A Waypoint on the Journey

I have always said it was about the journey and not the destination, and I am grateful for every softball (baseball) related discussion I have been fortunate to have with my kids.  Competitive sports provides a phenomenal backdrop to real-life issues.

In 2005, I took my 4 year old son on a Father-Son trip to New York City.  Just a weekend trip. We toured Yankee Stadium and went to a Mets game.  That was the true beginning of our family ballpark outings.  Shortly after returning from that trip, my curly haired, dress wearing 8 year old daughter said she wanted to play softball.  Until then I hadn’t given it a second thought.

Alex played Coach pitch softball in FBSA, and struggled mightily. We hadn’t caught the “softball bug”, but I can still remember telling her… “if you connect with a pitch, just make sure you keep running because the ball is going to go a long way.”  The last game of the season she connected and hit a ball over the left fielder’s head for a home run.  I remember that day.

When we moved to Oakville, Ontario Alex played House League (recreational), then Select and then tried-out, and made the Oakville Angels travel softball team.  She was very overmatched early on, and I can remember a streak of 20+ at bats that were all strike outs. 

She was a perfect canvas, and beginning point for my “mechanics” education.  We spent a lot of time at batting cages, in the basement, in the back yard and at fields primarily working on her swing.  I always valued the journey more than the destination.

WOW!!! I have so many fond memories of the times I spent with Alex practicing, and playing softball.

Things I remember:

·         The car ride conversation is best place to talk to your child… “squirrel”
·         Natalie so observant that my kids “ball sports” are my hobby
·         Erie Sports every time we drove from Toronto to Cleveland
·         Family trips to Montreal, Pennsylvania, Chambersburg
·         Father – Daughter trips to Myrtle Beach, Buffalo, Pennsylvania, Napanee, Niagra Falls
·         Softball in Ontario – Oakville Angels and Brampton Blazers
·         Practice every night… practice in gyms…
·         Net and pitching machine in the basement
·         Playing softball in cold (30 degree) weather, Brampton & Port Perry
·         Bat lost in mail from EBAY
·         First Over the fence HR in Brampton
·         Staying in crappy hotels to be with the team 
·         Winter weekend afternoons at Playdium…  the STING of the bat
·         Catching
·         Playing catch in the outfield at Andrew’s provincial tournament when I realized you can catch anything I throw
·         Missing your first Varsity HR while traveling for work… seeing the second.

So, the point to my thought is that I am dealing with the reality that Alex isn’t going to play college softball…  which is OK… she is coming off an enormously successful sophomore season at Frisco High School, both in softball, but more importantly in scholastics.

What took me a while to realize is that the world has changed.  The only people who play competitive 16U/18U softball in the summer are players solely interested in showcase opportunities for playing softball in college.  I have never heard of most of the colleges where players are getting scholarships.  No one plays for fun anymore.  Alex and I have been talking that she will probably not play softball this summer.  I understand.  

I spent most of the last summer coaching, or watching Alex’s sister, Maddie, play softball.  I have had just as much fun on my different journey with Maddie as with Alex.  And as Yoda said “There is another”; he must have been talking about Andrew as our journey is just beginning.

For now, I am going to relish the memories and be a little sad at the same time.  It’s just too easy for Alex to finish school for the day and disappear into homework.  I miss me dragging her to a field or a batting cage...  probably OK for me to be a bit sad…  I have to grow up someday.