Baseball has always been a sport that I loved. It only loved me back through my kids. One of my kids loves the game, and the other two are interested but that interest is always on their terms. It has always been this way since my kids were young. My kids fully understand that baseball has given them a core principles framework for life in that you always try to do your best and life isn't fair.
As a baseball parent, I was always there for them to help them practice, lend a shoulder or an ear. My youngest was fortunate to get an excellent high school coach, and my oldest had the benefit or some excellent travel coaches that would help him in his college recruitment. Baseball used to be the center of our family universe. My wife has an incredible mind for the game as well. My kids are 28, 24 and 22 now with their professional lives underway but those core principles they learned in high school baseball are still in play. I see those core disciplines a lot in my youngest son who has to gone through boot camp, advanced training and has airborne school coming up. He says (half-joking) these Army Drill Sargeants have nothing on his high school baseball coach. In his mind, I know he can hear his high school coach's mantra...."figure it out". Baseball is still discussed over the Holidays, family get togethers and the memories are still pretty vivid. But there just isn't that day-to-day baseball excitement that there used to be, and I really miss it. I've got other things going on in my life now, but it is just so different. I'm travelling the world, enjoy my job, and playing a lot of tennis. However, I really do miss that college and high school baseball season getting underway. Nothing like it. Enjoy it while you can.