Balancing softball/life

[Jquick823]

I am 100% softball. The part that I hate is that I don't get enough time with my son. So when we have an off day at showcases we do stuff for him. This weekend we are going to a theme park and ride the water rides. I'll spend most of the day riding with him.

As far as my personal stuff I don't bowl anymore. I used to average around 205 and bowl 3 nights a week and tournaments on the weekends. All that shut down to focus on softball. Do I miss it? Of course, but nothing beats a 2 out 2 RBI double to blow a game open. Well except maybe my son running his fastest time during a track or cross country event. I try and make every single sporting event for the kids. It's tough but they get it.

 

[CMMom1740]

I really like going to everything, but I also have a job (online teaching) that requires me to be online/on-duty at least one day per weekend. I have conducted "Office Hours" online while watching tournament games! But, sometimes, duty calls and I have to stay home. Makes me sad.

On the other hand, I'm trying to be very conscious of my DS (age 11) who has tried various sports, but they have not "taken." It's not fair for him to always have to go to his sister's "stuff" and wait around. We need to be better about doing things on weekends with him, too. So, one of us may stay home while he hosts a sleepover or something like that. We do have 2 kids, and I think sometimes we sports parents need to remember the non-athletes too!

 

[WARRIORMIKE]

However missing a game can be a good thing if not a great thing. When I missed my dd's first game and her telling me everything she did wrong/right and to hear the excitement coming out of her mouth. That was cool to hear too.

 

[canyonjoe]

CMMom, you hit the nail on the head on that one. I have missed too many of my Son's games. It was nice not coaching at the beginning of this season as I was able to see him play. He is a great kid and my DW does a lot with him and he is about to pick out his Eagle Scout project that he can hopefully finish next year. I have missed a lot, but I do spend as much time with him as possible. It's nice that he is going to be 13 soon and can at least stay home when we play local and has actually made friends at tournaments that he stays in touch with. I don't know how people do it with more than 2 kids.

 

[Il softball fan]

My DD is probably playing her last summer of tourney ball. DD will play in college and may 'guess' play for her old tourney team here and there. I will be sad. I have spent every weekend watching her play softball for a long time. I will miss it a lot. So, think about that.......

Yeah, I get that, and that is why I am even feeling guilty. DD missed an entire year of playing with her spinal fusion surgery, and I missed it as much or more than she did.

 

[Il softball fan]

Thanks everyone for all the replies and other's persepctives. I knew I could count on the good folks here. It really is a "community" the softball world. The community shared by your own team, as well as the other teams and parents that you get to know, and then the larger community here on this board. Thanks again.

 

[Me_and_my_big_mouth]

Not about softball but I thought this article relevant regarding parenting in the 21st century in relation to how it used to be when I was a kid in the 70's and early 80's. Sometimes kids need to be able to really feel like they are growing up
and that can only come by letting go a bit...

Is this the perfect playground, full of junk? | Life and style | The Guardian

What a cool article! Thanks for sharing!

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[Me_and_my_big_mouth]

Trust me, your DD will be fine if you miss a few games. The question is will you be fine when you miss her first HR or her shutting down the number one seed? Can you handle getting vague texts from DW saying she "had a great hit". You respond with "was it a single or a Double". 20 minutes later you hear that "it was caught by the CF". getting scores that don't make sense or are just estimates. "It's 3-2 us", 10 minutes later "Losing 4-1"? If you can handle that go ahead and play some golf.

Almost snorted coffee out my nose when I read this. A couple weeks ago, DD traveled with DH and I was reliant upon iscore and DH for updates. This was my Facebook post that evening:

 

[canyonjoe]

Now that is a funny post. I do have to admit that once I texted my DW that DD was hit in the neck with a pitch. I assumed that she knew I would have told her if she was hurt. I had my sound off and after looking at phone 40 minutes later I noticed she had texted me around 10 times and call 5 others to see if she was alright.

 

[aec4444]

You either have softball or a life. You cannot have both Seriously, though, you have to plan, plan, plan. With three that play, and for a while only having one car, we became scheduling experts by necessity. Sometimes you just have to block out some me time.

I am a golfer and was a pretty good one. I have given up many a tee time due to softball or baseball, but this only last a very short period of time and I would not miss my kids playing for anything. Most of us are not that good at golf anyway and I will have plenty of time to chase the little white ball around the field after my kids are done playing. It is not that I do not play anymore it is just I have other priorities now.

Should you feel guilty? NO. Will you feel guilty? YES

Softball is life... life is softball. problem solved, now you can have both at the same time.

As for the golf, 2 years ago when my DD started club ball, I was a 2.9 H.I. I haven't touched a club in 2 years between my DD and DS (son). I couldn't imagine breaking 100 now lol.