And...That's a Wrap on Summer

Summer is winding down and both kids are wrapping up their activities.  Gracie has had two more tournaments since Colorado, and Owen will have the last football scrimmage on Thursday this week.  They have both had fun, crazy, busy summers.  I think we have spent more time in other cities/states than at home, but wouldn't do it any other way.

Gracie getting ready to leave for the last tourney in Indiana.

Notice that Gracie has shoes on and Owen does not.  

Nutter making himself at home in the flower pot.

I don't know why I bother planting flowers in this one.

I'll start with our return from Colorado...

I had three days of work, the kids did their workouts for school, then Gracie had another practice in KC, and the Top Gun Tourney started the next day on Thursday.  Gracie and I had a girls weekend while Nick worked and Owen went to his football things.

Getting ready for a game.

Gracie stayed with teammates on Wednesday night for their practice and I drove over Thursday morning in time for their 12pm game.  It was so hot every day.  I think it was already 80 degrees in the morning on Friday.  So, two games Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, five on Sunday.  It was a very long, hot day on the last day.  After games on Thursday and Friday Gracie and I found places to eat.  We went to the mall for an hour or so on Friday evening and had a little fun.

Warming up on the last day

Wedgie after one of her homeruns.

These girls are so silly.

Gracie with her teammates

Hannah celebrating a HR

Catching on day 3

Nick drove over to KC on Saturday morning to watch after he had stayed home with Owen during the first two days.  We had a fairly long break in between games, so he found a nice shady spot to chill.  Always prepared.  It really wasn't too bad in the shade, I guess and thankfully, the fields had bleachers and shade provided.  

Relaxing in the hammock

The Aces were 3-0 after pool play, started bracket play on Friday afternoon and won both bracket games on Saturday, as well.  Their game on Sunday morning was really close; 1-0 win, then they lost in the semi-final against a team we had beat 10-0 in pool play.  That forced us to play a lot of games for the rest of the day.  They were so tired by the 2nd championship game.  It was double elimination, so we had to beat that team twice to win the championship.  So, we played the same team 4 times during that tournament; we were 3-1 against them and Gracie hit 5 homeruns off of their pitchers, I believe.  I will not forget her last at-bat when the opposing coach wanted to intentionally walk her, but the rules utilized for this tournament stated that you have to pitch to the batters.  Their pitcher said to their coach that she wanted to pitch to Gracie... and Gracie hit another homerun.  It was an unbelievable series of events that I really wish I had recorded.  I just could not believe how Gracie played during that tournament. So many good things that weekend and I'm very thankful I was there to watch.

Lined up to receive their medals

Team picture

Gathering her equipment after the game.

 I created another highlight reel from that tournament

She hit .742 over 11 games.  That is crazy.  9 homeruns in 11 games.  27 RBIs. Only 1 error in the field that entire time, and she was mostly playing third.  Her stats for this tournament were incredible.  

All of her teammates had a great weekend, which is exactly what they needed after Colorado.

New day, new week.

Another beautiful sunset

We had a full week of normalcy after the weekend in KC.  I actually had my first full week of work since the beginning of June.  I think between June 12 and July 17 I only spent 9 days at home, and Gracie was less than that.  But she still had one more tournament in Indianapolis.  After the "normal" week of workouts with school and getting acclimated to home again, Nick and Gracie left for Indy.

Basically, this is what drives with Gracie look like.

Syd Forrester and Gracie

Gracie's coach entered her in the 16u homerun derby at the last minute.  Syd was entered for the 18u division.  She will be a senior and is committed to Mizzou.

Gracie only hit one out in the 45 seconds they had to compete.  I think she hit the wall 3 or 4 times, though. I don't think she has ever practiced anything like this before.  The field was 225 ft, which is a little further than most of the fields she has been playing on.

The winner of 16u hit 8 out, and the winner of 18u hit 18 out.  That is unbelievable.  That girl hit one out every 2-3 seconds.  I can't even imagine.

Gracie taking her turn.

Nick got to toss to her.

16u girls competing in some of the individual competitions

Keira raced, Aspen threw hard, and Gracie hit HRs.

16's watching the Seniors All-star game on Sunday night.

Little League Regionals

Guess what else was going on in Indy while Gracie was doing their national tournament????  Yep, DBLL was competing in regionals for a chance to go to the LLWS again!  Gracie got to go to a few of their games when she wasn't playing.  Pretty fun to support the girls!  They didn't end up moving on the Little League World Series, but I'm sure they had a great time and I'm glad Gracie got to watch them.

Gracie with Brenna Young, who will be an 8th grader at Southern Boone this year.

After a particularly hot game

She had to get ready for team dinner after the game on Tuesday.

Team dinner at the Mellow Mushroom

2026 Class

The whole team

AFCS was set up like post season play for college.  They had regionals, super regionals, elite 8 then the final teams who make it to the last day.  Aces won both their games in regional play, and then lost their first game on Wednesday in supers, so needed keep winning in order to make it to Friday.  After rain delays, they came back and did great on Wednesday evening to make it to Thursday.  They needed to win 3 games on Thursday to make it to Friday, and again, had to beat the same team twice because of double elimination in the finals of super regionals.

Gracie is pretty "hype" after Kali's homerun.

Crazy girl.

Getting some time behind the plate

More catching

Time-out

Running the bases

Same game - more catching

At-bat

They ended up making it to the third game, but just couldn't pull it off this time.  They lost in the regional championship game and were one of 12 teams left playing.  There were over 100 teams in this tournament at the 16u level.  Not a bad week.  Gracie did well again, hitting .350, which may not seem even comparable to the previous week, but it's still really good.  It's hard to beat what she did at the Top Gun tournament, especially against high quality pitchers. In Indiana, she had 3 HRs and 14 RBIs.  She ended their season hitting 25 homeruns in 148 at-bats.   Her overall AVG was .497.  Almost every other at-bat she got a hit.  Only 9 errors in 62 games played.

For Love of the Game...

There are a couple pictures of Gracie that others have captured this season that emulate a true love of the game.  This one shows her love for teammates, and the previous one was a picture of Gracie catching and smiling mid-pitch.  There was someone who commented on FB that she loves the game just like I did.  I respectfully disagree.  I had no clue what love for the game meant when I played.  And I certainly did not know what it meant to be great at a sport and how much time and energy has to be put into it.  For me, it was fun, I liked to compete, it kept me busy, and I felt great doing it.  I wanted to work hard, but there is no comparison to the number of hours our kids put into the things they love doing. The only thing that might be comparable for me is running, but the older I get, putting the work in has become less appealing.  Both our kids have taught me what loving a sport really means.  They would rather do their sport than anything else in the whole world, and they will do whatever it takes to become the best they can be.  When I was their age, I did not know what that commitment looked like.  They do not give up when they fail...they work harder.  I know now what that looks like through both my husband and our kids. Nick had this love for wrestling in college and continues to love coaching, not just Gracie and Owen, but all the kids who devote their time to something that will make them this happy.  (see below)

She has gained so much from this sport.

Gracie and Hannah

Nick got to help coach during the last tournament.

I think many were glad that he was there....and he feels it just like they do.

Meanwhile... back in Missouri

I worked another full week.  It was so crazy.  I really shouldn't take that much time off... It's so hard to go back.  I made sure Owen got to all of his stuff for football and weights.  Then he had a scrimmage on Thursday night.  This week will be the last of summer football for him.

Studying plays the night before his scrimmage.

Getting some time on the field. I think he is playing tight end here, behind the OL.

None of them had numbers, so it was hard to tell who was who.

I could tell who Owen was by his cleats.

Owen got to play quite a bit during the JV series.

I saw him make a few tackles and blocks.  He played defensive back when he was in on defense.  Pretty proud of myself for keeping track of what was going on.  It was harder later in the evening, when there was less light after 8pm.

The Sports Hangover

There is this feeling after a long weekend of sports tournaments; I like to call it the softball/wrestling/basketball (whatever is applicable) sports hangover.  It doesn't matter whether the kids have a phenomenal weekend or just meh...  the feelings of exhaustion, distraction, elation, disappointment, love, pride, hope - all the things - is so consuming.  The following days just seem void without the constant roller coaster of emotions that we endure watching our kids compete and do what they love.  It always takes me a couple days to adapt again to the routine of a "normal" life at home and work.  Maybe I'm unique and I need to cope/adapt better, but I imagine many parents who know this life also feel the low after the high.  I noticed it, even when watching the kids through flowrestling or gamechanger.  I don't even have to be there to experience the sports hangover cycle!!!  And then, when it is all done for the season, it's even more bizarre.  Every season, every year.  We anticipate, plan, prepare for all of the opportunities, road trips, late nights, early mornings, hotels, coolers, restaurants, waiting, hurrying, and then, so abruptly, it is done. When you're in the thick of it you look forward to having a break and slowing down.  Then when it's done, you just want it back and want it to repeat over and over again, not knowing what to do without it.  Such an addictive cycle.  Yes, then we do it again, and will keep doing it until they have either grown up or THEY decide that they want to do something else.  It is worth every dollar, minute, smile, tear, and laugh, until they decide that it isn't anymore.  I will keep doing this for as long as I can and as long as they want it.  Time is growing short... just soaking it all in and wishing time would slow down.

Summer is almost done and the new seasons are almost upon us.  Two weeks until we start all over again.  I'm still tired and emotionally drained, but I just can't wait for more.

We are all having a little respite before we dive in again.  Gracie and Owen are at Camp DuRocher in Iowa.  Nick and I will continue our recovery, which will no doubt end in self-induced relapse; back to the cycle of sports.

🤣