It's early in the day and I have already made a poor decision that will affect me for the rest of day. As I ate the last piece of Grandmom's birthday cake for breakfast, I had "eater's remorse". The diet that I started yesterday has been temporarily placed on the back burner. Was it worth it? Sort of...wish I could have enjoyed breaking my 23 hour diet more....so it goes....Speaking of back burner, we were startled this morning with the smoke detectors ringing at 4:30 am. Initially, you want it to go away and stay in bed, however, the decision to get up and find the source of the alarm eventually took over. Fortunately, there was no fire. However, I am still puzzled as to why the detectors continued to go off intermittently for an hour. I even got the manual out to read. Yes, women do read directions. Dad returned to bed unfazed. As always, it was up to me to save everyone including Diva Dog's lives....the story of a dedicated mother, plunging through the manuals in the early twilight hours, desperate to find the source of an electrical malfunction....No luck. I hope that this does not happen again tonight.
As far as rain goes, the team's game last night was postponed. No game. I actually made a very good decision as I decided not to attend because of the weather forecast. I saved myself from a 6 hour trip and forgoing a soggy seat in the stadium and a wet hot dog (yes, I would have broken the diet last night rather than this morning). Love accu-weather...always accu-rate.
Last night's game was to be an all time, epic grudge match. Buddy has given me permission to write about some of the less than happy details of the recruiting process. So, here goes.....it all began with a letter of interest from a school in the mid-Atlantic region. The letter, written by the head coach, asked Buddy to attend a program on campus, meet the team, tour the campus, see the stadium, and attend a basketball game. This was the first of the letters, and he jumped at it. So, on a cold, windy February morning during his junior year, we journeyed 3 hours to the school. The coach gave a terrific presentation to 20 invited athletes. The tour was nice yet the school was in an isolated area. I got moderate positive vibes from it. After that day, he received more correspondence from the coach, a request to attend their baseball camps, and high school transcripts. It looked very favorable that this could be a match. Yet......
If you have read this blog on a semi regular basis, all is never well....if something can go wrong, it does. Between junior and senior years, Buddy contracted Lyme Disease. He lost weight and power on his fast ball and was not the same player that he had been before he was sick. He was asked to attend "another" camp ($250.00 plus hotel) and finalize a try out for this school. The players on the team who were on the field were amazed and asked Buddy if he was going to come to the school while the coach stood at a diagonal line in the press box and using the radar gun on Buddy as he pitched. The radar gun read mid-70's. He was no longer interested and he dropped communication with Buddy altogether. This was quite a blow for him because he had invested a great deal of emotional and physical energy trying out for a team that he thought wanted him. He was sad and miffed and angry. But, as you know, all was well when he was recruited for his current team.
With that said, last night's game was against the coach who rejected him last year. Buddy has a big chip on his shoulder (actually, not a chip...a bit of a boulder) and was slated to pitch against the team. His texts to me included phrases "I will dominate....I will own them...." As fate and weather would have it, the domination will have to wait until a sunny day.
As a mom, I wanted to tell him to let his anger go....everything works out for good...the best thing that happened was that the team did not want him....I tried to tell him, yet I understand his grudge. We spent a great deal of time, money, and emotional energy traveling to the school and attending their functions and camps. Here is where recruiting is big money. The showcases and camps are by invitation (inviting anyone with some money and a pulse). It seems a bit like a scam. None of the interested coaches ever saw Buddy play in a game. All interest was through showcases. The coaches are paid to attend and they charge a fee to the kids. I know a few talented players whose parents cannot afford to travel and attend the camps and showcases. How are they discovered? These are the kids who need the scholarships. I can pay for my son, but what about the others? The amount of money that we paid on the camps, showcases, websites, tournament teams, lessons and so on are equivalent to the national debt. The way I look at it is, if he wanted to become a chef, I would send him to Paris or Tuscany to study. If he was interested in art, trips oversees would be necessary. He wanted to be a division 1 athlete, so we send him to train with the best coaches in the region. It's what a bullpen mom would do....right? I gave him the opportunity, yet he took it to the next level. As a family, we are like a team...helping each other achieve their maximum potential. And so it goes...tonight, the team plays a cross state rival...more tomorrow....time to exercise.....
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