The Next Step

Today I watched J and Coach C on the field during J's last full training session before the showcase this weekend.  I always enjoy watching the two of them together on the field, but today my view was blurred by the tears that kept spilling from my eyes.  These were not sad tears, but proud mama tears.  This weekend J is taking a step in his baseball career that could change the course of his future.  He's worked and trained so hard to get to this point and I admire him so much for sticking with his goal.  Over the years there have been ups and downs, as many disappointments as there have been triumphs, yet J has never wavered from his determination to become the best baseball player he can be.  Watching him today, I saw not only the athlete on the cusp of adulthood, but the tiny boy whose bat was almost bigger than he was.  Who first piped up in that small, four year old voice, "Mama, I'm  going to be a ball player when I grow up."  Images ran like a film reel through my mind, all of the practices, games, and moments that have molded J into the player he is today.  I tried to hide my tears from him, though he knows how sentimental and emotional I get, so I'm sure he noticed.  Just as I'm sure it won't be the last tears I shed over this showcase.  Showcases happen all the time, with talented young players taking the same steps J is taking to realize their dreams.  He's certainly not the first or last young ball player to follow this path.  But this is one of those moments that is hitting me right in the spot in my heart that is reserved for my firstborn.  I loved watching him run through drills with Coach C, watching the two of them sitting in my living room taping J's bats, and just sharing that special bond they share.  Coach C was originally supposed to go to the showcase with us.  However, he's at a crucial point in studying for his upcoming LSAT exam, so he's going to stay behind and we'll update him throughout the weekend.  While J is disappointed that Coach C won't be able to be there, he's also glad to have to the chance to offer his support to Coach C, the way Coach C has always done for him.  That makes the proud mama tears spill over, too, because while they may have become coach and player purely by chance, they've become friends and brothers by choice.  At this rate, I'm going to be a soggy mess by Sunday night! We really are all very excited about this weekend.  It's such a huge opportunity for J to go out there and hopefully catch the eye of some college coach.  No matter what though, he can be proud of the fact that he has held onto a dream that began so long ago, that is coming closer and closer to possibly becoming a reality.  I know J is strong enough to grab hold of that dream with both hands and never let go.  Good luck this weekend baby!  This is your moment and I know you're going to shine!  

Showcase Countdown

Where will you be two weeks from today?  I know where I'll be; watching J at his very first showcase.  That's right.  In two weeks, J will be out on the field, being coached and evaluated by college coaches and scouts.  All the years of hard work, training, triumphs, and disappointments, will come together in a single weekend as my baby goes out there and takes a shot at the next stage of his life's dream.  He, as always, is cool as a cucumber, quietly confident in his ability to do a good job.  I, as always, have nerves enough for both of us.  Along with the nerves comes excitement.  He's worked for this for so long and we are so proud of him for never giving up on a dream that may never happen.  The showcase is a weekend long affair.  The day before, J, hubby, myself, my dad, and Coach C will travel the four or so hours to the showcase location so we can get J settled and well rested before his big day.  That evening there is early check in, followed by a college recruiting seminar.  Then the next morning, J will report to the field for a workout and evaluation, followed by games that afternoon and the next day. Hopefully, one or more of the coaches watching will recognize everything J has to offer a team.

Back to those nerves of mine and J's lack thereof. I think he's able to bury the nerves for the most part for a couple of reasons.  First, I worry enough for everybody.  J often tells me I worry so he doesn't have to.  Second, he will have his greatest support system in tow.  J knows that hubby and I support him 110%, and will continue to do so, no matter what.  But along with us, he'll have the two most influential people in his baseball career with him.  My dad fostered the love J has for the game from the time he was a tiny baby.  He taught, coached, and encouraged for many years.  He doesn't say much but I know it means a lot to him to be there when J takes this monumental step.  Last but not least, having Coach C there is just the way it should be.  His coaching, training , and support mean the world to J, and being able to look up from that field and see Coach C there supporting him will effectively bury any lingering nerves J may have.  Hubby, my dad, and Coach C may not share my nerves when J takes the field, but I know they'll share my pride.  Pride and love for a young man who has quietly worked towards a dream that is so close he can almost reach out and grab it.

 

Moving Forward

J has just completed his junior season for his high school team.  It was a season that had a lot of ups and downs, both triumphs and disappointments, and as always, J handled it all with class and good sportsmanship.  Last night we attended the team banquet and J got a very pleasant and unexpected surprise. His teammates voted him the recipient of the 110% award.  This award is given to a player who goes above and beyond for his team.  J was stunned when his name called, and I don't think he's stopped smiling since being handed his plaque.  It means a lot to him to know that his teammates saw and appreciated everything he brought to the team.  Here he is with his award:

So what's next for J?   The summer was a little uncertain after the sad disbanding of TP.  But it didn't take long for Coach C to come up with a new plan of action for J.  That plan includes a lot of one on one training with Coach C once he gets home for the summer, which should be any day now.  And on the first weekend in June, J will be attending the Perfect Game Sunshine East Showcase, where he'll get the chance to be evaluated by and play in front of college coaches and scouts.  He's nervous, excited, and determined to go out there and show what he's really made of.  We talked briefly about finding him a new team to play on, but Coach C felt his bet was to spend the summer training hard, attending a showcase or two, and then joining a team in the fall.  J is looking forward to his summer, even if it will be a bit different from what he had originally planned.  So stay tuned for training updates and a report on how J's very first showcase goes.

End of an Era

Anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows all about J's time with TP.  Heck, anyone who knows us period, knows about TP.  Playing on the team was a tremendous opportunity for J.  He grew and developed so much as a player, and was looking forward to another fun filled summer with the team.  So it's with a heavy heart that I am writing this post to report that TP will not have a summer team this year.  What happened?  It's simple really.  In the past few days, Coach C discovered some players had decided to go play for another team, leaving us without enough players to field a competitive team.  He and the owner of the TP organization were left with a difficult decision.  Scramble and try to scrape together players or let the team go, allowing the remaining players to move on.  Hard as it is, they made the latter decision.  The official email went out tonight, though I've known for several days it was coming.  Coach C had called over the weekend to let us know what was happening.  I have such a range of emotions over this.  Sadness, because TP was like a family and will be dearly missed.  Anger, because those same players had previously committed to TP.  To me, they're letting down not only their fellow teammates, but Coach C.  But we all have to make the choices in life that seem the best for us.  I sincerely wish them well.  Or I will once I get over the mad.  I'm also feeling gratitude because without TP, J would not be where he's at in regards to baseball.  TP has been an important part of his baseball career.  One that will never be forgotten as he moves forward down the road to his most heartfelt dream.  Most importantly, I feel blessed to have come away from this team with something much more important than baseball, the love and friendship of someone who has truly become a treasured part of our family.  Coach C most certainly got more than he bargained for the day he chose J for TP.   And yet, he keeps coming back for more!  Seriously, we all love Coach C dearly and will forever be grateful for the friendship we've forged.  So even though the TP era is ending, we're remaining upbeat and positive.  And making new plans for J.  Just because he's lost the team, doesn't mean he's losing Coach C.   Coach C is planning to work intensely with J over the summer, training him, making him stronger, and taking him to a couple of showcases.  Hubby and I think J will really benefit from having such intense instruction.  J, who always responds well to Coach C's coaching, will hopefully make big strides this summer in regards to his game.  He's feeling a little raw right now.  Losing the team is a blow, but he'll ultimately be fine.  He has so much love and support behind him, plus he has a coach who's always been willing to put everything he had into developing J as a player.  I've often said that if he could  Coach C would move mountains for J and vice versa.   The two of them are a remarkable team. This summer will be different, yet exciting as we see just where the journey will take us next.  As hubby said earlier this evening, part of the journey is ending, but the most important steps could be just up ahead.  

Heart of a Champion

This post has been brewing in my mind for a few weeks.  Sometimes it takes a little while for me to figure out exactly what I want to say and how to say it.  The idea for this post popped into my head during one of J's recent games, as I watched him assisting a fellow player in strapping an ice pack to his sore arm.  There are several things that college coaches, or any coach for that matter, look for in a player.  How well can he field the ball?  How well can he hit?  Is he fast or slow running the bases?  Is his arm strength good?  How well can he play the game?  All of those things are extremely important in a player.  Some players will be stronger in some areas than in others.  Some players will be equally strong in all areas.  A good team tends to be a mixture of players with different strengths that compliment each other.  But there is something else that many coaches look for.  Something that is often overlooked, though it is just as important to a team as a strong hitter.  It's an intangible quality that encompasses several traits.  Sportsmanship, effort, dedication, work ethic, and willingness to be a team player.  I suppose a simple way to describe it is heart.  Every team needs a strong heart.  Someone who boosts everyone up when they're having a rough game, is unfailingly loyal to his team, and most of all, loves the game with every fiber of his being.  As you may have guessed, the intangibles is where J shines the most.  Sure, he can play the game with the best of them.  He's a good little ball player.  But if I had to choose the one area that nobody can beat him on, it would be as the heart of the team.  I think Coach C would agree with me.  In fact, it's that very quality that led Coach C to choose J for his team in the first place.  All the other stuff, according to Coach C can be taught and honed.  But true heart is just there.  And J has it in spades.  His is always the loudest voice in the dug out, cheering his teammates on during batting.  If he's taking his turn sitting the bench, he's cheering them on in the field.  If someone makes a mistake, J is the one offering encouraging words and a pat on the back.  Likewise, he's the first one to praise a teammate for a nice play or a great hit.  He's the first one to offer to share his drinks or snacks or to help with anything that needs doing before or after a game.  To him, it doesn't matter if the team is winning or losing.  They're his team, therefore they're important to him.  J approaches every game with the attitude that it will be a win, that everyone will play great, and even if it doesn't turn out that way, he never lets it get him down.  He's always willing to do whatever his team or coach need him to do, whether it's hauling equipment or playing a position he doesn't usually play.  Whatever it is, J is always willing to step up and do his part.  He truly is the heart of any team he plays on.  And I am so proud of him for that.  As a mother, to see my child demonstrate such a winning attitude means more to me than if he were hitting home runs every game.  And it's my sincere hope that sometime in the not so distant future, some college coach will look at J and see what Coach C did.  A player who can not only play the game well, but brings with him the true heart and soul of the game.

Update From The Diamond

J is four weeks into his junior baseball season at school.  So far the team is struggling a bit, with a record of 2 wins and 8 losses.  Hopefully that record will improve as the season moves along.  As for J, he is personally having a good season so far.  When the season first began, J didn't get to play for the first several games.  Paying your dues and doing  time on the bench is just a part of high school baseball. It's what he does with the opportunities he does get that matter and he's making the most of every minute of playing time.  He's played the last six games, and has done really well.  He's been playing second base, which is very different from first base, which is J's best position.  He's handled it well, working as hard as he can to do a good job for his team.  At the beginning he made some mistakes, but the past few games he's done really well, fielding the ball with skill and finesse.  He's settled into a rhythm with his hitting, too.  The first few games he put the bat on the ball, but ended up grounding out or flying out.  There were a couple of unfortunate strike outs.  But the last three games he's gotten legitimate hits, beautiful line drives that will hopefully keep coming.  There's still a lot of season left and J really wants to make his mark.

Last night's game was a special one for him.  Even though Coach C has coached him for close to two years, he had never been able to attend one of J's high school games since he's away at school during the school season.  He's home on spring break though, and for the first time got to attend a game last night.  We kept it a secret from J for several weeks, wanting to surprise him.  He ended up putting two and two together though since he knew Coach C was home.  He was both excited and nervous, saying it would be strange having Coach C there as a spectator rather than a coach.  And more than ever, he wanted to play well so he could make Coach C proud of him.  Happily, he did just that.  Coach C was very pleased with how J played.  An added bonus was that Coach C's roommate T and his dad, Coach P, who helped with TP last summer, also came to the game.  Not only did they help with TP, they specifically helped J when he was working to fix those bad habits he fell into.  It meant the world to J to look up from his spot at second base and see part of his TP family there to support him.

I never doubted for a minute that J would play well with Coach C there.  Not only was it his pride on the line, but he simply wants to please Coach C, who has done so much for him.  Beyond that, they just have a quiet, unshakable bond that always warms my heart.  It's been nearly two years since J decided he wanted to play travel ball.  A chance phone call to the owner of TP set it all in motion.  Not only was J lucky enough to get Coach C for a coach, they were lucky enough to forge a bond of friendship that is as strong off the field as it is on.  For Christmas, J gave Coach C a baseball with a picture of the two of them on it.  Under the picture are the words, "Coach and player by chance, friends by choice."  Those words perfectly sum up their relationship.  

Play For Him

J recently made the varsity baseball team at his school and is poised for his junior season.  For some reason, this season has me more sentimental than usual.  Perhaps because I know J only has two school seasons and two TP summers left before he hopefully makes the next step in his baseball career, partially fulfilling a dream he's had since he was tiny.  To be a ball player.  He's worked so hard to get to this point that I think he sometimes forgets some of the memories that have accumulated over the years.  I haven't forgotten a one.  I thought it would be nice, at the start of this all important junior season, to look back at J's baseball career to this point.  To share some of my favorite moments along this journey that has both the possibility of being over in a blink or taking a whole new direction that J dreams of.

J was born with a love for baseball.  Or so it seems.  I suppose it's really more accurate to say my dad nurtured that love from the cradle.  I have fond memories of J propped in my dad's lap as a baby watching the Yankees on TV.  Of my dad taking him to his first minor league game when he was about two years old and to his first Yankee game by the time he was 5.  When he was three, my dad couldn't wait any longer to get him playing and we signed him up for a little team at the Y.  They played for an hour every Sat, a half hour of practice, followed by a half hour game.  I don't think my dad could have been prouder had we been in a major league ball park somewhere.  Not too long after that J told me for the first time, "Mommy, I'm going to be a baseball player when I grow up."

Next came the Little League years.  Those were years that had too many good times to count.  For my dad and J those years are the ones that cemented the bond they share over baseball.  Every spring brought a new team, new friends, some familiar faces, and happy times spent watching J develop as a player.  During those years, we called him our tortoise because he wasn't always the fastest, or the showiest, or the best player, but he was always the most hard working and dependable. When he was young, nothing and nobody could tarnish his love for baseball.  Those years also brought J his first taste of heartbreak when he was passed over for the All Star team more than once.  Even then, our boy kept his chin up and didn't let it get him down for long.   He just kept playing, and he kept telling me that someday he'd be a ball player, just wait and see.

After the Little League years, he moved onto high school ball.   Again, there have been triumphs as well as disappointments.  It's to be expected I suppose.  If everything in life came easily, things would have less meaning.  Last year, J wrote an essay for English class about his dreams of baseball.  I posted  about it at the time and will share it again here:  In His Own Words.  And of course, along with the high school years have come the TP years.  It was at the end of his freshman season that J tried out for Coach C and began what has been one of the best parts of his baseball journey.  A year ago, Coach C did a guest post sharing his thoughts on J's training and dreams.  You can revisit that post here: A Word from Coach C.  We all continue to be so grateful that J has Coach C, who continues to train, coach, and mentor him through this phase of his baseball career.  And I sincerely hope that at some point in the not so distant future I can ask him to do another guest post.  This time sharing his thoughts on  J's successful attempt at playing college baseball.

So here we are, on the cusp of J's junior season. And he's still telling me to wait and see. That he's going to be a ball player.   Immediately after the school season ends, the TP season will begin.  And while I'm looking forward to watching all those games, it's a little bittersweet  knowing that those games are getting numbered.  That all too soon,  it will be his senior season.  And then his final TP season.  At that point I hope that all the years of  hard work pay off and J will realize the next stage of his dream.  And that he'll know that every minute he spent on a field instead of with his friends or playing video games or going to parties will have been worth it.  And even if it doesn't work out exactly as he hopes it will, he'll know that he gave it everything he had and then some.  And that all those years, all those moments, all of the triumphs and disappointments led him to where he is.  The other day I came across the following quote and it fits J perfectly.  It's something I hope he'll keep in his mind  and in his heart when he takes the field for the first game of the season.

Somewhere behind the athlete you've become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is a little boy who fell in love with the game and never looked back.  Play for him.