Fall Ball

Nope, he just can't get enough.

Because Castle Rock's rec league fall baseball schedule offers Sunday-only games, the search began for a local club who could give him what every Mormon boy wants: the right sport on the right day. We found it in Parker through the Hawks club team...Parker's only about a 20 minute drive from home, but no fast way to get there. No matter. You do what you must for the love of the game. And your boy.

This version of the Hawks (they field about 12 teams in the Fall and I don't even want to know how many in the spring - Parker's got a LOT of kids) was hands-down the best team experience any of our kids have ever had - one of those magical conglomerations of people and events that's just purely positive. Every single boy on that team was a gamer, and really encouraged Ty to keep pace. Their coach was spectacular. The parents were stellar. I just...sigh every time I think about it.

From a mom's perspective, I love the emphasis on sportsmanship, the amazing open-minded way the parents participated and encouraged without jockeying for positions for their child at the expense of another, how the best was expected and delivered...so fun to watch and so fun for Ty to play. A lot of growth, a lot of confidence gained, I could go on and on.

Most of these kids have played together for awhile, and Ty was the newcomer, but he soon enough earned himself a nickname a long with Soup, Squeaky and the others...may I introduce 'Pickle'? Not his first choice, I would gather, but apropos: that kid was by far the best base runner on the team, and at least once a game, if not twice, found himself in a jam between bases - never thrown out.

He was also a clutch hitter; not a power hitter, but he could always ground one to some poor unsuspecting baseman or outfielder, and was your go-to guy for an RBI or two...is the season really over? Is he actually not going to wear cleats again until Spring? Is that him right now shooting free-throws by the score in the backyard? Has he moved on already?