Beginning of the end...

I know exactly how you feel and they are feelings/memories that will be with you for the rest of your life.

Enjoy every moment

J23 - best of luck for your son's senior baseball season. If you haven't read Senior Year, by Dan Shaughnessy, I highly recommend it.

J23,
I am having the same pangs about my son's upcoming senior season. It's going to be great watching him and his team play, as it has been for the last 10 years, but also hard to think this is the last season playing at home. I will readily admit that I will have an empty space in my schedule and my heart come June.

Recently I have been thinking about all the memories and, especially friends, we have made during this time. Absolutely priceless!! It has been a terrific experience that I wouldn't trade for a scratch handicap or Tiger Woood's money.

Hopefully the next chapter will begin in college but I will be a distant spectator compared to the last 10 years.

Don't look at it as the beginning of the end, but just another stop along the journey. Enjoy it!

I've said it before here:

Life, like baseball, is a game of adjustments.

Same sentiment here. For us it was the opening day game when the 3 teams (fresh, jv, v) were all introduced when we realized this was it.... how far he had come from the freshmen peewee to the big young man now a senior. I think he feels it too, but wont admit it.

The journey never ends. Someday it will be look at my kid the college graduate. Look at my kid the successful adult. Look at my kid the spouse. Look at my kid the parent. Then it all comes full circle .... That's my grandkid out there at short.

Eye, Read Shaugnessy's book. Loved it....and would reccomend it to any father of any player at any age. Helps put things in perspective.

TPM and RJM your absolutely right....its a step along that road of life. Nothing quite compares to that transition from youth to young adulthood. I was able to see a real shift in him and a deeper understanding of what it means to play a high school sport and how to be a leader. Then appreciation of the experience and a sense of loss that those moments can never be replayed. As many things in life are, we grasp and hold on to whatever we can and hopefully grow from the experience. I know we both have.

Playing catch with him Saturday afternoon we were able to remenice about the successes of the past season and how it would affect the upcoming baseball season and the school.

Nothing like "having a catch" with your son on a sunny afternoon!

J23

quote:

Playing catch with him Saturday afternoon we were able to remenice about the successes of the past season and how it would affect the upcoming baseball season and the school.

A friend told me his son came over and asked dad to feed him some soft toss before heading off to spring training. The dad said he knows his son is throwing him a feel good bone. But he'll never tell him he knows. It feels good to do soft toss with his son one more time.

My Sr. sons last year also. Then to college ball. What I have is a perfect situation. My #2 goes into HS next year and I can do it all over again! Weeeeeee! You need to go out and get you another one. It's never too late. lol! Or maybe adopt a few. I'm sure with the odds on your side there may be a MLB player there? I will truly miss it also when the day comes. I really feel for the parents of the graduating parents on their last one out. Enjoy and good bless!!!

TPM said it best....Don't look at it as the beginning of the end, but just another stop along the journey. Enjoy it!

There's just one beginning and one end during our life here. Baseball is just part of the "DASH"..

"The Dash" is a poem has been shared here on the HSBBW a number of times. I enjoyed it and thought I'd share again for those that haven't read it.

I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on this tombstone from beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came his date of birth and spoke the following with tears. But he said what mattered most of all, was the dash in between those years.

For the dash represents, all the time he spent alive on earth.
And how only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash, what matters most is how we live and love and how we spend our dash… So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left, that can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough, to consider what is true and real.
And always try to understand, the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more,
and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect, and more often wear a smile…
Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash
would you be proud of the things they say and how your spent your dash?

Perfect solution...exchange students! hehe...we've got an 11th grader this year on the team from Venezuela staying with a host family...instant ballplayer and they didn't even have to pay for his travel ball years!

My son's a sophmore and I already think about how "bad" it will be when he walks off the field for the last time (in high school).

Dashing as always Fungo! Enjoying! 2010 came in from his first practice yesterday...very excited. Dad, he said....I hit three bombs to LC during bp and another one hit the fence! Seeing the excitement on his face....priceless.

My son had 5 bombs at BP practice the other day and said nobody even smelled any of them. LOL!!!

quote:

The journey never ends. Someday it will be look at my kid the college graduate. Look at my kid the successful adult. Look at my kid the spouse. Look at my kid the parent. Then it all comes full circle .... That's my grandkid out there at short.

I haven't posted on HSBBW before. My son is only entering his age-11 season, and we have plenty of time to look forward still. But he's really nice player and we're a supportive baseball family, so I've been lurking in a variety of baseball forums this winter, trying to pick one to read and become a member of.

That said, the sentiment expressed in RJM's post quoted above is off-the-charts. One of the best posts I've read from and for baseball parents. Thanks, RJM. I've chosen HSBBW for my youth baseball forum.

David

quote:

Originally posted by tres_arboles:

I haven't posted on HSBBW before. My son is only entering his age-11 season, and we have plenty of time to look forward still. But he's really nice player and we're a supportive baseball family, so I've been lurking in a variety of baseball forums this winter, trying to pick one to read and become a member of.

That said, the sentiment expressed in RJM's post quoted above is off-the-charts. One of the best posts I've read from and for baseball parents. Thanks, RJM. I've chosen HSBBW for my youth baseball forum.

David

Welcome aboard 3 Trees! As you have seen, this is a great BB site filled with excellent info. With an 11 y/o you have a wonderful ride ahead of you...

Enjoy...

Enjoy the heck out of every second of it J23.

Thanks JBB! Kind of a rocky start for 2010. He's 2-7 (with 2 triples, 4 k's). I think he's tryin' a bit too hard....lol I'm sure he'll settle in. Tough age tho, he's 18 n while he listens' to dad....my bball coaching days are over. Now life coaching is what I do. Team is 2-0 w/ a game today, so far so good! I know the baseball playing part of his life and my ability to watch him play has a short shelf life, I believe, the life coaching gig will be there for the rest of mine! A big atta-boy to all you LIFE COACHES out there!