Where Do I Start????

Life has been crazy this past couple of weeks!!! Between sports, school, scouts and Halloween we have been a super busy family. Let me back up a few weeks and I will start with baseball.

Luke's team is undefeated. This is the only team in his league that is undefeated! Feels a little like last season....some of the same players, same coaches and thank God, some of the same parents. They make the games so fun!

Luke is in a weird place in baseball this season. When he first started playing, he had absolutely no idea how to play. He became really good at hitting and was usually the 3rd or 4th in the line up order because he was always good for at least a base hit which would move everyone around the bases. We used to call him "Hollywood" because he would round the in field just to give his fans a little wave. Well last season we were in Ukraine for most of the season and when he came back he was just off. No mojo, no Mr. Hollywood. This is our first season in the AA league which means the kids pitch the entire game and not the coaches. For the last 4 games when Luke is up he just stands there...won't swing the bat. Sometimes he ends up walking but most of the time he just strikes out. When we asked him why, he told us he was scared because there were 2 outs and he was up. We explained to him that if he just stood there the bat would never hit the ball and he would be out, but if he swung at anything that looked good then he would most likely hit it. Drew took him to the batting cages and he started swinging again! He did really great. Today when he got up we told him that he better swing! He did. He struck out once and walked once but at least he didn't just stand there.

He has really started to like the fielding part of the game and wants to be in field, in the thick of it all. But his coach, who I will say is a great coach and guy, rotates him outfield a lot. This, on top of the hitting slump, has Luke really discouraged. We have been working with Luke, telling him if he doesn't ask for what he wants in life he may never get it. He asked his coach last night at practice to be the short stop and today he wasn't given the chance. He pitched on inning and was on 2nd base once but the rest of the game he spent in the out field. What do you say? It is so hard to see your children disappointed and experience real life.

He has been pitching a lot more than he ever has. He really is just beginning, but the intensity is so great to watch. Especially because Luke rarely focuses on something so hard. This is a bad picture but you can see in his face how hard he is concentrating.
The picture below is Luke getting the game ball. He got this one for pitching a great inning and for a great play at 2nd base.


The season is about 1/2 over and we are getting ready to enter the playoff games. It would be so great if we made it to the championships again and won!!!