Confessions of a Softball Parent....

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This was posted on the Buckeye Heat forum. ?I liked it so I thought I would share it with you.. ?Does this sound like anyone you know? ?;D

Confessions of a Softball Parent ?
?I used to have a regular life. (Actually, many of my friends say that sentence should say, "I used to have a life", period.) It doesn't really seem that long ago. Then I became a competitive softball parent. ?

?I used to think anything over $40 was an exorbitant price for a softball bat. Now the contents of my daughter?s equipment bag are worth more than everything else in the house -- including clothes, jewelry, watches, and my laptop computer. ?

?I used to be one of the leaders in my field of work. I still am. (You have to keep a good paycheck coming in if you want to support a competitive softball habit!) ?

?I used to think a double-header was a long day at the ball field. Now after two games we're just getting warmed up. ?

?I used to look for fancy restaurants that served seafood and prime-rib. Now I'm a connoisseur of nachos and hot dogs and my kids rate a city by the quality of a tournaments snack bar!

?Sunflower seeds used to be something I would see at a store and wonder who would eat those things? Now I don't feel comfortable leaving the house with out a bag in my pocket.

?My lawn used to be like a carpet. It was green, mowed, trimmed, fertilized, and watered. Now I have two big bare spots fifty feet apart and dents in my garage door from fastballs that got away!

?My car used to draw admiring looks and comments. It was clean and waxed and shined and Armor-All'd. Now it only draws attention when it wins the "dirtiest car in the parking lot" prize, or it is covered in "go team" shoe-polish.

?I used to have a garage, now I have an indoor batting area.

?My friends and I used to spend Monday mornings talking about a round of golf or movie we had just seen. Now I bore them to death with detailed play-by-play descriptions of five or six low-scoring ball games. ?

?We used to sit and talk for hours. We still do-- however, now it's to keep the driver awake when we're headed home late Sunday evening after a tournament. ?

?My summer casual wardrobe used to be made up of color-coordinated polo shirts, cool cottons in bright colors, and the occasional "aloha" shirt. Now I have a closet full of T-shirts that have Tournament Names on the front and competing teams on the back.

?We used to spend our summer vacation relaxing on the beach or visiting family. Now we hit the road with 20 of our closest friends in a caravan that could rival some small town parades. ?

?I used to be concerned that I would fall into the trap of living my life through my kid. Now I know that I'm privileged to live my life WITH my kid, and I wouldn't have it any other way!!!

Yes, I'm a Competitive Softball Parent, what could be better!
 
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Wow that sure hits close to home! It's true, I wouldn't change anything except to have a clone on occasion.
 
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Thanks for sharing , It really says it all, and I agree there is no better way to spend the summer...the real problem comes in a few years when DD is in the "real world" and we have to go back too, LOL. Good luck with everyones season this summer, and enjoy being with the kids now, and know that the memories are for keeps.....
 
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"many of my friends" - Just about ALL of my friends have something to do with softball. Others just don't get it.
 
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Hey JC, I remember seeing something similar to this about 5 years ago and thinking "I get it", now 5 years later, I really "get it" and I wouldn't trade a tournament weekend for all the beaches in the world!!! Well, maybe one week at the lake down in Johnson City, Tennesee...Lol. ;D
 
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Bink44 said:
Hey JC, I remember seeing something similar to this about 5 years ago and thinking "I get it", now 5 years later, I really "get it" and I wouldn't trade a tournament weekend for all the beaches in the world!!! Well, maybe one week at the lake down in Johnson City, Tennesee...Lol. ?;D

I "get it" from my own viewpoint-the coaches. ?I am one of those coaches whose calendar revolves around softball. Instead of Spring Summer Fall Winter, my season are HS Ball, Travel Ball, Fall Ball and Indoor Ball.

Now, ask me how many miles my pickup truck has on the odometer.

driving.gif
 
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Bink: I'm with you on the Johnson City comment. Kids are hoping to play there again in the years to follow. Cincy just won't be the same! :'( See you this weekend in Marysville?
 
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Great story. I find my Suburban has more crap in it then
my shed does. My friends that do not play think I am
crazy. I would not change a thing. I have met a lot
of great people over the years. Something you can't do
from your couch.
 
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Tom_Clutter said:
Great story. I find my Suburban has more crap in it then
my shed does.

How true, so does our Suburban!! In fact we wouldn't even test drive a vehicle unless we knew it would hold 4 ball bags, 2 coolers, 2 buckets of balls, a pop up tent and at least 4 kids. Oh, and it has to have a hitch for the cargo carrier or trailer.
 
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Loved it! Thanks for posting!

Sounds just like the last 7 years of my life! Wouldn't trade all the special times I've spent with my baby for anything-they are only young once. I don't know what I'll do in a couple of years when it is all over! The very thought makes me tear up... :'(
 
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Great post! ?Recently a few of the boys on my sons young baseball team saw the inside of our van and commented "what, do you guys live in here"? ?They then called the rest of the team and some of the parents over to take a look. ?One parent said, "looks like you thought of everything... but where is the field chalk". ?That really got my laughing!!

have a great holiday weekend ?:D
 
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Johnnies - I posted your list on another site and a mom replied with a list of her own. Thought you might like it.

YOU MIGHT BE A SOFTBALL PARENT, IF

1. Your diet consists mainly of chili cheese nachos, sunflower seeds, and soda.

2. You?re pretty sure you live in a house, you just can?t remember what it looks like or where it is.

3. You see absolutely nothing wrong with bribing your daughter with money, as long as she?s having fun.

4. You participate frequently in the ?pace back and forth while mumbling incessantly? ritual.

5. The coaches have no idea what they are doing or how to run a team?..you could do better.

6. Your daughter has not only improved her softball skills, she?s also become particularly good at rolling her eyes at you.

7. The phrase ?We?re taking a family vacation? translates to ?This weekend?s softball tournament is really far away, so pack your suitcase?

8. Somehow, your SUV has been turned into a softball equipment storage facility.

9. Your wallet is empty and your skin is burnt, but all you wanna know is ?what?s the score??

10. Family gatherings and holidays are scheduled around softball practice and games.

11. Your kid is the best player on the team and should play every position on the field at the same time.

12. You have peculiar round bruises all over your body.

13. All of your white clothes are now a dingy shade of brown.

14. You refuse to go anywhere without your foldout chair, portable grill, ice chest, and a roll of toilet paper (just in case).

15. Blue used to be your favorite color ? now your favorite phrase to yell out is: ?You Stink Blue?.
 
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A combo of #3 and #6 is what happens with us....we bribe our dd not to roll her eyes at us! ?LOL
 
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You might be a Red Neck if... You think a blue tooth is what you get after drinking Kool-Aid! :D
 

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