Take Me Out to the Ballgame...All Over Again!

I recently came across this sweet note and picture I posted up above. Delaney must have written/drawn in when she was maybe seven or eight. On it (in case you can't read it well), she said to Gary: "You will always be my Poppy and my coach."

For most of her childhood, Gary spent countless hours at the ballpark with her Pop; or Coach Gary, as all the other girls on their teams called him. She started playing at four-years-old and played at the ballpark until she was 11; Gary was her head coach for most of those years. He coached her for two seasons in travel ball, but then soon handed over the coaching duties to other coaches as Delaney moved into more upper-echelon travel programs.

Delaney still plays softball (as any even occasional readers on this blog know! LOL), and she is getting geared up for the Summer travel ball season to start again with her Birmingham Mustangs.

We just finished up, though, with her eighth grade school ball season, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures with you from the year.

She's a lot older now (and is finally getting taller!), but she's still that little girl who loved the game so much and loved her Poppy being her coach.






Of course, watching Delaney play softball has always been a family affair. And now Sydney is right there by Gary to watch all the action.

And then, when Delaney's games are over, Sydney is ready to play!

Gary coached Sydney's team, the Stray Cats, this year and they had a GREAT season. Just last night they hammered down the league championship for the 6-and-under teams at our softball park, and Sydney (or "Scout," as we all call her on the ball field) had some great plays.

Scout played circle girl for our team this year (this is the player that's in what is usually the pitcher's position, although the teams are coach-pitched), and she had a great hitting season. She didn't strike out one time!

Here are some pictures of my softball-loving Scout and her teammates and friends...








It's been so much fun to see Scout develop as a player this year (making catches like that one right there!), but more imporantly to make friends and learn sportsmanship and love something so much!

I only hope that she continues to love it as much as Delaney always has.