Summer Ball

Yes, it's been over a month since I put up a post here. I've thought of it but never have sat still long enough to do it. It doesn't help that I can't post from our main computer where all of my photos are stored. Getting on the laptop or heading to the library takes way more effort than I've been willing/able to expend!

I hate to say it's been a "busy" summer because no matter what's going on we're all "busy" with something. It's just that this summer the "busy" has been in the form of putting on mileage. We've had many summers that were filled with ball games. I remember one crazy summer when we had 6 kids playing on 5 different teams. We spent a lot of time at the park but it just meant packing picnics and traveling the 3+ miles back and forth to the park four or five nights a week.

This summer we broke a record even for us. With 6 kids home for the summer and 5 of them involved in a summer sport it was only a matter of time before everything happened on one day. Our day came a few weeks ago when we had 5 kids on 4 teams playing 3 different sports in tournaments in 4 different cities. It's a coincidence that is highly unlikely to ever repeat itself or we'd probably up our sports-age-requirement to 15!

We have an unusual twist to this summer as Shane is playing on the Wisconsin Jets AAU basketball team. It's a limb we have refused to go out on in the past, but saw that Shane (now 6'6") really was serious about wanting to try to pay for a college education with a basketball scholarship and this was the best way to get the exposure to make that happen. The money that we had planned to spend on a two-week family vacation has gone (is going) toward five 3-day traveling basketball tournaments. Two weeks ago his team won the Mr. Basketball Tournament in Sioux Falls, SD and there are 3 more tournaments to go.

Troy is home for the summer and playing some Legion ball but I haven't made it to any of those games. Once you're an adult my obligation to cheer from the bleachers is over. If it's a nice night and you're playing in town and I feel like sitting down by the lake I might be there.

Bryce played for a Babe Ruth team and filled in some on the Legion team. He had an amazing season with a batting average over .800 midway through the season. Last Monday his team was playing in the league championship game when, in the first half of the first inning, he pulled a hip muscle. He had to be carried off the field and watched his team lose the game. He was disappointed to miss the game but even more disappointed to miss the All-Star State Tournament this weekend. If he thought he could help the team on crutches he'd do it.

Owen filled a very significant baseball role this summer. He is the last boy in our family to be playing Little League. We've had a boy in the Little League program every year since 1995 and Keith has coached 15 of those years, coached several All-Star teams, and took Chet's team to the state tournament in 2001. Owen's All-Star team is one win away from heading to the state tournament as well and if they did it would make he and Chet the first brother combo to go to state in over 40 years (if ever). The Hodags have sent teams to state 5 times--1957, 1962, 1966, 1988, and 2001. The 2001 team was the only one to post a win at that level.

Finally, we've had Lisa in the mix this year. She gave fastpitch softball a try last summer but was completely disenchanted by the lack of games. There were none. All season long they met every week for a practice and maybe a scrimmage amongst themselves. She was beyond indignant and decided to give soccer a try. So, after a 16-year break (our older four tried soccer for a season) I am once again a "soccer mom". Lisa enjoyed her team very much and in her final game scored her first legitimate goal. (She was once credited for a goal when the opposing goalie "mis-kicked" the ball and it ricocheted off Lisa and into the net.)

It looks like everything should be wrapped up by the end of this month and my summer projects will get back on the front burner. Posting some pictures here might even be one of them!