Season comes to a close

It is upon us. The close of the baseball season. The regular season finished out with our game on Sunday, and we started tournament play tonight against Lafayette Auto Supply. Our boys are showing that they know how to play good defense. They are hanging with the other teams - even the good teams! We stayed with Lafayette Auto run for run until the bottom of the 4th inning - that is amazing!! And we did it last night with Knoy Apparel, too. We are not done yet - our second tournament game is next Monday. If we win, we move forward, if we lose, that will be our last game for the summer. I hope your boys have enjoyed the season. I certainly have enjoyed working with them and getting to know them. They are a great bunch of boys who have hung in there game after game with great attitudes and smiles on their faces (at least most of the time!).

To the players:

Dacota - you have become one amazing batter! Keep your eye one the ball and develop that swing - you've got great potential!

Ethan - you have the ability to play several positions - but you play them all better when you throw OVERHAND to make the plays! Keep smiling, and thanks for always calling me "Mrs. Kincaid".

Carson - keep hitting and keep RUNNING! Don't stop! You have had some tough calls, but keep your head up - you're a great player. Good job getting those balls in from the outfield.

Patrick - you have cranked out some AWESOME hits these past few games!! Yeah! Your smile lights up my day, so stay positive and have fun out there.

Tanner - you and Hayden have become unstoppable at 1st and 2nd base. You are doing a great job getting those outs for our team. I would nominate you for MVP!

Andy - to almost quote a famous movie about a clown fish . . . . "Just keep swinging, just keep swinging." You keep swinging that bat and eventually, you WILL make contact with that ball. Hang in there.

Noah - it's been a great season for you, bud. Your hitting has improved a lot and you make a great catcher, 3rd baseman, short stop, outfielder. It seems that any position we put you in that you do well!

Hunter - keep that shirt tucked in and keep hitting, man! Congratulations on the home runs and RBI's you've hit this year.

Karsten - it was great to see you hit that ball tonight. I KNEW you could do it! Keep hustling and keep practicing. Baseball is fun, isn't it?

Will - though I know you've taken a beating, you have made a great catcher this year. Keep working on your batting - you're definitely getting there. I've enjoyed your can-do attitude and your willingness to wear all that gear out in the hot sun!

Quinn - welcome back! We missed you while you were gone! I've seen a great attitude and great hustle out of you this summer! Those two things will take you far in baseball and in life. Great job!

Hayden - needless to say, you ARE my favorite player (sorry boys, I can't help it I'm biased). You've made amazing progress this year. Your skills have improved, but the best part for me has been your positive and encouraging attitude. I'm so proud of the changes I've seen in you!

We still have the end of season party planned for Sunday, June 28th at 1:30. Please see me if you have questions about that. I'm planning to send an email to respond for RSVP's.

Thanks to everyone for helping out with snacks, the dugout and everything else. It has been the most fun I've ever had in a ball season yet. Thanks!

Lafayette Life vs. Aspen Dental - round 2

Tonight was our second time playing against the Aspen Dental team.  Coach Tom and Coach Mac were both gone.  So were players Patrick and Quinn.  And Kristopher had to move unexpectedly, so with nine boys to start the game and our three back up coaches, the game got underway.  The boys love to play ball. They were excited and they did well.  The Aspen team has some big hitters, so little Karsten did a lot of running in left field during the first inning. He stayed with those balls and got them in to the cut-off player, Ethan. Hayden has been playing first base for the past few games and he's doing fairly well.  He's made some outs and hustles in when he has to call "time."  Noah took third base for a while tonight and tried to stop a ball with his shoulder. He took it well and kept on playing.  Great job boys!  At the end of the first inning, the score was 6-2, Aspen.  Although Aspen continued to hit the ball hard during the next 3 innings, our guys did ok and ended up with a score of 17-7.  Not too bad!  

Kudos to Will tonight for making a hit tonight!! And that, even after he was injured by taking a ball to the hand as catcher.  Double kudos to Dacota tonight - two base hits in the same game - you were AWESOME, bud!  And let's not forget Tanner - jumping in at catcher - where he has never played before - to take Will's place after he was injured.  Way to go Tanner!

No, we didn't win.  But, I've said it before and I'll say it again.  They might not be winning, but they are having fun, and they are building their skills.  That's why we want them to play, right?

I didn't get many photos tonight - too busy!  But here are a few of our newest catcher, Tanner.

See you all on Thursday!   

Sunday's Game has been Cancelled

We were scheduled to play at 5:15 on Sunday.  However, the other team won't have enough players to have the game, so it has been cancelled.  I have sent out an email to everyone on the email list.  I don't have an email for Ethan's family and the one I have for Hunter's family is a work email for his mom.  I know she won't read it until Monday.  If anyone has phone numbers or another way to contact these players, PLEASE let them know our game is cancelled!  

Our next game is on Monday at 5:30 pm.  See you then.

Thanks!  

Eight down, Six to go

The season is well under way, with only six games to go in the regular season.  It can be hard sometimes to focus on the fun of the game when the losses are racking up, which they are.  But, remember, whether you notice it or not, the boys are improving their skills.  Some boys have had their first hit of the season in the past few games.  The boys have made plays on the field and gotten outs when making those plays.  Encourage them, praise them - they are doing very well!

As adults, we focus way too much on winning and losing.  The world our children are growing up in is competitive enough without us adding to the pressure.  So, make sure that you are still focusing on skills, fun and sportsmanship.  These are the things that will take your boys far in life.  A championship season will be long forgotten when a fun loving, good sport will have character qualities to last him a lifetime!

Kris and Tanner down and ready

Hunter playing third base

Carson - serious in the dugout

Dacota - ready in the outfield

Remember - children learn what they live - so be a good teacher!

Picture Day!

I took these individual photos of the boys this evening. Thought I would post them for you all to enjoy!

Lafayette Life vs. Dick's Sporting Goods and Bowsher Heating & Cooling

The boys have had it a little rough these first few games.  I don't know if all you parents have noticed or not, but they ARE having fun!  They're excited when they come in from the field, they like getting up to bat, and that's the way it should be!  We want them to have fun while they're playing baseball!  Keep encouraging them and practicing with them.  Something else that our family has done on a few occasions is to go to a ball game with older players - a high school game or an Indianapolis Indians game.  It's lots of fun and gives the boys a chance to see how the game is played.  We also like watching baseball movies like The Rookie, The Natural, Field of Dreams, Mickey and others.  Get them excited about the game!

A few notes to the players . . .

Kristopher - you've got heart!  I'm amazed that you went right back in to bat after taking that ball to the face!

Patrick - way to stay in the game!  You came back and made a great play at first base!

Tanner - keep hitting that ball!  You're doing great watching for the good ones.

Will - you made an awesome catcher tonight - I couldn't believe it was your first time!

Hayden - keep up that great attitude and excitement about the game - you're off to a great start this year!

A few notes to the parents . . .

Please check the updates to the practice and game schedules over to the right side.  Coach Tom has emailed all of these to you, but this is a good place to check, too.  I hope you all have this blog page set as a bookmark!  

Thanks to everyone for pitching in with snacks.  I will start working on an end-of-season party for the team.  More information to come on that soon!

Enjoy the slideshow . . .

You win some, you lose some

 

After being rained out on Friday, we played our first game of the season tonight.  We got some base hits, made a few good plays, and got some REAL experience.  But after all was said and done, the Aspen Dental Group team beat us.  The scoreboard wasn't being used tonight, so I can't even report a score.  It actually might be better that way for the boys.  Sometimes they get so focused on the score that it really affects their game.  

All the boys had great sportsmanship!  Nobody (that I heard) had any negative comments about their own team or about the other team.  This is a big focus for us as a team.  Attitude is everything and will take you far in life.  Coach Tom and Coach Mac expect good sportsmanship at all times out of players, coaches and parents, so GREAT JOB Lafayette Life!  

Enjoy the slideshow.  Remember to play catch at home for 15 minutes a day or so.  Practice fielding some grounders, too.  

Thanks to those parents who signed up for snacks tonight.  There are still a few empty slots, so please see me if you haven't signed up and would like to help.

See you Wednesday for practice!

Lafayette Life vs. Lafayette Life

Today at practice, the boys played a scrimmage game.  Coach Tom and Coach Mac divided them up onto two teams and gave them the opportunity to play a 'game.'  Of course, we didn't keep score, so there were no winners or losers today.  Just a bunch a great boys putting out great effort to play America's favorite past time.  

Today, when the teams had their turn in the dugout, I took a few minutes to talk about the 'dugout rules.'  These are important rules for each boy to understand, so, just like the league rules, it would be great if you could go over them with your son.  This helps to reinforce what we are telling them on the field.  Here's what I went over with them:

1.  All boys will be asked to sit on the bench and watch the game while in the dugout.  Coach Mac and Coach Tom want the boys to have Team Spirit, watching the game and cheering on their teammates.  This means no wandering around, no wrestling, and absolutely no climbing on the fence.  

2.  It is important for the boys to have their 'head in the game' both on the field and in the dugout.  Take some time to talk to your son about what this means.  How many outs before you switch sides?  How many strikes before you are out?  How many players does your team have on base?  How many batters before it's your turn?

2.  When you are the next batter, you should have a helmet on and a bat in your hand.  You get to stand in the 'batter's box' (it really isn't a box, but a special area for the next batter). You should be taking a few practice swings while in the batter's box.  They should be good swings, with good form!  

3.  If you are the batter after the one in the batter's box, you should be getting your helmet on (and batting gloves if you use them).  Then you should stand at the wall of the dugout. You should not have a bat in your hand yet.  It is critical for this player's safety that he does not go beyond the edge of the dugout wall because the other player will be taking practice swings.

4.  Out of respect for their teammates, boys should not assume it is ok to use another boy's equipment.  Please ask before grabbing someone else's helmet, gloves, or bat.  

I mentioned earlier that I was going to pass around a snack schedule.  I haven't done this yet.  If anyone wants to email me the date you are interested in, I can start filling it out.  I will also try to remember to bring it to the practices next week.  (I won't be at tomorrow's practice.)

Now for something a little different . . . .

This week I had the pleasure of hearing some wonderful presentations from some first graders. I was at school to see our daughter's presentation, and I was able to see two members of the Lafayette Life baseball team do theirs, too!

Here's a picture of Carson doing his report on World War II.  Yes, you read correctly - World War II!!!  I also heard one about astronauts from another team member.  Playing sports is fun, but school is important stuff.  Great job boys!

Practice Slideshow

Things to Remember!

Well, we have our second practice under our belt. The boys are looking good and having fun! Thanks to those parents who have given permission for photos to be posted. I will get those photos uploaded quickly for you to start enjoying! And thanks to those moms who have already volunteered to help me out. I really appreciate it.

I thought I would put together a list of pointers for everyone - just as a help to those of us (myself included) who don't know a lot about baseball. First, I cannot stress enough how important it is to read the rules for the Pinto League and also to take the time to go over them with your son. Here is the link: http://lafayetteyouthbaseball.org/pdfs/2008PintoRules.pdf. I will post this as a link on the sidebar, as well. If you have questions that you would like to have clarified, please ask Coach Tom or Coach Mac.

Now, a few things to remember:

1. Please plan to arrive at the field 15 - 30 minutes early for each game. This gives the boys a quick warm up and allows the coaches and I to get the game and dugout organized before the game begins.

2. On the game schedule I have marked "H" or "V" denoting whether our team is the home or visiting team. If we are the home team we take the dugout on the 3rd baseline and we will bat 2nd. These are always questions that are asked!

3. I have also denoted whether we are playing on Field 1 or Field 2. This is the number after the H or V. Field 1 is the field closer to the parking lot. Field 2 is closer to the playground.

4. Please be sure to bring your son something to drink - some kind of sports drink or water. This is important to help the boys get through the game. That sun is extremely hot and tiresome for them! Coach Mac told me today that they have drink bottles to hand out, so don't go buy a new one!

5. It is a good idea to use a permanent marker to put your son's name on his bat, glove, batting gloves, drink bottle and helmet if he has one. Many things look similar and this helps eliminate confusion. At each game, we will have a plastic tub with each boy's name on it. He will be responsible for putting his belongings in his tub during the game.

6. I will be passing around a snack schedule. It's nice to give the boys a cold drink and a munchie after a long game. We have 13 players on the roster, so please bring enough for everyone. If this is too much of a burden for anyone, please don't feel any pressure - just don't sign up - and don't feel bad about it. Some ideas: capri suns or other boxed drinks, rice krispie treats, cookies, granola bars, packaged crackers, fruit, etc. Homemade snacks are ok, too, and cheaper!

OK, now on to the slide show of the first two practices . . .

A New Season Begins

Welcome to the blogspot for the Lafayette Life Team in the Pinto League! I hope to be able to keep this site updated with photos, schedules, and other important information regarding our team this year. I'd like to get photo permission from each parent, so that pictures of all the boys can be on this site. More on that later. I plan to use first names only, for the protection of all. I have posted a few photos of our son from the first practice today, so that you can get the idea of what this site will look like. I may change it up a bit after we see what color our uniforms are. Please feel free to let me know what you think! I welcome your feedback.

Looking forward to meeting all of you and enjoying this baseball season together! ~Wendy