that. But it gets better. Our kids were hitting like mad and he didn't like it. Got into a screaming match with the ump, claiming a fair ball was foul and got himself ejected. Took his team off the field. He kept up a steady dialogue of screaming and cursing as he was escorted from the complex. Along the way he screamed in the face of a mother who asked that he kindly refrain from cursing in front of the younger children who were present. about this time, the team came back on the field and play resumed. Our kids were still hitting well. A man from the other team took issue with this and proceeded to heave a full water bottle over the fence. I'm not sure if he was trying to hit our player, the ump, or our coach. He was ejected. The game continued and Team TP was up 5-0. Our hitting was rock solid and our defense as excellent. That's when the tide turned for the worse. The other team apparently decided the only way to get on base was to get walked. And what's a surefire way to get a walk. To get hit. The first batter hit was an "okay, it happens." Second one in a row was a little weird. Coach C changed pitchers. And oddly enough, he hit a batter. Hmm, could that be because they were leaning into the strike zone? Coach C changes pitchers again, and two more batters are hit. They have now managed to walk in 6 runs. From there, our boys were so discouraged. The ump allowed this to continue, made several questionable calls and in the end they lost 9-6. It was a tough one to swallow. I honestly feel like they were cheated out of first place. To rub salt in the wound, the ejected coach was allowed back in to hand out trophies to his team.
We're new to tournament play, so this kind of drama was also somewhat new to us. What saddens me is that people would go to these kinds of lengths to win a game, and the umps allowed it. They had to see what was going on, based on the skill with which our boys played the entire game. It also saddens me that there are young men out there being coached by people who do not truly have their best interests at heart. They are being taught to cheat, throw fits, and bully their way to a win. What saddens me even more is the parents who are apparently okay with this. Had my son been on that team, I would have removed him and we would not be back after the behavior I witnessed tonight.
I would like to commend Coach C for being the kind of coach our boys are lucky to have. Throughout the entire debacle, he kept his cool, never raised his voice, or engaged in the bad behavior that was rampant on the other team. As a result, our boys conducted themselves with class and sportsmanship. Coach C is quite young. Not much older than the players really. He's just completed his first year of college. Sadly, men twice his age could not conduct themselves with class and sportsmanship and be good role models for the young men on their team.
So there you have it. The long, sad story of the Summer Slam Tournament. Team TP took 2nd officially, but unofficially, they are the true champs. At least in this mama's score book.
Saturday, Team TP started out the day with an 8:00 am game. They poured it on and emerged victorious with a final score of 7-0. J was the designated hitter in that game and unfortunately appeared to be experiencing a slight batting slump. Coach C gave him a pep talk, telling him to keep his head up and he'd be fine. The talk must have worked, because in the second game, he hit a rocket over the center fielder's head. The other team managed to recover and tag him out at second just as he slid into the bag. He did get an RBI though. The second game was progressing along nicely(J was on first base for this one), and Team TP was up 16-4 going into the 6th inning. At that point, I'm not sure if they ran out of gas, got lazy, or what. But things got dicey as they appeared to fall apart defensively and let 6 runs score. Fortunately Coach C got them refocused and they won, with a final score of 16-10. That was it for Saturday games. Late in the day we received word that they were the 1 seed going into today.
Our game time today was not until 3:45, and as the top seeded team we had our choice of being home or visitor. Coach C chose home and the game began. J was again the designated hitter and got another beautiful hit to center field. The game was progressing nicely and Team TP was up 9-1. Again, they started dinking around, making some dumb errors, and allowed four runs in. Still, not so bad. Until a kid hit a grand slam at the top of the 6th and tied the game up. After the completion of the 6th inning, due to approaching darkness and no lights on the field we were on, the umps decided to do something called a Texas tie breaker. The last runner to be thrown out was sent to second base and the defensive team had to try to get three outs. Team TP managed this and then it was our turn. The other coach decided to intentionally walk our first two batters, loading the bases. The third batter got up and slammed the ball deep into the outfield, breaking the tie and giving Team TP the win. Then the fun began. We moved to a lighted field for the championship game. We were again home team. From the start of the game, the coach of the other team behaved badly. Protested every call the ump made regarding balls and strikes, and just generally kept flapping his mouth. One of his players bull rushed our catcher in the third inning and was ejected from the game. He protested that. But it gets better. Our kids were hitting like mad and he didn't like it. Got into a screaming match with the ump, claiming a fair ball was foul and got himself ejected. Took his team off the field. He kept up a steady dialogue of screaming and cursing as he was escorted from the complex. Along the way he screamed in the face of a mother who asked that he kindly refrain from cursing in front of the younger children who were present. about this time, the team came back on the field and play resumed. Our kids were still hitting well. A man from the other team took issue with this and proceeded to heave a full water bottle over the fence. I'm not sure if he was trying to hit our player, the ump, or our coach. He was ejected. The game continued and Team TP was up 5-0. Our hitting was rock solid and our defense as excellent. That's when the tide turned for the worse. The other team apparently decided the only way to get on base was to get walked. And what's a surefire way to get a walk. To get hit. The first batter hit was an "okay, it happens." Second one in a row was a little weird. Coach C changed pitchers. And oddly enough, he hit a batter. Hmm, could that be because they were leaning into the strike zone? Coach C changes pitchers again, and two more batters are hit. They have now managed to walk in 6 runs. From there, our boys were so discouraged. The ump allowed this to continue, made several questionable calls and in the end they lost 9-6. It was a tough one to swallow. I honestly feel like they were cheated out of first place. To rub salt in the wound, the ejected coach was allowed back in to hand out trophies to his team.
We're new to tournament play, so this kind of drama was also somewhat new to us. What saddens me is that people would go to these kinds of lengths to win a game, and the umps allowed it. They had to see what was going on, based on the skill with which our boys played the entire game. It also saddens me that there are young men out there being coached by people who do not truly have their best interests at heart. They are being taught to cheat, throw fits, and bully their way to a win. What saddens me even more is the parents who are apparently okay with this. Had my son been on that team, I would have removed him and we would not be back after the behavior I witnessed tonight.
I would like to commend Coach C for being the kind of coach our boys are lucky to have. Throughout the entire debacle, he kept his cool, never raised his voice, or engaged in the bad behavior that was rampant on the other team. As a result, our boys conducted themselves with class and sportsmanship. Coach C is quite young. Not much older than the players really. He's just completed his first year of college. Sadly, men twice his age could not conduct themselves with class and sportsmanship and be good role models for the young men on their team.
So there you have it. The long, sad story of the Summer Slam Tournament. Team TP took 2nd officially, but unofficially, they are the true champs. At least in this mama's score book.
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