Travel Ball Parent Confessions

[softballcheers]

How do you really feel about travel ball?

Parents, the husband and the wife, often have different feelings regarding travel ball. Sometimes one parent is more excited about it than the other. Often, the excited one is the husband and the more reluctant is the wife. Although this may usually be the case it is not always true.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

Sounds familiar.

My "male" side of the family loves and lives sports. Brother and I both pitched D1, his oldest plays D2 baseball currently and will play on a semi pro team in New York this summer. His youngest just got done playing basketball in the state championship.......... 6'4" and still growing. ( also pitches baseball TB and HS ). DD plays TB and HS softball. Between the 5 of us we have played in 35 states.........and still counting.

We could be moderately wealthy if not for all the money we dump into ball. lol

Flip side is the wife and her side. She ran track ( even a sport?? ) and loves watching our DD play but bless her heart.............has no clue what's going on. Her parents ( ex military ) are always questioning me on how much DD plays ball. Why this why that?

One day I'll probably get fired since I keep my laptop locked on this board in my work office. But thank goodness my boss is a sports guy too.

My wife will probably have me traveling the world, doing a stupid garden, stupid flowerbeds, and theater once DD's career is over. Sigh!!!!!!

 

[nanotech14]

Sounds familiar.

My "male" side of the family loves and lives sports. Brother and I both pitched D1, his oldest plays D2 baseball currently and will play on a semi pro team in New York this summer. His youngest just got done playing basketball in the state championship.......... 6'4" and still growing. ( also pitches baseball TB and HS ). DD plays TB and HS softball. Between the 5 of us we have played in 35 states.........and still counting.

We could be moderately wealthy if not for all the money we dump into ball. lol

Flip side is the wife and her side. She ran track ( even a sport?? ) and loves watching our DD play but bless her heart.............has no clue what's going on. Her parents ( ex military ) are always questioning me on how much DD plays ball. Why this why that?

One day I'll probably get fired since I keep my laptop locked on this board in my work office. But thank goodness my boss is a sports guy too.

My wife will probably have me traveling the world, doing a stupid garden, stupid flowerbeds, and theater once DD's career is over. Sigh!!!!!!

have you tought about adoptionyou could always get 9 more.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

have you tought about adoptionyou could always get 9 more.

Trust me, I have 9 in and out on the weekends and usually hanging out all summer long. I'm going broke!!!!

Rarely when the house is quiet and empty, my wife and I look at each other like "what to do"? Unfortunately my idea of what to do and hers are not the same.

 

[nanotech14]

Trust me, I have 9 in and out on the weekends and usually hanging out all summer long. I'm going broke!!!!

Rarely when the house is quiet and empty, my wife and I look at each other like "what to do"? Unfortunately my idea of what to do and hers are not the same.

there sould be tax break to softball parents

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

Yeah, I have a confession.

I never played a team sport in my life. I hate soccer and volleyball with a passion and basketball is not far behind. I don't like watching baseball unless I am at the park or watching the younger kids play. I didn't like softball at first, the parents were the most horrible people I had ever met, yelling at 11 year old girls and shouting obscenities across the field at opposing parents. I nearly pulled DD off the field then and there to never set foot on a softball field again.

Over the years I have learned to accept that there are stupid people that are involved in youth sports. Now that I actually know the rules of softball I really enjoy the game, particularly the speed at which it is played (WAY faster and more exciting than baseball).

DD will go off to college next fall and DW and I have no clue what we will do. We have jokingly talked about adopting a 10 year old daughter... I will go back to coaching the younger kids 14U and under, probably at the rec. level in our small town.

 

[tghorley]

Well, I am not a parent of a softball player, but a grandparent. I live about 235.3 miles from her but I try to get to all her games that I can (including volleyball, ugh). But alas, I missed some of them last year. This year, she moved up to 14u and will not play in as many tournaments. I looked at her scheduled tournaments and it seems like she is playing further and further away.

So, I was sitting here thinking, I'm not getting any younger. The beach, sand, sun, and fishing are getting old. So, what the heck, I will be moving early next month to be near the action.

Ok, ok, there are several other reasons. I have to see my other granddaughter, she is 6 and right now is doing competitive dance. And there is my "adopted" granddaughters who play on a 12u team. And I guess I could learn how to bass fish again. Can't wait for the action to start!!!

 

[chinamigarden]

Confession.

I love soccer, volleyball and basketball. If my dd wanted to quit softball I would have no problem with it. If she wanted to only play HS ball and do travel something else, I would have no problem with that either.

Softball has become something I do for her. If it runs out of fun for her, I could drop it like a hot potato. Not that I don't like it, I love it. But I am involved in travel for her.

 

[Sparky Guy]

My wife will probably have me traveling the world, doing a stupid garden, stupid flowerbeds, and theater once DD's career is over. Sigh!!!!!!

Coach a team of younger kids. They will help keep you young and on your toes. That's what I did when my DD started playing college ball and beyond. Even coached with her for a while. You'll find your whole perspective will change.

I always have fun with the kids while pushing them and watching them grow into real ball players. It's some of the parents I can do without.

 

[RubberBiscuit]

What gets me geeked-out is any one of my kids getting passionate about something, working hard to be their best, and then going out there and competing. This is the key.