Chapter 1 has ended

[Eric F]

Maddie (10yo) played her final rec league game yesterday. Her team won 10-2 (6 innings) to win the League Championship title. Maddie went 2-for-3 with 3 RBI, and 2 runs scored. She also threw out one of the fastest runners in the league trying to steal 2B, and cut down a runner at the plate with a Superman-style diving tag after chasing down a wild pitch that got away from her. Her determination to win was as high as I've ever seen it. The game was a perfect exclamation point for the final sentence of the first chapter in her softball story.

In 3 Spring seasons with the league, her teams have won the League Championship twice, and she has been selected to All-Stars twice (we declined the nomination this year - see below). Her first All-Star team (8U) became the first team ever from this league to win the District Championship title. The girls on that team became the core of the '04 talent in the league, and played together last Fall as a "select" team. The experience with that group was significant in getting Maddie headed down a path towards a higher level.

Going into this final Spring season, it was obvious from the beginning that she was one of the top 10U players in the league. She did not disappoint. She lead her team with .750 BA, 27 hits, 38 RBI, 1.056 SLG, .846 OB%, 38 SB. She also hit the first 2 HRs of her life. More importantly, she developed into a strong leader in the field, in the dugout, and at practice. The mom of one of the first-time players on the team called Maddie "patient and gracious" in how she helps the newer players. That may be the best compliment I've ever heard.

Our rec league time has given us a lot of great memories, and it's been amazing to watch her development.

First game - excited and nervous...

Working the dish this season...

Discussing the option to play All-Stars this year, she wasn't interested. With much of the core '04 talent leaving the league for travel ball before the start of the Spring season, the chances for a successful All-Star campaign are pretty slim. We agree with and support her decision. Starting immediately, Maddie will be full-time with a 10U travel team.

We are all excited for the next chapter.

 

[JJsqueeze]

Great brag post. Look forward to seeing you around town on Sundays.

 

[knightsb]

You two need to join forces.

It seems like a perfect fit. Pitcher/Catcher, two obsessed dads... and the support of DFP. You guys would rule.

 

[Eric F]

You two need to join forces.

It seems like a perfect fit. Pitcher/Catcher, two obsessed dads... and the support of DFP. You guys would rule.

I would not be surprised if our DD's end up on the same team at some point in the future. For the short term, they may be glaring at each other from opposite sides of the diamond very soon. Although they didn't play each other, they were at the same friendly a few weeks ago, and I got a chance to BS with JJ for a little while.

 

[Rocketech1]

Great stuff Eric! While I occasionally bag on rec leagues (primarily the politics/daddy ball antics), they are a great training ground for many players and lots of fun times and memories. Last weekend, DD and I went back to our local rec league to watch the 12U championship game and it was great to see so many families that we played with or coached against. While I think DD loves travel ball, she has some very close friends just wrapping up rec that she will likely stay friends with for a very long time. Good luck to you and the "big" beast as she continues her softball career on the travel circuit.

 

[Eric F]

Another little brag...

After her diving tag at the plate, one of the 10U mangers walks over to me in the dugout and asks, incredulously, "What 10-year-old knows how to do that??". I could only point at Maddie and say, "THAT 10 year old!".

Actually, this is a skill she was working on this past Tuesday at her TB team practice. Apparently, she learned the lesson pretty well.

 

[JJsqueeze]

shhh....two secrets here.....team does not know DD is a pitcher so she is playing OF on this squad until she sharpens up her accuracy and really solidifies her hitting, then we surprise them with her skill and ask for some garbage innings and she slowly infests the rotation. The other one is Eric does not know that he is actually being slowly recruited already. This is how this plays out....Maddy spends a 2-4 weeks just getting used to being around TB, she struggles at first against the better pitching, then she finds her groove and starts smacking the cover off the ball, Eric posts a brag thread about her hitting in TB sometime in June. This is my trigger that she is ready and I subtly inquire about how things are going, he responds that he likes the team, the coaches are great, but it is becoming clear that she is getting frustrated that the team is not winning more games. I mention that we have two months left until Nationals and maybe the coach is interested in getting another catcher with a good bat. Since another family on our team knows Maddy and Eric, our coach says to bring her out, she comes out just for fun and realizes that being around 12 other girls that bring it is really fun and she asks dad....or Coach Eric as she calls him, if she can switch teams....he gives her a long talk about commitment and how she should wait until August to think about switching teams, but secretly he also wants to see her on a top team so he crumbles when she gives him doe eyes and he agrees reluctantly to let her join our team.

 

[redhotcoach]

...and you two get married. The girls never quite adjust to "my two dads". They rebel, quit softball, move back in with their moms and tennis instructor stepfathers, then take up cheerleading. Better reconsider the plan.

 

[Eric F]

...and you two get married. The girls never quite adjust to "my two dads". They rebel, quit softball, move back in with their moms and tennis instructor stepfathers, then take up cheerleading. Better reconsider the plan.

lmao......

 

[knightsb]

...and you two get married. The girls never quite adjust to "my two dads". They rebel, quit softball, move back in with their moms and tennis instructor stepfathers, then take up cheerleading. Better reconsider the plan.

oh man that was a good one!