I didn't know exactly how to title this, but the way I wrote the title is the way I feel. We have watched our son playing baseball every year since he was 8 years old, and now it's over.
We put Alex in Little League when he was 8 years old. I don't remember the exact situation, but I think we lied about his age to get him into the non competitive spring league season because he was too good for T-ball. He was always good at throwing a ball.
He made the summer competitive team when he was 10. This was a very good local team and we were one out away from going to the Provincial championships that year. He made the summer competitive team every year from then until he was 16 years old. Never the team super star, but he always improved enough to make the team again the following year.
I think he was about 13 years old when he decided his goal was to play college baseball in the United States.
For those of you who don't know, the majority of Canadian colleges don't have a baseball program, and if they do, it is only a very limited fall season. So for anybody wanting to play college baseball, you pretty much have to go the U.S..
But if you're not a superstar, it's pretty tough for a young Canadian kid to make the team at a U.S. college. Especially if you're a freshman. But, he got himself onto a team in upstate NY, and signed up for school. He had two good years there and was team co-captain the second year. He transferred to an NCAA Div lll University for his 3rd and 4th year. He was a little intimidated by the level of play, and during fall tryouts he didn't think he was going to make the team. But he persevered, and he proved to the coach that he was smart and hard working. This past year, he was named team co-captain again.
But now it's all over. Ruth has gone to pick him up from school tomorrow, and although he's got one more year down there to finish his math degree, his baseball career is over.
Not too many kids can say they fulfilled a childhood dream, but that's what he did.
I'm going to miss it.
You guys can be rightfully proud of that young man, Sam takes many midwest college teams on the bus and the games are always very fiercly competative, just great baseball. He will undoubtable benfit for the rest of his life from his participation, be safe out there. Sam & Donna
ReplyDeleteHi Ruth here, I'm at my dad's so Kevin couldn't confer with me when he wrote the post, but I have to make a correction here. We lied about his age in T-ball when he was four because he wasn't suppose to play until he was 5 years of age. With Little League we couldn't do that as they have to have proper identification (his birth certificate)so he couldn't play until he was legally 8 years old.
ReplyDeleteKevin is right though, we sure will miss his baseball!
Ruth
I so know the feelings of a parent not seeing their son/daughter playing in a sport they played in for a long time. We felt very similar feelings when our son was finished playing basketball. We are grateful as now we can watch him coach basketball. He has coached AAU basketball for many years and this past year he coached high school girls.
ReplyDeleteLike someone else said, you definitely can be proud of your son and the job you did as parents.
Ahhh yes, I felt the same way at the last school concert we attended when Heather was a senior. We had sat on so many metal folding chairs over the years, watching her sing her heart out. Solos, competitions and awards... all done. Erin was in band so we sat through many band concerts and orchestras. All the bleacher butts from watching the boys basketball and baseball games!
ReplyDeleteBut guess what? Now we have GRANDCHILDREN! And they will sing, play sports, be in plays, and science fairs and school events. In a short time, it will be back in the bleachers or on the metal folding chairs with these aging grandparents butts!
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Karen and Steve
(Our Blog) RVing: Small House... BIG Backyard
http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/
Ali...Thank you for your thoughts. Yes I am sure we will still see him play or maybe even coach some day. During the summer he is going to play on a men's softball league (beer league, so he won't be totally out of it.
ReplyDeleteYes, we are definitely proud of him!
Karen and Steve....Yes perhaps one day there will be grandchildren and they will play ball.
I certainly won't miss the bleacher butt or the cold days/nights bundled up trying to watch a game. All the same it will be missed.