An OT's yearly advice

gosh, I wish every parent of a high schooler would read this and really take it to heart... ENJOY WHAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE RIGHT NOW! As parents we sometimes forget how fast the time is flying by. It took me several kids to figure it out, but by the time son #2 (#4 in the family order) was a senior, I was so primed to just soak it all in. I enjoyed every game, every freezing minute in March, every scorching minute in July... I moved far away from the complainers and the whiners and gave myself enough room so I could hear the "ping" of the bat and the ball hitting the mitt. I smiled at his coach every time I saw him, not because I thought he was the greatest coach in the world, but because he's a really great person, and I had come far enough to know that that was important, too. It truly was the best season ever.

I can remember sitting there during son #2's last home game and being very, very aware that I would never see him stand in that particular batter's box again, that I would never see him in his home jersey again, that I would never again see him on that particular field. I shed some tears (heck, I cried at a drop of a hat from Sept-Aug that year!) but they were tears of joy because I knew he had had four wonderful years on that field and that he was moving on for (hopefully) four more years on another field, just a little farther from home. Our middle son has told us many times that he feels more like himself on a baseball field than he does anywhere else in the world. We feel lucky to have had the opportunity to share that experience with him.

Now we're enjoying son #3 as he enters his junior season... I may start crying THIS year! But we will drink it all in, take lots of pictures, eat lots of seeds and be happy for him, no matter where he ends up in two more years. Baseball is a joyful game, and a lot like life... there's no time clock, so you're never really sure when it will all end. I'm going to pray for lots of extra innings!

I feel very lucky, TPM, that you gave me this advice a few years ago, which I have done the best to heed.

Having fun every single day enjoying this jouney.

quote:

you could be one day in the game and the next day out of the game

That is so Heidi Klum!

Everyone gets so weepy when 'the end' of HS baseball is imminent. I don't understand. It is/was an achievement. Be proud of your kid and move on, looking forward to the next challenge in his life. I was very happy for my son when he finished HS. I will be extraordinarily proud when he graduates college in June. I will be overjoyed when I can take him off my payroll because he has started his first job!

If I can heed the advice offered I know it will be a great Spring. I am hoping that before the season officially begins, next year's plans will be settled. (Coach told us he should hear from admissions sometime in mid-February) I do think that if the college decision is decided, I will be able to focus more on enjoying the inidividual moments. I agree with the statement that too much time has been spent wondering about the next level. I hope that when this next "next level" decision has been made (for the time being) I will be able to watch pitches and at bats with a more for the enjoyment of it and less with an eye towards charting it in some "permanent record next level statistics bank" in my head. Thanks TPM for the topic.

Sorry but the cynic in me has to come out a little.
I am leaning towards identifying with Double Eagles comments.
I have an 08 who will be a 4 year varsity starter (IF) and has not yet committed to play college ball (yeah I know, there are MANY players in his shoes).

The simple fact of the matter is he has a desire to play beyond HS. Other than the fact that he was not an early signee, I am still convinced he has the ability to play beyond HS (at what level and specifically where is another story! )

With that said, I am having a difficult time "sitting back" and soaking it in.......while much of this recruiting process requires my son to be proactive and active, I feel I can/should do my part. Provide support/guidance/shoot video??????

The good news is that he has already been accepted (academically) to a state school. He's been in touch with their baseball program and in so many words has been told their roster is full. He is a good player but there is no "room" for him at this time.....

Until he makes that final college decision...I am finding it quite difficult to fully follow TPMs advice.......

Thanks TPM!
I think I may be in big trouble. I am already sad and my oldest doesn't start HS until next year. Just the accomplishments that he makes now gets me sad that I only have 4 years until he moves on to another phase of his life.

I have to tell you it's an incredible load off once he is signed. Now I can just enjoy the season come what may tension free. In fact I got him to sign early so I did not have to wonder if something might happen to screw it up, it's where he wants to go anyway, but he was in no hurry to sign. Had he not signed I think I'd be freakin that the long journey could be over without one of the goals accomplished. College ball was a goal accomplished, anything after is gravy.

fanofgame-
Appreciate your comments...all good points....some more info and maybe a bit of perspective.

My son also played HS football for 4 years. The big difference....he knew, we knew, all knew his football career would be done with HS (just not big enough, fast enough to play college ball). However, he was a starting LB for the last 2 years.

We couldn't have asked for a better end to his HS football career as his team went 14-1 and won the VA Div5 state championship! Got to play at Scott Stadium at UVA! What a great season and experience!
Did I enjoy it? Absolutely, positively, 100%!!!!

But, IMHO, the reason I was truly able to enjoy it was the fact that I knew he was done after that game......with football. So, sitting in the stands, I was able to soak everything in......what an experience.

For reasons I mentioned in my earlier post, I just can't approach this baseball season the same way...maybe I'm naive or even selfish on my part....Or maybe just rose colored glasses

We will see where his SR season takes him.....the good news is that here in VA we are about 3 weeks away from first day of tryouts/practices!!!

jbbaseball,

I wish you and your son the best. this post is mostly perspective and everyones different. i apreciate and understand the stress of not knowing.and we are about 10 days out for tryonyts and wehave a scrimmage the firt saturday after. hope the weather is good been a lot of rain in our area. lets us know how it all turns out. hope he lights up the world.

This is my son's first year of high school. He's trying to find his way in a maze he's not familiar with. I hope I am listening to your advise and not try to speed things along.

Good luck to all of your kids this season. Baseball's a tough journey, that's for sure. Some of your kids won't play beyond high school. Some will early commit. But the essence of what TPM is saying, I believe, is savor the time you have.

I've been watching my son play this game for 12 years now. And I'm lucky in that he has the opportunity to play 3-4 years more. I didn't miss any of it. I was there for every game but a few. My wife and I shot video and kept score all those years. What great memories!

And that's all you can do. Be there for them.

Great advice TPM. We take playing baseball for granted. I recently went to the grocery store and came back to tell my youngest son- Do you know how lucky you are to have athletic talent and have the ability to play baseball? I had just seen a handicapped boy with his father buying groceries together. This boy will never be “normal”, will never play baseball, can probably never run…. Anywhere. It is good to be humbled.

Enjoy your sons and every moment you have and the next time you see a person that God did NOT make perfect like most of our boys; remember how lucky we all are and remind your sons.

Take pictures, videos and clip all the newspaper stories- they hold very important memories.

“Today is a GREAT day and you know why it is GREAT day? Because we get to go play (watch) some BASEBALL.”

Have a wonderful 2008 season in HS, college and the pros!

I love watching practice. I love hearing it too. Husband and son used to soft toss in the backyard and I told my husband just today how I missed the sound.

They also used to throw in the front yard a lot. The sound the ball makes when caught is wonderful!

They try to go to a field now - they need more room...

Today I had the great pleasure of sitting in the cold wind, watching the 1st day of high school practice. Our field is too wet to practice on so we borrowed a college field 25 minutes away. Even the drive with 6 boys in my car was enjoyable. I think this season(senior year) I will really be able to enjoy every minute of every game and practice.

I have read, re-read, and researched this site and many others to learn as much as I could about college applications and requirements and as much about recruiting as possible. My son did his part with getting good grades, taking the right classes, working hard at baseball and conditioning. He has worked very hard academically and athletically to get to the next level.

Regardless of what our high school season holds we will savor the sweet success of all the years that have built up to this. I can finally live in the now. My job is finished and now the rest is up to my son.

As cold as I was today watching practice I felt privledged to have been a part of this exciting journey with my son. I know there's a long hard road ahead as he goes off to college and hopefully all the great advice from college parents on this site will help my son be more prepared for the years ahead.