Bet He's Hurting Today...

The boy's asked their Dad to play football with them last night. Here are the pictures to prove it - the blur is John...


I remember when we were first married I would nag him about taking better care of himself so that he would be able to play football with his children when he was 50.

Well he's 51 -- with all the hobbling, aches, and pains, that go along with playing competitive sports when he was a younger man. In fact, just recently, our doctor (who is also a good friend) commented that John is a typical example of a man who played too many sports and had too many injuries when he was younger...

So I expect he's hurting today - REALLY hurting. In fact, I have predicted that he will have an episode of gout in either his ankle or knee by the weekend.

The price you pay for believing you're 20 again...

Pushy Parent Syndrome

I have tried really hard to not be "that" parent...the one who pushes their kids into doing things they don't want to do.

Sometimes during the intensity of a game or when one of the boys has been sitting on the sidelines, not even having a chance to try, I have become frustrated and a little bit vocal. I always regret it immediately after...

Today I had a dilemma and I hope I did the right thing.

We've had several people telling us that Cameron should try out for quarterback on the freshman team. It started about this time last year when one of the sports heroes of our local high school, himself the starting quarterback at Pitt in the 90's, asked if Cameron was going to play quarterback on the middle school team. He watched him pitch and thought he had a great arm.

We suggested it to Cameron. They had a lose try-out and he wasn't even considered. End of that.

So again this year several of his friends and their parents have suggested he try. Not only does he have a bullet arm, but he's fast. He just wants to play wide receiver. John says end of story - let's leave him alone.

I'm dropping him at practice and I ask who the man is walking into the building. "Oh that's Coach Zetts", he tells me. You mean Tom Zetts dad...Tom Zetts the starting quarterback at Youngstown State? "Yeah" - silence for a minute - "he told me last week that I should consider playing quarterback."

OMG - now you have another in-the-know kind of guy telling you to play quarterback. Maybe you should try again?!?

So he leaves to get ready for practice and I'm thinking...There are 40 kids on the field, unless Cameron speaks up, they may never consider him.

I see the head coach coming out of the building and I walk over and introduce myself; and I tell him what Cameron just told me.

And I've been feeling guilty ever since...should I have left it alone or do I speak up on behalf of my VERY shy son?

Cameron would never have told me what Coach Zetts said unless a part of him really wants to be quarterback - his Dad was a quarterback - he knows it's in his genes!

Based on my continuing angst, I'm hoping this is the last time I speak up for my son when it comes to sports but...I highly doubt it.

The Fat Lady Sang...

Baseball is over for the 2008 SportsMum season.

Camerons' all-star "we should win it all" team choked so bad yesterday I expect we'll all be suffering from withdrawal for weeks to come! We expected to be driving to North Carolina on Thursday - now what?

I won't relay the ugly details - but FLAT is a word that comes to mind - flat attitudes, flat efforts, flat ambitions. I almost think these boys really didn't want to play anymore. Again - I have my personal theories about that but it's better left unsaid. If I told you, I'd have to move!

But, of course, the parents are taking it so much harder than the boys. We had them all back here after to swim and eat all the hamburgers and hot dogs that were left over from last week's party. And...they played baseball and laughed and truly had a blast. The game in its purest form - just loving to play.

I keep thinking of the word passion. Earlier in the season, I got in trouble from one of the parents for favoring my son during games and not cheering the team. Perhaps she was right but I will say that Cameron always showed a desire to win and put in a total effort no matter what position he played. Yesterday was no exception - he pitched the second game - struck out three in three innings - was throwing strikes, playable hits for his defense - dove head over heels into first base for one of the ONLY hits of the game - then was pulled out of the game in the middle of the third and cried in the dugout for the remainder (and several hours beyond). Passion.

I Can Do Everything Through Him Who Gives Me Strength...

This is Cameron's All-Star baseball hat. It was clean and pristine just a few days ago. But our boy has decided to keep God in his head and has therefore written his favorite scripture verse on the inside brim.

For this, I will never complain!!!

However, for the next shot, I will. How is it as the pitcher, with grass surrounding the mound, he manages to get dirtier than any boy on the team?!?

Because he likes to slide...face first...as often as he can...

You see...He can do all things through HIM that gives him strength!

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We are in the Regional Championships now - teams from four states competing for the right to play in the Zone Finals, next week in North Carolina.

Last night we won 14 - 4, beating a team from somewhere near Pittsburgh.

Will keep you posted as the weekend progresses...

Swimming?! This Is A Pool Party?

Over 40 people converged in our backyard last night for Cameron's Pony team pool party.

Irony is, it took them about three hours to finally swim because they PLAYED BASEBALL!


Frankly, this team really needed to just get lose and have fun. There had been several mini dramas, hurt feelings and ugly regular season games. As the team enters the Regional tournament championships, a bonding night was just what the doctor called for!

Aren't These The Lazy Days of Summer?!

I came home from Caeden's first soccer clinic last night, just as John got home from the football Gridiron meeting and Cameron was dropped off from a two hour baseball practice...

"Cameron has a busy day tomorrow", he said. "He has two hours of lifting for football in the morning, a couple hours of work with Ken, a baseball practice at 3, and his first practice with the Varsity football team at 6".

I responded, "...and don't forget that I have an important business meeting until five and then I need to have Caeden back at his soccer clinic at 7".

And he responded, "and I think Cameron's in a baseball tournament starting on Thursday".

And I responded, "what's Jackson doing?..."

Jackson said, "Enjoying my summer!"

Home Runs and Other Celebrations

This has been a week of celebration - and I don't mean Canada Day on Tuesday or the 4th of July tomorrow!

It's all about sports, as usual.

Our baseball league held a Home Run Derby on Tuesday night and Cameron was a finalist in the 13/14/15 year old age group.

Before I move on, I have to mention that the event was being held in order to raise funds for one of our baseball family's - both parents have been diagnosed with cancer - they have five children and NO insurance! We have an account set up here in Boardman at First National Bank in the name of The Caraballo Family.


Cameron was up against real men/boys in his age group - they had beards and muscles. He held his own - hitting eight. The overall winner, including all age groups, hit 14. The organizer realized his age groupings were a little off when he saw Cameron beside these hunks and afterwards came and gave him his own trophy for winning HIS age group!

Next day, we discovered that we're adding a new sport to our repetoire. Caeden had been asked to try out for the Under 10 Competitive soccer team. The email came through yesterday with the heading "congratulations" and I called all the boys to read it together. So often, it's all about Cameron or Jackson - this was Caeden's moment. And they celebrated in style, hoisting him over their heads and carrying him around the house!

Finally - another celebration for the end of another baseball season. This time, Caeden's pool party. John was the manager and always gives out awards to each player, representing what they meant to the team. Using major league player names as the examples - Caeden received the Albert Pujols award for best fielder.

So Caeden's friend Kyle was receiving the Most Inspirational Award - named after Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton. My husband, who has a tendency to not think about what he's saying, explained the award by stating "Josh Hamilton is inspirational because he got kicked out of baseball for doing drugs and alcohol" (Kyle's Mom's face dropped at this point...) and then tried to recover with "BUT, BUT, he's better now!"

Nice save...

Oh Canada!

A single Canadian flag flies in Ohio...To Our HOME and NATIVE land...Happy Birthday Canada...