Doesn't it seem like yesterday that you were driving him to little league practice and going over spelling words in the car on the way?
Doesn't it seem like yesterday that your son went to that first select out-of-town baseball tournament and you got mad at him for playing on the elevator with all his teammates?
Wasn't it just yesterday that he was trying out for the high school baseball team?
Lots of good memories and emotions waiting for this spring season also! Hopefully it will be a perfect senior experience for your son but that doesn't always happen with injuries, playing time issues, coach issues, and all that other stuff that you have absolutely no control over. What you can control is your attitude & actions- don't sit by that negative parent who is unhappy because their son is not playing, get to the games early to take in the smell of the grass, the batting practice, and the warm-ups.
Hopefully there will be a parent photographer who can capture some of those memories for you so you don't have to have your head buried behind the camera.
I mentioned this in another thread but I will say it again - we had a wonderful junior mom who took head and shoulder photos of our senior boys at the field. She took those photos and had coffee mugs made at Walgreen's and gave them to us on senior night! As my son is now going to school out-of-state, I absolutely love drinking my coffee out of that mug and seeing my son's smiling face every morning! Make one for yourself if you don't have someone to do something like that for you.
Lots of emotions as this may be the last time you see your son play ball! If your son wants to play college ball and the offer hasn't come yet, don't despair and ruin this senior year by fretting - many offers come in the spring & summer.(Encouragement - good title for another thread. I personally know 8 07's last year that got their offer or found a place to play in the spring or summer.)
Enjoy those sitting around the kitchen table after game discussions about every pitch, hit or double plays both good and bad! Enjoy those big 'ole boys coming in and out of your house eating you out of house and home! Enjoy knowing who is coming to pick up your son by hearing the music playing in their truck while sitting in your living room.
Clip out all those newspaper articles about the high school team. Pick your volunteer time wisely for the booster club your senior year - you don't want to miss an inning or get stressed out by being too busy! Pass on your wisdom and encouragement to those freshman & sophomore moms! My son's freshman HS year - the senior mom's invited all the baseball moms to lunch at a local inexpensive restaurant early in the season to welcome us - we all paid our own way! Take off work early for those preseason tournaments and games!
Hope you & your senior son have a great year - you will get through it! I know it helped me last year reading these threads as I got emotional even thinking about my son graduating.
Okay clock's ticking - batter up....
