How fast they grow up

You will turn around and he will be in college. And before you know it he will be out of college. The fastest four years of my life were the hs years for my kids. Enjoy every moment and soak it all in. Dont miss anything you can be at. You will never regret missing anything to spend time with your children while you can.

Coach, I think some of us who might be a bit older than you would tell you that your fastest four years are yet to come.

My oldest son is 40 and retired from the Navy. Geez, I remember thinking about how old I was getting when turning 40. The weeks, months and years seem to fly by now. I was closing in on 40 when he entered the Navy.

Remember how long a school year was while waiting for summer vacation to get here? Now I wish things would slow down.

quote:

Now I wish things would slow down.

With an exception granted to cold weather systems right PG?
Those kids just fly through our lives... like they're on some kind of mission. I suppose that's really the case. Who was it that said kids are just here to replace us?

I though I read somewhere that as you get older, time seems to fly by even faster.My husband and I just became empty nesters, we are like where did almost 19 years go.My daughter will be 27 in February, son 19 in March.
My husband just turned 60 and I will turn 50. Think about that I used to think 60 was an old man.I think I am ready for grandchildren, but doesnt look like thats coming any time soon.
I just miss the daily dialogue with the kids. How was school, practice, etc. etc.My daugter does a good job of texting and staying in touch, my son ,I ususally have to initiate unless food or money is involved..LOL..I miss having kids in the house terribly.I guess us moms are more emotional about it, although my husband is having hard time adjusting as well.

This maturing process by our "baseball playing sons" actually impacts the parents as much if not more so than it does our sons. The things I did and said when he was 10 are much different than what I did and said at 12, 14, 16, 20, 24. Although I had two older children, being the father of an athlete took me to levels of parenting I had never been. It was a learning process for me and I truly enjoyed it.
Fungo

Not long ago my son was 11 months old and hitting a ball off of a home made hitting T. Now he's 25 and his son is batting the ball off of a T. To think that I'm already a grandparent is shocking! From the time the oldest was about 12 I was telling people that if that year was his last in baseball I had no regrets, we had so much fun practicing, going to games, and meeting people. What a great experience! High school and college are already distant but wonderful memories. Time is so fleeting and the old man I see in the mirror is not the guy I was expecting to see so soon. I think I need to dust off the old scrapbook and reminisce.

bcb, most of us on here can certainly feel your sense of pride and surprise about the sudden physical growth in your son. I am a mere 5'10 and I can't STAND to be next to my 6'2 "almost" 19yr old freshman. Literally hate it! He likes to raise his head up and look down and smile at me. Little punk! erm..well...big punk now.

I know Coach May and us have discussed this before about the undeniable closeness we have with our sons and how baseball is that "common thread" we have with each other. As younggun went off to college and the fall semester went on I was able to sit back and assess how much this "change" was affecting me. How I hated him gone. How I sorely missed seeing him everyday and talking with him in person. How asking him how his day was going over the phone just didn't seem to feel the same. bcb, as I'm sure you are, be sure to do as Coach May said and don't miss one bit of these last high school days with him. Telling you it will pass by quickly just doesn't do it justice.

fanofgame, I can relate to that part about the calls not coming in unless he needed money, food, etc.

You know I see the thread on message boards pop up all the time "Is it worth it" "Was it worth it" "Travel Baseball - Is it important".

I always think about those threads and all the posts when this topic comes up. Yes it can be expensive. No , it is expensive. Yes you can get worn down at times. But there is no price I could ever put on the wonderful memories over the years I had with my son traveling across the state and the country. How many dads get to spend that kind of time together with their kid?

Now its a phone call once in awhile with a short conversation "Yeah it went good today. The team looks great. I got to go talk to you soon."

I remember the plane flights to Fla , Ga , Tx , Minn etc etc the car rides all over the southeast. The time spent in the motel room talking baseball and watching college football games. The trips out to the Waffle House with the team mates late at night. Watching the pool results on the computer and talking about the game plan for the pitching etc for the next days games. So many great memories.

Its hard to look at the hs field knowing he will never play there again. Looking at the home plate he took so much pride in. I swear there was never a hole in that batters box after a game or practice. He spent as long as he needed to spend to get it back right before he ever left the field. So many great memories that this game gives us with our kids.

I look forward to watching him and his team over the next four years. I look forward to traveling to Ohio to watch him play a couple of times this summer. Its a special bond that you have with your son when you share a common love of the game.

Dont get caught up in the outside stuff so much that you miss what is going on right in front of your eyes. The recruiting the politics etc. Focus on enjoying every minute that you can. You will have those memories the rest of your life. They are very special times.

and moms

with their sons.

But my son and husband took some wonderful baseball trips , just the two of them and followed the Atlanta Braves twice for a week.

This thread is great right before season starts. I know as I said I am a mom, but I grew up loving the game of baseball with my dad. he used to coach the cardinals and I was about 5, I had a uniform someone gave my mom that fit me, and I wore it to every game as I watched my 2 older brothers play .
People say to my husband and I "you guys spent your sons whole life doing baseball, dont you have regrets" I say oh we did way more than just baseball. people on the outside dont get us.
Through baseball I as a mom was esp. able to stay close to my only son. I watched every Braves game so I could share it with him,I bought tickets to baseball games for almost every vacation we had , I am grateful for every moment of it. No I never coached him as some of you dads, But I took him out and played catch, hit him grounders, took him to his hitting lessons, practices, team mom, etc, etc, wonderful wonderful years, and they could be possible coming to an end as he starts his frist year of college ball.For all you highschool parents take it all in, becasue HS was 4 of the best years of baseball for us.

Sometimes I wonder if you men just want this site to yourselves.

To echo younggundad, I, a mere 5'10", also hate standing next to my 15-yr-old, 6'4" HS freshman. The "short" jokes do get old after a while .

For you college parents, thank you for the sound advice. Hopefully, we HS parents will try to stay focused on the truly important stuff (our sons and their experiences) rather than the politics.

Coach May: Your view of the HS field is my view of the "Super League" field. Those trips, even if it were just St. George, Utah, and super league tournaments, were some of the best times I have had with my son. Last year's trip to Steamboat Springs, my first as purely a cheerleader, is a memory I will always cherish.

fanofgame: my wife is as into baseball and sports as any guy I know. So, yes, the moms can, and should, have a similar take on this process as any of us "dads". Each of you are as indispensable as any coach, dad, or ump . Without you moms, we'd get lost going to new fields! (Sorry, I had to go there!

How fast they grow up! How fast they get fast! Four years ago I could tease my son and outrun him backpeddling. Now he can run a 60 in about the time I can go from home to first. My son say's it's about burst. I say it's about not bursting my knees.

quote:

Not long ago my son was 11 months old and hitting a ball off of a home made hitting T. Now he's 25 and his son is batting the ball off of a T.

Life is indeed a wonderful, wonderful thing!

theygrowupfast