Passion

When I retire I am going to collect my thoughts and write a book.  My guess is that I would sell ONE copy!!!   I've got some logic on people's general desire to belong to groups, and some thoughts on the importance of passion in life.  

Rod Stewart had in right when he wrote the following... 

"Even the president needs passion

Everybody I know needs some passion

Some people die and kill for passion

Nobody admits they need passion"

I have come to believe that it's really important to be passionate about something ... not to the crazed level, but probably close...

I suspect people can be passionate about work, church, hobbies, activities, and probably not many limits...  passions change as you age, quality over quantity, and I assume a healthy component of a fulfilling life... I have mine...

Andrew has played hockey for 6 years.  I think it is an amazing TEAM sport.  The movie Miracle, and the whole 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team story is the greatest sport story of all time... but the odd part is that I DON'T skate... never played hockey...

I hope during my parenting years I can help cultivate passions in my kids lives... I’m sure I would do anything to support their passion... not sure it has to be obvious... 

I am sitting at an ice rink watching my son play 3 on 3 at open hockey for the Alliance Bulldogs...

Something STRANGE has happened over the last two weeks...  for each of the last 16 days my son has been on the ice a minimum of an hour, up to three hours...  he asked me to take him to open hockey, and he played a game this morning... he is starting to ask about specific equipment, says his new skates are amazing and is mad the NHL is on strike ... he is stick handling and shooting in the garage... 

I NEVER expect him to play in the NHL... but way more important, I think he may have FOUND IT!!!

"DADDY BALL" Baby!!!

A player on our Texas Glory Adkins Team just quit this weekend, a day before a tournament.  Her Dad sent emails to the Coach, and other parents explaining why his daughter quit the team.  Among numerous factual inaccuracies, and obvious vision problems he was pretty "mean" to the coach.  The Coach has given up his time for the team...  until you've done it you don't know how much time it takes...

Yes, and as hard as it is to believe, he spent a good amount of typing complaining about me.  My goodness, he said our team was all "DADDY BALL".  So, I did a Google search on "DADDY BALL" and found this excerpt from an article.

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 “We lost that game because of Daddy Ball.”  Maybe I am a little slow at times to figure things out, but either way, the light bulb in my head finally turned on and I realized what “Daddy Ball” is all about.   Ah ha!  We blame losses on coach’s kids.  One of the coach’s kids makes an a couple errors and the manager stays with him or the manager’s son is pitching and can’t throw a strike and he leaves him in there and he walks the park.  Manager’s son plays short stop the whole game and can’t catch a cold, costs the team runs, and we never switch him out.   These are only a few of many “Daddy Ball” examples out there, and I am sure that if I were to ask, I would hear a hundred or so more!  Are people who say those things justified?  Are managers and coaches guilty of this?  Is there a way to fix this?

For what it is worth, here are my two cents on the topic.  First of all, it is impossible to rid the world of “Daddy Ball.”  And to be honest, I feel we sometimes use this term as a crutch or a way to justify a loss.  Basically, “Daddy Ball” is playing favorites, plain and simple.  The coach and or manager are accused of playing his favorite players (the coaching staff’s kids) in the most critical positions because of the game because he can. "

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You can also search Google and find the same article.  There is more... but, since I was the "target" of the DADDY BALL comparison, I assume based on what I have read, that Maddie is the reason we occasionally loose our championship game... because Maddie is pitching, or hitting in the position she is...  um, ... if that is his perception, I guess it wouldn't be worth my effort to argue.  And it is probably a good decision for them to move to a better team.

He did give some publicity to this blog... told the parents I was egotistical, and that is why I keep the blog...  I guess he didn't read all the blog posts...

Ten years ago, I would have written a two page email response... now, I have realized that you can't please everyone all the time...

Maui...Nature Calls

Hibiscus

 Bird of Paradise

 Bamboo

 Rainbow Eucalyptus

Ixora

Coconut

Our Picnic Lunch Stop

Along the Road to Hana...

Past the Black Sand Beach but before the Seven Sacred Pools, we pulled off to enjoy our

picnic lunch we picked up at The Hana Bay Juice Company in Paia.  I did enjoy the

coleslaw, which they added pineapple to. We were the only two on the beach.  David's 

hat blew off and I accidentally took a pic.  It looks like I am sitting next to a ghost who is 

disrespecting the baseball hat by wearing it backwards.

Another licensed driver in the house

 We arrived at the Plano DPS at 9 for our 10 AM appt.  Thank goodness for apppts as the line was 

out the door and around the side of the building.  We were able to cut the line and check in for our

 appt at the desk and wait in much shorter lines.  Above, Alex is 4th in line for her driving test.

 Off she goes to begin her road test.  Her test started before her 10 AM appt.

Parallel parking. 

 I passed!

Now a licensed driver.  Off to drive by herself for the first time.

Black Sand Beach

Honokalani Black Sand Beach is located in the Wainapanapa State Park. This large beach is set among lava cliffs and the sand is actually small, smooth, lava pebbles. 

Fairmont Kea Lani Hotel, Wailea, Maui

The Fairmont Kea Lani is Hawaii’s only all suite and villa oceanfront luxury resort, situated on 22 acres of tropical landscape in sunny Wailea, Maui. My notes on the hotel: The hotel offers complimentary beach umbrellas and chairs, coolers for outings, Raod to Hana CD, three swimming pools, including an adults-only pool and two activity pools.  Nicks Seafood Restaurant on site was delicious.  

Lei upon arrival at the hotel.

Follow Up Weekend - Thunderstixx Wish She was Still Sick

So it turns out that Maddie was "sick" the last weekend.  She did have a rash starting the Tuesday before the tournament, said she never felt well.  (See my previous post)

Maddie had a rough weekend in the dirt, so I was excited to get back out there...  our Friday night pool game was cancelled because of rain, and based on a blind draw our first game was Saturday at 9AM against the Thunderstixx.

The Thunderstixx always play late into Sunday and usually place.  They finished first in the last tournament where Maddie wasn't herself.  Maddie had pitched a couple games for them in February as a warm-up.  I wasn't impressed, but they seem to always win.

We beat the Thunderstixx Saturday AM 5-3 and there was never a doubt.  Maddie pitched 4 innings with 8 Ks and ended the game with a K.  Not a "pulled" solid hit.  Was always in control.

Maddie pitched the late Saturday game against an Oklahoma team and eventual tournament winner.  She did MUCH better than I had expected.  We lost 2-0 with both unearned runs.  A dropped pop-up at second and a double pump from short allowed both runs to score.  Can't win against good teams when don't make routine plays...

The loss dropped us to the loser's bracket and we played the Thunderstixx again Sunday AM.  Again, Maddie was dominant and we won 3-0.  Maddie had 7 Ks in 5 innings and was never in doubt...  the Thunderstixx had a good tournament, except when they faced Maddie...

We lost the game after, Maddie rested a few innings on the bench...  she wants to play all the time...  working on our outfield skills...

She pitched and hit well....

Sometimes You Win... Sometimes You Loose...

Over the last few years I can think of dozens of games that you have to say "Maddie won".  Games where either her pitching or her hitting were the differentiator and absolutely caused the team to win.

Playing in an important pool game in a VTD Qualifier Maddie went to left field.  The game was tied 3-3 with time expired.  Bases were loaded with two outs.  Maddie was hit a high fly ball...  she was under it... it hit her palm and popped out...  we ended up loosing 7-3.

You learn more about a person under duress than in good times.

I didn't yell at Maddie.

Maddie was appropriately disappointed, embarrassed and apologized to teammates for loosing the game.  I saw it happen...  I also saw her teammates say "no problem"...

After the coaches talk, Maddie was appropriately quiet...  and waited a few minutes by herself...

The neat thing about softball...  is there is always another game...

We had a good talk about being prepared, practice makes perfect, everyone makes mistakes, "get-em" next time, shake it off,...  all on the ride home...  actually, one of our better talks on the ride home...  proud of my kid...

A Dad's Job

Sometime a Dad's job is to listen to your kids...  nah...  they are kids, what do they know?...  just kidding...

Alex just finished a 3 1/2 hour practice in Red Oak, Texas... about 45 minutes away...

Alex is in the white socks and blue shirt...  she was asked to play on the 18U Texas Wildcats Gold team...   the team is pretty good and has about 1/2 the players as high school seniors and graduates...  I think the mix of players and coaches got her to accept the offer to play...

Now she will have a busy summer...

http://www.texaswildcatsgold.com/

Fun Sight for Me

Yesterday after dinner Alex and Maddie went and played catch in front of our house...  threw for about 15 minutes... need to make sure they keep doing the "together" part...

Texas Glory 14U won 3rd place out of 20 teams at the Frisco Pink Out on May 27, 2012.

Maddie pitched:

1) 5 innings vs. Xtremem Heat 99 - pool

2) 5 innings vs. Texas Force Soliz - win - bracket

3) 8 innings vs. Axe Weichel - win - bracket in ITB

4) 5 innings vs. Team Assault - win - bracket

5) 6 innings vs. Dallas Tigers - win - bracket in ITB

6) 7 innings vs. Oklahoma Storm - loss bracket

36 total innings in two days....  26 on Sunday...  was definitely not throwing as hard at the end, but still getting Ks...  relied on change-up the last few games...

The kid is a pitcher....

Not to get lost in the pitching...  Maddie was freakin' crazy at the plate too...

1) Tripled over right fielder's head in last at bat against Oklahoma Storm...  I said "tripled"....  190 feet in air...
2) Doubled over third/short and slid into second...  aggressive running... I said "stretched a single into a double and slid"
3) Slid into catcher at home - safe!!!
4) Has a streak of 6 straight hits/on base
5) Struck out once
6) Probably had 15 hits in 9 games
7) Had 3 hits against AXE