Inventory... IT'S GO TIME!!!

What wears ten cleats, has 10 batting gloves (and so on, and so on)? You get the idea. Pictured here... a glance of the boys' preparedness for the season. We're nearly good to go. With the exception of a new bat for Cameron (and you can bet he's gonna be picking up a good piece of that tab), and a couple question marks re: cleats fitting a couple of the boys for the duration of the season... we're in good shape. Gloves, bats, cleats, hats, batting gloves, cups, equipment bags. Practices have continued thus far (except for this evening --- rain has had something to say about that). Cameron's team (AA, Heat) start about a month after the rest of the others' teams --- and his first practice is scheduled for this weekend. So, it's all on. Paxton's team (C, DAA Rockets) has a double-header in a pre-season tournament this weekend (with the possibility of another game or so depending how the double-header goes). Griffin's team (D, DAA Dodgers) has a pre-season game this weekend as well. You can almost hear and smell it, eh? Yeah... the boys are pretty geeked. We all are!

The Great Outdoors!

Sunny, 60 degrees... and lots of baseball! Today 2 of the boys (Paxton and Holden) practiced outdoors. Duncan's team has time slotted at the cages. It's GREAT to be outside, seein' the boys playin ' some ball. Still no official schedules for games. But we DO know games begin 1st or 2nd week of April (very soon!). As of now, we're also getting a very good idea of what each team's practice schedule is gonna look like. Even tho we've been at it for a month or so already, it's all starting to feel 'real'! Lovin' it!
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Another Accomplishment

Well... it's official. We are now in full-out, all-things-baseball mode. Paxton swam his last competitive event this past weekend. Earlier in the season, he qualified for the 'State' level championship in 50 yard backstroke. The State meet was held at Miami University, where Paxton was one of 39 boys to qualify for this particular event. Paxton was just (barely) edged out in his heat (of the overall preliminaries), coming in 2nd Place. When it was all said and done (and the 39 boys had their go at it), Paxton missed the cut for the finals by 1/2 second. Of course he was very disappointed. BUT!!!... tons to feel great about. He's been swimming (and WINNING a LOT) all season against boys who have been doing this for years. This being Paxton's first season, everyone has been blown away by his success. Simply qualifying for State is quite the feat in and of itself. And... the time he swam Saturday was a full second faster than the time he qualified with less than two months ago. So, that's great improvement! I know Paxton is excited about baseball. But I also know he's already thinking about next season's swimming, getting better, getting back to where he wants to be (State), etc. We're VERY proud of you, Pax. Way to go!

All In Good Time...

Like so many other good things... baseball can't (won't) be rushed in this house. Already with more than a half dozen BP sessions and a handful of various kinds of meetings under our collective belt... two of the boys continue moving through the end of two other sports' seasons. Duncan (on the right, shown in the pic) and his basketball team have finally called it a season. This past weekend saw them take 2nd Place in the Holy Family Tournament. D's team also got got ousted from the City Tournament. Overall, though, their team has so much to be proud of... running the table in the regular season, winning the league, a berth in the City Tournament and runners-up in HF's tourney. Great job, Duncan! Paxton (on the left, shown in the pic) is also still swimming. Sectionals were this weekend. P won one medal and and three ribbons. He's also timed well enough in 50yrd Backstroke (earlier in the season) to swim next week in the Ohio YMCA Championships. Excellent work, Paxton!

Cage Ragin'

Duncan's turn tonight. Here we are, in (YET!) another cage. But it's all good fun. Duncan took some good cuts. And his team looks pretty good (as good, that is, as any team can look this time of year... before all the off-season rust is knocked off). But it's another session under the belt, and another step closer to the real thing. Bring it on!

We Interrupt This Blog...

Congratulations to Duncan. Pictured here with some 'hardware', Duncan's basketball team (Holy Family Cougars) ran the table in their league this season (hence, the trophy). Winning the league with a perfect '9-0' record, the Cougars earned a berth in the City Tournament. City gets underway weekend of March 5th. Also, the Cougars won the first round of Holy Family's annual postseason invitational tourney last night, routing St Teresa 38-17. Way to go, Duncan!