This past weekend I had so much fun, we had the best game and came from behind to win! I love all my teammates and I am really going to miss softball! Hopefully I can play again next year.
He said
This week we arrived the end of Emelia’s softball season. And the surprise for us was that a) Emelia said she was going to miss it, and b) that she wanted to play again next season. What a roller coaster of emotions it was this, her second, but first, full season in the sport. We surprised that she wanted to play again without the twins who had decided not to. Then a week into practices, she said wanted to quit. That all changed when she had an entire team cheer for her when she found out mid practice that she made the Cheer team she wanted this year. From that moment on, she was bought in. We saw her improve quite steadily to the point I was blown away by just how much better she is. This weekend, during her season ending tournament, she told Danielle that she will miss it and wants to play again next year. I will let Danielle tell the story of the playoffs, as I had to work, but the thing I loved the most this year was how the team came together and how supportive they were for each other!
For me this week I crossed off some significant milestones cycling. Wednesday, I hit 5,000 kms cycled this year. Pretty impressive as we’re at the start of August and all of last year I cycled 5,910 kms. So with the rest of August and then four, full months left in the year I am curious to see where I get to by year’s end. But I also managed to hit 9,500 kms on my bike since getting it a year ago, last May. But the other big piece in all of that was on Friday I managed to arrive at 193 rides outside on the year. Considering at that point, we were on day 224 of the year, it meant that I had only not ridden outside 31 days this year—one month! All of this data is fun and interesting to look at but the best part is that none of it is a chore. Sure, I can be a touch OCD about getting out—even working my bike into Emelia’s Cheer competition weekends, but at the end of the day the benefit it has on my health and fitness for starters and then coupled with what it does for my mental wellbeing, it is an absolute joy that something I love so much inspires other and continues to be such a tremendous piece of value to me.
The other piece of exciting news this week is that after we get done our upcoming work week, we’re headed into a week off at the trailer. Danielle will head up to the trailer Friday night after work with her work friend. And after I am done work on Saturday, depending on Emelia’s schedule/desires we’ll head up to the trailer Saturday night or first thing Sunday morning. Then, it is a week off work for Danielle & I, at the trailer. There is a few times we will need to be back in London during the week, but for sure it will be a week of no alarm clocks and especially for me a lot of time spent riding the G2G Trail, and sitting at the campfire enjoying taking everything at a much slower pace. Giving it is the last month off school, and the soft end to summer, I am really looking forward to this time together, however that shapes out with a teenager not so sure she always wants to be away from the hustle and bustle.
As our weekend off ends, we will come up to my next cycling event of the season. After missing out on the Bluewater International Granfondo, I rushed to find an event to replace it. Last year I did the Dusty Nostril around this time and it is back. But, when I found out my friend Andrew was doing the Eager Beaver Gravel race, and it was on the back end of our week off, I was sold. Registered, I did! It’s a new race for me with a race friend and in a new area for me to test my gravel skills. There are a few other people that we met at Reggie Ramble doing this race as well so it will be fun to bump into some new and old biking friends as well as maybe make some new friends! The group that runs this even does several through the year, so depending on how this one is I am suspecting I may end up having some other events to try next season!
She said
This past weekend was one that I am hoping stays with Emelia as a great moment in her childhood. Last summer Emelia went out on a limb and joined a sport with friends she litterly knew nothing about. When she joined softball she had barely played any sort of baseball or softball other than tossing a ball around. She knew nothing about the rules and certainly did not know how to play. Fast forward to this season. She had grown so much as a player and around ¾ of the way through the season it clicked, she was getting really strong at throwing the ball hard and long distances, she was getting really good at catching the harder catches and she was getting more confident at the plate. Most impressive is that she had been moved to start playing second base because of how much her coach saw her gain confidence and skills this season.
This past weekend was the girls year end softball tournament. They were going into the tournament as underdogs and in the end moved up a few places in the standings. And even though they didn’t make it to the finals the last game that knocked them out of the tournament was against the number one team and they kept the game really close. The true highlight of the tournament was the first game on the second day of the tournament. The game went back and forth through out. The girls had a disastrous 2nd inning and after a firm talk from their coach and the right motivation something changed the girls played perfectly! They rallied back from behind and tied the game to go into extra innings. In the end they managed to come from behind and win the game. The girls all rushed the field and tacked and hugged Abby who got the infield home run to tie up the game. They only needed one more run to win. And with a double from one of the girls it brought in the winning run! The parents, other players from other teams and the kids went nuts! It was a game that we will never forget. In that moment the girls won even if they didn’t win the tournament! And what I loved more than anything that I was able to time a FaceTime call with John and he got to experience the win live with us and congratulate Emelia and the girls on their win!
The girls were on cloud nine for the rest of the afternoon, even when they got knocked out of the tournament with a second loss they were beyond proud of what they had accomplished. This team has been the most incredible, inclusive, supportive and loving team I think Emelia has ever been part of. There was never a negative word said, every word was kind, supportive and encouraging. Saying this was the most supportive team is saying a lot since she has been part of so many incredible teams. No matter what went wrong every player cheered every kid on on that team. They cheered for all the little victories and celebrated the big accomplishments of players that struggled. We are not sure if Emelia will be able to go back next year but we are really hoping she can. She had the best coaches and even better teammates. And for that we are forever grateful! We have made great friends this season not only for the kids but the parents. And all the sacrifices have been worth it.
The funny thing about sports that is hard to understand unless you are fully involved in them, it is hard to understand how much time and energy it takes from family and the kids but the rewards out weigh any sacrifices. A few of the moms were talking about this over the weekend. As all our kids get closer to being done high school we realize that we are on borrowed time. And is the constant go-go-go tiring at times? Yes, but I honestly wouldn’t change it for anything. Before I know it there won’t be games, tournaments, competitions, practices, running from one sport to another and man I am going to miss it! I have loved all of it, even the heartache and the struggle. To see what kind of person Emelia has become because of sports is a journey we have been honoured to witness.
So congrats Diamonds, you might not have taken top prize this past weekend but you won more than you will ever know!