the coach

it's the job of a parent, i think, to expose your children to new things...encourage new experiences...and support them in finding what they like to do in life...

we have struggled a bit with getting lilly to try things that are out of her comfort zone.  she gets very comfortable, and change stresses her out sometimes (so evidenced by tears the last two times we've changed dance studios). 

for the most part, she has a great social life, and devotes time to dance and theatre, but not much else.  the other kids have some athletic endeavors, and they haven't appealed to lilly much.

there's a 4th and 5th grade city-wide track meet...and in 4th grade, lilly dismissed participating immediately.  (she did the same for the 1 mile fun run for 4th and 5th graders, too...) but then 5th grade came...and the 1 mile fun run could meet part of her gym class requirements...so she did it.  and then came the city-wide track meet.  and we encouraged her to give it a go...and she did.  and with very little training or practice, she ran...but more importantly, she placed 7th in the city in the high jump!

spring forward to 7th grade when middle schoolers can now participate in school-sponsored sports (which is kind of ironic, in that the sports program is run by the local community center).  lilly has struggled with the 'big picture' of her middle school at times - she has a few close friends, but she dislikes the masses.  she doesn't like that they wear so much makeup and try so hard to be popular.  and she doesn't like that they swear.  and really, i'm glad she doesn't like those things!

and when the notes came home that track was starting, we encouraged her to give it a try.  perhaps expand her circle.  but she said some of 'those kids' run track.  with some encouraging words, she agreed to step out of that comfort zone and give it a try (and realized after talking to a few of her best friends, that they were actually doing track, too...)

i was nervous for her when it came time to address the practice and meet schedule with her coach.  lilly was already committed to dance one night a week, as well as nearly 2 weeks off from school for vacation and to work at 'my' convention.  when i made the coach aware, i was very delighted with her response that she would work with lilly on whatever she could do.

and so she started practice.  and she started running on the treadmill at home.  and it rained ALL THE TIME, so even when she was practicing, it wasn't necessary the kind of training she needed for the events she wanted to run.

and she's never really run before, and it was a challenge. and then we left for spring break.  and she missed several practices.  and then she missed the first meet.

when we returned, there was a meet that very day. and since lilly had been absent, she sat with her coach to discuss a game plan, and to learn to take stats at this meet, until they could determine what she could run at the meet 2 days later.

coach gigi. 

and finally, yesterday...her first meet.  i know she was nervous.  she had no idea what running those events would be like.

i sent her a good luck text while she was riding the bus to the meet (disadvantages of 4 kids...missed her first ever track meet....) 

and here's where the story gets good (thanks for reading this far...)

she ran her first event.  800 meters.  and then sent me this text:

I got about 3:21 in the 800....only 2 people finished after me

"Okay...it was your first time - I'm sure you did great!" I responded.

 and here's where it gets priceless:

In the second lap i was dead tired but kept me going was quarter of the way through coach gigi yelled out, come on lilly almost there you can do it don't give up...that really gave me much needed boost

i'm teary-eyed reading it again.

"Good! That's what coaches are for!" I type.

I know...I need to thank her 4 it later

she had one more event to run.  the 400  meters.

400...1.20... last place :(

"Last place doesn't matter - just try to be faster next time :)"

Only got last place by about an inch.

and that made me smile.

she got home and recanted some of the stories, and said that she did thank coach gigi after her last event.

today...at practice...coach gigi told lilly that when she thanked her, it was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to her as a coach.

i think coach gigi, much like many other coaches and  teachers, know they're making a difference in the lives of these kids, but almost never hear it.  i'm very glad that mine can see, appreciate, and share thanks with them, even if it's only a rare occasion.

i know coach gigi will keep cheering lilly on.  and maybe lilly's words will help coach gigi when she's dead tired, too.  i'm certain she deserves it.

baseball buddy

so it was soccer night at the loons game the other night...and as we have four soccer players, we were afforded some great opportunities to participate in special events at the game...

first, molly's team played a little game on the front lawn of Dow Diamond...

does the girl know how to strike a pose, or what?!

while she was playing out front, i ventured inside with Porter, who was selected as a Baseball Buddy for the night....



we checked in at guest services and he got his special 'baseball buddy' tshirt...he had a little bit of time to relax (so we watched some of Molly's game out front) before he had to report back and get his 'instructions'...

he ventured down through the grounds crew entrance to the field, and i was directed to the best picture taking spot...and i didn't know how perfect it would be until later...

he had a bit of time to wait in the tunnel, but apparently there was plenty for him to watch...

and then they moved out in front of the dugout...where he had a much better view of...well...the dugout!

and the bullpen!

and at one point, the catcher missed one of the balls...and it rolled RIGHT TO PORTER. and he picked it up. and he threw it back to the catcher. and i swear i thought he was going to wet his pants. he threw a ball to a professional baseball player.
and then another pitcher from the bullpen made a little walk to the dugout...and he high-fived the baseball buddies on the way.

and then it was time....the starting line ups!!

i had no idea who Porter's buddy would be...but they had the kids all lined up in order...and then suddenly the announcer says
"PORTER BAKER AND FIRST BASEMAN, #36, JAMIE ORTIZ!"

first base! the closed position to picture-taking zone...the shortest run (that poor left-field baseball buddy....)

(and being soccer night, all the players were 'superimposed' in Manchester United uniforms, etc...which just so happens to be our fav professional soccer team)

porter chatted jamie up (though i'm not sure how much english he speaks...) porter was swinging his arms like he was up to bat and had lots to show his buddy...i asked him later what he talked about and he said "i told him how hard i could hit the ball"...

porter stood relatively patiently during the star spangled banner...but he is 6...and a boy...AND WAS STANDING NEXT TO A PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER ON THE FIELD...so, there's that. the camera man did include him in a bit of the 'big screen montage'...however, one camera-happy mom can only focus her lens in one place at a time...

and the moment the national anthem was over, you could tell that he followed directions to immediately exit the field. unlike some of the other kids who shook hand, or high-fived their buddies before taking off, i think porter just wanted to show jamie his speed.

as luck would have it...jamie hit a home run at his first at bat...we later discovered that he was drafted by the dodgers in 2006 and played for the Loons in 2008. this was his return to this team and his first game with them this season.

porter's soccer team was next up for soccer night duties as they were 'assigned' to lead the singing of the famed 7th-inning stretch along the 3rd baseline...well, a small group of 6 year old boys is not necessarily fit for that, so Jason (and our head coach, Doug) recruited all of our kids (and a friend or two!) to join along...

and some new, strange twist this year is that the 7th inning stretch ends with a 7th inning dance party...which the girls thoroughly enjoyed...and the video of Jason and Doug dancing will provide me years of enjoyment.

another great night at the ball park!