Thanksgoating - Day three. Go sports!
15Today I’m thankful for youth sports
My daughter started playing softball in first grade. I was the last dad at practice and coach looked at me and said, ‘I’m going to need some help this season’. I was the last man standing so I agreed. I had no idea what I was doing and learned an awful lot that first season. I ended up coaching two seasons a year for the last seven years. There is a lot to learn for the players, but when you see things finally click, it’s fantastic.
My daughter loves the game. She’s 5’ 10”, has size 11 cleats and has a 50MHP fastball. I’ve seen her hit two grand slams in a game. Very proud of her.
13U ball wrapped up in the Spring. She just started high school and that is a Spring sport. She didn’t have a team to play with this Fall so she contacted the commish of the league she played in and volunteered to coach 10U ball. The girls loved her and couldn’t believe she was only 14. She rocked it. I’ve even more proud of that. Season ended last night under the lights. She had a great time.
We still get out and pitch when the weather is reasonable. We got out recently and I put the ball bucket on the plate and put a gopro on top of that. I told her she needed to knock the camera off without hitting the bucket. She was all over it and then put a fastball right on top of the camera. Camera is ok. Thanks for your concern. 
It’s been really rewarding working with the kids. And most of all I love walking down an aisle in Wegmans in the off season and hearing ‘HEY, COACH JOSH!’. That makes my day.
Have a great one everybody!
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And they call her Road Runner. She runs like the wind. A year ago all the girls got their own official Topps trading card.
And I’ve been know to go overboard, so I got her a custom batting helmet.
And sometimes really, really over board when gameday falls on May the 4th.
So awesome! I played “beer league” softball until I was in my early 30’s and I can’t imagine being that athletic at such an early age! Good on her (& you) for encouraging and supporting her. Next Jennie Finch on the way!!
PS: I still don’t understand the physics of fastpitch… Pretty sure I couldn’t throw 1/4 the speed or anywhere near the accuracy of these athletes!!
WORKER BEES! HERCULES! TURKEY GREASE! AWESOME!
Sounds like scholarships singing “pick me”!
@DTominator I hope they’re academic ones! She’s taking physics, engineering, compsci and pre-calc as a Freshman. She’s smarter than me
When she was 4 or 5 she asked me, ‘dad, is electricity a liquid?’. I said no… it flows from point to point in waves and… ’ Then I stopped and told her to go watch a cartoon 
@capnjb Look at Texas A&M then. They have both great Women’s Softball and Engineering programs. A win-win!
@capnjb I say UCLA for her!
Yes. Youth sports is totally fantastic. I was a pretty nerdy kid and not very athletic when I was a teen, but I did coach a young girl’s softball team for the local church league the summer I was 16-17. Looking back on it I still can’t figure why none of the dad’s did it but … whatever. Most of my girls had never played any sport, let alone softball, with the most athletic on the team being a girl that played tennis regularly. Needless to say, there was lots of work to be done.
One game the umpire didn’t show up, and no one would volunteer to call the game. In order to not make it a wasted day for the girls I agreed to take a spot behind the plate and the game was on (only one official in those days 50 yrs ago). Don’t remember if we won or lost, but I I DO remember the other coach coming over after the game to tell me it was the best called game he had been at all year. Really made my day.
Also don’t remember how we ended the season, but the girls had fun, learned a new skill or two, and learned some life lessons. Mission accomplished.
PS gushing over your kid’s accomplishments is totally fine!
TL:DR (for today) Get involved in youth sports if you can.
So impressive!!!
Please keep sharing her accomplishments even after your goathood ends; I want to see what else she does.
@Kyeh She will change the world. I have no doubt.
@capnjb I bet you’re right!
She’s so lucky to have parents who believe in her and support as much as you do.
I still have fond memories of going to Columbus GA when they hosted the softball venue for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Watched a couple of the early rounds. Those girls could really burn one across the plate!
It looks like the camera starts panning up before the ball hits it. Did you get turn on the gopro’s “predictive physics” feature, or were you stabilizing the camera until that shot when you could tell the ball was coming near?
(or it could also be just a random wiggle in the bucket which happened to coincide with the strike)
(or it could be any of the infinite things I haven’t even thought of yet)
@xobzoo pretty sure it’s the GoPro exhibiting fear.
@xobzoo Yeah, the camera did that by itself. I like photography, but I’m not a great photographer. I tend to spend to spend way too much on stuff because I like things to happen automagically.