Thought this was a nice read, friend posted it in Facebook...
Travel Ball Dad
I’m a travel ball dad. You probably don’t know me. Most people don’t. You don’t see much of me around the neighborhood, or at the mall, or the movies. Most of the places where people go to socialize, I am unfamiliar with. We don’t hunt or fish much, or at all, most of us like golf, but we rarely get to play. So there are some things about us travel ball dads that you probably think are odd, so hopefully, I can clear them up a little for you.
1. My yard does not look as good as yours.
• The reason for this is simple. At 7:00 a.m. while you were having coffee at the kitchen table deciding what type of fertilizer you were going to put on your yard, I was in the drive thru at McDonalds, on my way to a ball field, trying to make sure that everyone that I have in tow with me at least has a biscuit before hitting the field.
2. My car is not as nice as yours.
• I wish it was. But you can only attempt to get dirt and mud off the passenger side floorboard so many times, eventually you just give up. Sure, I probably need a oil change, and some new tires too, and I will get to that, as soon as the fall season is over. But once that season is over it is time for the holidays that costs money, so I will probably not have as nice of tires as you do. (A good softball bat = 2 tires) You may notice that when the office goes to lunch I do not drive. Well it’s not because I am rude. Its just that by the time I get rid of all the Gatorade bottles, and socks, and cleats, and hand warmers, and batting gloves, and sliding shorts, well by the time I move all that, we could have gone to lunch and been back.
3. I don’t participate in the neighborhood yard sale, or any other neighborhood thing for that matter.
• No, I am not rude or non social. You see, yard sales are on weekends, I would love to be able to get rid of some of my old stuff and make a little extra money (see previous comment on bats). But while you are dealing with someone who wants to give you 25 cents for the VHS tape that you have priced at 75 cents, I am making an emergency run to the nearest sporting goods store that I can find to find a replacement chin strap, or shoe laces, or socks, or extra water. Occasionally we do have a weekend where we do not have to travel, that is usually when I try to mow the grass. (see #1)
4. I usually don’t get my garbage can off the street until Thursday.
• I know they pick up the trash on Monday, but we have practice on weeknights. I just forget when I get home at 9:30 that night that it is still out there. I apologize for that.
5. I don’t get dressed up a lot.
• True, but typically the most important clothes I wear are the black shorts, black under armour shoes, and T-Shirt with the team logo on it. Most people don’t recognize me when they see me in khaki’s and a polo shirt.
Being a travel ball dad, or parent for that matter is tough. Just being in a family with a travel ball player requires sacrifice. But I will say this:
• I never had to wonder “where are the kids.”
• I never had to worry about whether we were getting enough “time together.” If you ask her at times it may have been too much.
• I got to travel thousands of miles with my kid
• I got to stand on the dirt and watch my kid do what they loved more than anything else. And I was fortunate enough to be involved it in.
• I got to spend a lot of driving time just talking with my kid, many times about things that to me seemed silly, but to her, was very significant.
So for many folks on the “outside” who would say, “it’s just too much”, or “the kids just miss out on so much” there was a time that I would have agreed. But as this time winds down for my family I realize this. I am not sure of what we missed out on, because I have been enjoying all the time spent with my kid. Time that I could have been mowing the grass, or fixing the car, or taking a trip, or a thousand other things. Personally I don’t think I can ever thank her enough for all that she has given to me by allowing me to be a “Travel Ball Dad.”
copyright John McGough 11/2013
Travel Ball Dad
I’m a travel ball dad. You probably don’t know me. Most people don’t. You don’t see much of me around the neighborhood, or at the mall, or the movies. Most of the places where people go to socialize, I am unfamiliar with. We don’t hunt or fish much, or at all, most of us like golf, but we rarely get to play. So there are some things about us travel ball dads that you probably think are odd, so hopefully, I can clear them up a little for you.
1. My yard does not look as good as yours.
• The reason for this is simple. At 7:00 a.m. while you were having coffee at the kitchen table deciding what type of fertilizer you were going to put on your yard, I was in the drive thru at McDonalds, on my way to a ball field, trying to make sure that everyone that I have in tow with me at least has a biscuit before hitting the field.
2. My car is not as nice as yours.
• I wish it was. But you can only attempt to get dirt and mud off the passenger side floorboard so many times, eventually you just give up. Sure, I probably need a oil change, and some new tires too, and I will get to that, as soon as the fall season is over. But once that season is over it is time for the holidays that costs money, so I will probably not have as nice of tires as you do. (A good softball bat = 2 tires) You may notice that when the office goes to lunch I do not drive. Well it’s not because I am rude. Its just that by the time I get rid of all the Gatorade bottles, and socks, and cleats, and hand warmers, and batting gloves, and sliding shorts, well by the time I move all that, we could have gone to lunch and been back.
3. I don’t participate in the neighborhood yard sale, or any other neighborhood thing for that matter.
• No, I am not rude or non social. You see, yard sales are on weekends, I would love to be able to get rid of some of my old stuff and make a little extra money (see previous comment on bats). But while you are dealing with someone who wants to give you 25 cents for the VHS tape that you have priced at 75 cents, I am making an emergency run to the nearest sporting goods store that I can find to find a replacement chin strap, or shoe laces, or socks, or extra water. Occasionally we do have a weekend where we do not have to travel, that is usually when I try to mow the grass. (see #1)
4. I usually don’t get my garbage can off the street until Thursday.
• I know they pick up the trash on Monday, but we have practice on weeknights. I just forget when I get home at 9:30 that night that it is still out there. I apologize for that.
5. I don’t get dressed up a lot.
• True, but typically the most important clothes I wear are the black shorts, black under armour shoes, and T-Shirt with the team logo on it. Most people don’t recognize me when they see me in khaki’s and a polo shirt.
Being a travel ball dad, or parent for that matter is tough. Just being in a family with a travel ball player requires sacrifice. But I will say this:
• I never had to wonder “where are the kids.”
• I never had to worry about whether we were getting enough “time together.” If you ask her at times it may have been too much.
• I got to travel thousands of miles with my kid
• I got to stand on the dirt and watch my kid do what they loved more than anything else. And I was fortunate enough to be involved it in.
• I got to spend a lot of driving time just talking with my kid, many times about things that to me seemed silly, but to her, was very significant.
So for many folks on the “outside” who would say, “it’s just too much”, or “the kids just miss out on so much” there was a time that I would have agreed. But as this time winds down for my family I realize this. I am not sure of what we missed out on, because I have been enjoying all the time spent with my kid. Time that I could have been mowing the grass, or fixing the car, or taking a trip, or a thousand other things. Personally I don’t think I can ever thank her enough for all that she has given to me by allowing me to be a “Travel Ball Dad.”
copyright John McGough 11/2013
