One of the main activities coursing through our summer was BASEBALL! While Jack is the only one playing on a team, we have all become huge fans and the boys and friends have played endless games of whiffle ball all summer long.
Jack began his baseball season in Spring and we were blessed with an amazing coach. Coach Butch was drafted by the major leagues right out of high school, but injured his pitching arm and is now using his skills and love to coach his son and others. Jack had a great team under his coach and had lots of opportunities to shine on first base and the pitcher's mound, as well as when he was up to bat. He also made some great buddies!
At the end of June, Jack and his All-Star team won an amazing victory in our local machine pitch tournament! It was such a great series of games to watch!
He is now playing in a travel ball league for the next few months before winter, and the coaches rely on him heavily as one of their best pitchers (the only kid who could pitch five straight innings with amazing results!) and their best first baseman.
He loves the game so much, sometimes he dances a happy jig out on the field! :-)
He's as impressive when up to bat....
....and gives his mother a heart attack every time he steals a base.
But this. This is what he has become known for. (Well, this and his long blond hair, bandanas and eye black.) Parents and coaches from all over know our Jack for his outstanding sportsmanship. Without fail, he congratulates every opponent who makes it to first base. If someone is injured, he runs to make sure they are okay. I have overheard parents say things like, "That kid on first...I wish my son was like that."
During one particularly discouraging tournament, a coach from one of the opposing teams noticed Jack. He told our coaches, "That Jack is something special. He's the whole package: a great ball player, a bit intimidating with his hair and eye black, but the nicest kid out there. We need more kids like him." In the last game, last inning, bases were loaded and our team was three runs from winning. Jack got up to bat with 2 outs already on the board. The pressure was so intense and when he struck out and his team lost, he was devastated. That opposing team's coach went and got Jack a Dr. Pepper and pack of M&Ms from the concession stand, came out on the field and made an announcement that Jack was the player who had showed the most sportsmanship during the entire tournament. It was a moment this mother's heart will never forget and I am so grateful to that man for seeing how my son had been so discouraged and how he chose to build him up in just what Josh and I have encouraged in Jack since he began playing baseball.
It is a joy to watch Jack out on the field, loving this game that has become such a part of our entire family! We are so proud of his siblings for being willing to sit in the hot sun and cheer on their brother!
(P.S. Stay on the lookout for baseball posts about Joe in the future. He is quite the slugger!)
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