Coach Pitch

Austin's Coach Pitch season has finally come to an end! It started off rough... this was the first season that Austin had to try-out for. This was not to get on a team but mainly to split the talent up so the teams were fair. Try-outs were in the middle of a basketball tournament here in town that Randy was helping out with so I had to take Austin to the try-outs. Austin was so far out of his comfort zone and I was doing everything I could to get him to go out there and hit a few balls for the men. I think he saw all the men and boys and didn't want to go out there with his mom. I got him out of the car twice only for him to go running back to the van. After an hour of this and him ending up under the back seat of the van, I finally had to call Randy for reinforcements. Randy got there, Austin got right up from under the seat and went out there with him to hit some balls! That's when I knew this was Randy and Austin's sport!

After the teams were formed, Randy was asked to coach the team Austin was placed on. We went back and forth on this decision, but ended up saying yes. We knew Austin would feel much more comfortable with Randy up there pitching to him. Austin had a great season- rarely did he not get on base. The team, however, taught Randy a good lesson on patience! Not exactly the team Randy would have recruited had he been the coach from the beginning... but they did win their very last game! At least it ended on a good note and Austin never complained about not winning. In fact, he never complained about baseball overlapping with soccer or soccer camp! I was very proud of him for that!

Austin looked so handsome in his baseball uniform!! It reminded me of watching Randy in high school and college in his baseball uniform! I never got sick of watching him play and I'm sure it will be the same with Austin. Baseball is a relaxing sport to me. Luckily we are all baseball fans in our family. The girls loved going to watch Austin play too. They also loved going to the concession stand!

As I mentioned, Randy was the coach and pitched to our team. He did a great job of reading where the kids where swinging and aiming right at their bats! Especially those kids that would just swing at the air! I think Randy and Austin grew a lot closer through this season. They would go out and practice together and of course spent a lot of time together in the car and in the dug-out. The other day Austin was debating on spending the night at a friends house. I told him if he stayed home he would only have girls to play with cause there weren't any boys in our house. Then he said, "if I go, then I won't have dad to play with." Awww, melted mine and Randy's heart! I'm so glad that Austin has such a great dad that spends time with him, lifts him up, and is a person Austin wants to hang out with! Thanks for being such a great dad, Randy!