How much is too much?

A big question to tackle, and one I am 100% sure I do not have the answer to!!!!!

How much is too much? How much practise should a team have? How long should each practise be? How can you tell when they are too tired? Should the team focus on being disciplined, or should you let it go because the boys need "down time"?

My view on all of the above is that there is balance to be achieved somewhere, somehow......the complications begin when everyone has a different opinion as to where this fine balance is! I have observed that not only is there typically a male/female difference of opinion, but also each coach has their own take on it too, depending on their personality or focus.....

MOMS tend to lean more on the side that : Too much practise is making the kids tired and grumpy or that too much baseball is taking a toll on other family activities or plans. Also, Mommys tend to have issues when practise takes place during a usual meal time or makes kids late to bed!

DADS.......the time doesn't seem to matter - it's all baseball! IS there such a thing as too much baseball??!!

COACHES : have many opinions, all of which make a valied points......you can practise, practise, practise - this is what perfects the skills you are trying to teach. You can shake it up - fun mixed with hard-core training - all is good, builds team morale, chemistry AND works on skills. You can spend many long hours going over and over things.....then on game day, it's shorter than a practise, and actually seems easier! But then on the flip side, if you have practised hard all week, are the team too tired to PLAY. Short practise might be better than NO practise.....but a day of rest is also valuable, to recharge those batteries.

ALSO TO CONSIDER: Different kids, different things......there are those with unlimited energy - they are like some kind of baseball-energizer-bunny - they could run the bases all night, catch fly balls for eternity and still want to go swimming afterwards.......and then there are those who have played hard all day, and by the time practise time rolls around they just get that blank-stare whenever anyone tries to talk for more than five words at a time. Different personalities and maturity levels seem to have a capacity for different amounts of information and "training"......there are some who just keep on absorbing everything the coaches are teaching, and are just hungry for more always......then there are those who's concentration span just doesn't DO THAT, and they need small "bites", short phrases, and drills that don't last for too long or they are lost.

One thing that I believe is of key importnace is recognising each team-member as a unique individual. The nature of team-work IS to accept each one's talent as essential, but also to maximize each person's potential. Basically, short or long attention span, the different maturity and endurance levels, and the abilities to grasp what is being taught - it all goes into the baseball-team melting pot......the coaches and players do their best, the best way they know how, and on game day, we all strive for the best possible results!

What I'm trying to bring out in this post is this : There simply is no easy answer to the question put forth - what works for one, may not work for another. One coach may disagree with another coach. Some families may have comitments other than baseball that take presidence over practise time. Basically, I think it is the responsibility of everyone involved to smply do their best. As far as is possible, follow your coach's schedule, since they are unltimately the boss. If something is not working for you, advocate for your child in the best most positive way. Above all, just remember - many opinions, many personalities, balance SOMEWHERE!

The pre-game show

It began this morning: Pregame show at the baseballmomster's! The game is not until 5, but we are already in prep mode! My oldest even was unsure about going to our complex's pool, just incase it made us run late (this was 4hrs before we have to leave). Everything we're doing seems centered around "the baseball" today - the requests for extra TV/video game time are not so bothersome today, "save your evergy for the game, son...", and everything the boys try to play in the backyard has me checking on them way more than usual, just incase of injury!
Nutritionally, it always seems like such a nightmare (I'm a classic overthinker, and when my hubby reads this  he will laugh).....did my son the right balance of protein/carbs/fruit/veggies.....or just DID HE EAT ENOUGH??!!! Not to forget being hydrated....."Drink your water.."......"did you drink water..."....."here, sip some more water..." blah-blah-WATER-blah.....I think I probably sound like that Charlie Brown teacher "BLAH-BLAH-BAAAAA"
Then of course, the wardrobe.....I almost had a heart attack this morning as I was folding the laundry, only to discover ONE clean sock without it's partner! I felt as though my life was flashing before me, and started constructing a panic-attack-list of options of what to possibly do to rectify the situation.....thankfully none of the options had to be explored, upon the discovery that the prodical-sock had been swallowed by one of  Hubby's workout shirts! I thanked God, and returned said-sock to it's grateful partner, wondering if there is medication specifically for baseball-headcases such as myself.
And then there was the lunch-time pep-talk.....the "pick up your team mates" speech, the "don't go thinking this is an easy win" piece, and the "I love watching you play, I love you so much, I'm always proud of you" thing......Poor kid has heard it all before, but I am blessed with a patient and understanding son who knows exactly how to humor his poor crazy mother! He listened well, added a few of his own comments and opinions, then artfully switched the discussion to something else!
With a three hour window until the time we allotted for "leave the house" (a conservative 1/2 hr before we actually have to leave), I try to occupy myself.....thus writing this blog post - the perfect distraction for the baseballmomster, who is currently trying to NOT show her son what pre-game jitters are!

Crock pot craziness

Something that has been a sanity-saver for me in the baseball-journey has been my crockpot. This post is one that probably goes hand-in-hand with the "nutrition police" entry - there came a point in our season where I was realising that convinence had overtaken the need to keep feeding my children the "good stuff". Make no mistake here - Mickey D's or one of our great-and-greasy fast food establishments are NOT on some kind of "bad list" for me (although if you've ever watched the documentary super-size me, you might find yourself more in favor of taco stands, and less of burgers-joints....)I DO visit such places, it's just that once again, the sudden realisation that this was occuring many times a week, all due to a lack of mom-endurance on my part, thinking that I just couldn't possibly cook past 7pm! Pretty laughable really, when I 'm there trying to make sure my sons have the endurance to "hold it together" well into 6 innings, and I can't even feed them well if the game goes late!

Anyway......I'm not someone who was married for her culinary skills, so the list of crockpot favorites are super easy! I would love it if friends would add comments and ideas - that way this post can develop into a resource with many different skill levels encorporated!!! Most of the things I do require spending the extra 10 minutes early morning getting things together and throwing them in the crock pot.....I try to have simple enough sides that they can either be in the refrigerator waiting to be heated up (Pasta/rice), things that you can throw in the oven for not too long (garlic bread/refrigerated biscuits or crescent rolls) , or just cold stuff....pita bread, french bread, tortilla chips.....of course I wouldn't have earned my "nutrition police" gold-star if I didn't of course mention the insane bags of costco veggies that I like to have on hand - snap-peas, baby carrots, small sweet peppers, grape tomatoes - easy veggie servings that don't even require me to CHOP anything...

Salsa chicken (Thanks Kris!) - put the crockpot on low, throw in frozen chicken breast and cover it with salsa - you can leave it on low all day, then shred it when you need it - awesome burrito filling. I've also wondered about making a double portion, then creating a chicken tortilla soup the next day by using the salsa chicken as a base, then adding a couple of cans of chicken broth, corn, black beans, rice.......

BBQ chicken - basically the same thing, except you cover the chicken with BBQ sauce, and then serve it on burger buns! Works great with pork too.

You can actually cook chicken seriously PLAIN in the crock pot, which can be awesome for picky kids - just cook frozen chicken breast on low all day in chicken broth. You can flavor it up if you want, or not. and then when you need it just chop it up. Great in quesidillas.....cool it off a little for chicken salad....any other ideas?!

Kiebasa - My kids won't usually eat kiebasa, but they love it this way! Pour two cans of chicken or beef broth in the crock pot, set it to low. Add sliced up kiebasa. Cook it all day, you can turn it down to "warm" pretty much anytime you want since the sausage is fully cooked when you buy it. I've added veggies to the broth too, and then it becomes more of a soup or stew.

Meatballs - If you have a frozen bag of fully cooked meatballs, you can get creative with what sauce to put them in. Defrost or cook the meatballs in the microwave, and then put them on low with.....regular pasta sauce - you can make meatball subs or spaghetti with meatballs.....teriaki/chinise style marinade - goes well with rice or chinese noodles (or top ramen!!!).......plain broth, then serve with gravy and rice for swedish meatballs......for a little extra effort you can make a version of ministrone - have the meatballs hot and ready in broth, then add kidney beans, some pasta sauce, cold pasta and maybe some veggies, heat until it's all hot.

Italian sausage or Bratwurst - Brown in a pan. then cook on low over chopped up veggies or saurkraut.....you can add beer or broth to keep everything moist and yummy.

Would LOVE some other ideas - I kinda get bored of my repetoir here, and I'd love to hear some new ideas!

"Game Face"

"Play hard"

"Go have fun!"

"Remember - line drives all the way.."

"Don't forget to squeeze your glove..."

What ever it is you say to your child before the game, we usually all have something! We need to put in our last two cents of advice before they step on the field, and we relinquish our own influences and hand them over to their coaches! They're ready for the game, and more likely than not have the look on their face that is subtly trying to tell us to just STOP TALKING so that they can just PLAY!
Getting your child ready for a game can sometimes seem such a big responsibility! Not only do we need to make sure all equipment and uniform requirements are met, but covering their nutritious intake, their hygiene and then the mental prep is HUGE, at times overwhelming!
My son has even told me things I should NOT say to him before a game! "Mom, don't say get a big hit, because that makes me think, WHAT IF I DON'T"....
Something I want to know is this : Who's there to give us Mom's the pre-game pep-talk? Who is there for us, who are absolutely sweating pre-game at the thought of our child maybe forgetting some key-SOMETHING, or that their special game-day-gatorade is still sitting at home in the refrigerator? And during the game too - we're pacing, we're all doing strange things with our hands to try not to stress out......we hold items such as video devices or digital cameras to "keep us busy" so that we don't YELL at bad moments! Jokingly, we think we would actually make money if we instigated a "cuss jar"! Really, we should start a reality TV series, on baseball Moms, because we are seriously a funny bunch! Our behavior as our child comes up to bat......our reaction when they make a play worthy of MLB.......move over "america's funniest" because WE ARE IT!

I titled this post "game face", because I think that to some extent OUR game face is an example to the ones we are there to support. They are out on the field REPRESENTING, and there we are - their support network. We are the ones behind the scenes, we are their "hair-and-make-up", their "wardrobe-consultant", their "PR manager", and most of all, we're the ones they come to for snuggles when they are worn out or worn down, joyful or tearful, and no matter what the outcome of the game, we are their MOMS.

Obsessed much?

It's a fact - my children...well....the boys....are obsessed with baseball. I'm so used to it, that I even find myself daring to believe that it is normal, however my many conversations with friends indicate otherwise! A usual day in our household starts like most......the kids wake up, get up, come downstairs and turn on the TV. The wierdness begins when one of them pulls up the DVR list, and then selects one of the following : Prime 9, baseball tonight or the recorded game that went on past bed-time from the night before. They spend the next 30 minutes or more soaking up all the baseball facts/plays/wins/losses that they can, until the meanie-momster hits the off-switch and declares it to be breakfast time! The youngest doesn't always last the entire duration of the baseball show - he's bent on getting outside to work on his swing, or have an imaginary baseball game in the backyard, so still in his jammies, he ventures out, with a running commentary going on in a whisper. Breakfast is usually accompanied by shuffling of baseball cards, and discussions about what healthy athletes should eat in order to keep their bodies big and strong.....Now that it's summer, the lack of schedule essentially means that we could be doing a lot or a little....but it seems that no matter where we end up, baseball enters into the equation! At the pool, they worked out "pool baseball", where one would hit a wiffle ball in, then jump in a swim to an imaginary homeplate, while the other swam or dove for the ball! Any park is a prime spot for throwing, catching, hitting, fielding. Right now, we are in the midst of all-stars, so a practise schedule is what directs our week.....bless him, my older one is at a loose end if ever we are granted "an off day", and any opportunity to get in some extra batting or get to the field early, and he is on it!
Finally, it gets to the end of the day....the boys are showered, tucked in, lights are out and the final "goodnight" spoken. I pull their door nearly closed, and listen a little to hear their chit-chat as they settle down........usually the oldest begins to quiz the youngest on a random baseball question.....like which short stop in the american league he considers the "best".....or maybe he will begin a lecture on the team that they just faced in the all star tournament, detailing their strengths and weaknesses. They end the day as it began : BASEBALL ALL THE WAY!

Wardrobe mal-functions

The attire. The uni. Your kit. Whatever you may call it, the baseball uniform can be a major headache, or a source of pride, depending upon the demeanor of your child, and your household stress/busy-ness level. Many baseball Moms are WAY TOO familiar with the pre-game dash, as you struggle to locate the missing sock, the lost hat or the dreaded cup-knickers that you forgot to wash and you KNOW are buried and sweaty at the botom of the laundry hamper. And then there are the potential issues......the new socks that are too bumpy/tight/long/short/wierd.......the pants - not to tight, not too loose, the belt needs to fit just SO, are they babe-ruth style, or boot-cut.......the hat...well, no isses with hats so far in our house, and we seem to be OK with undershirts and shirts too.....but OH BOY.....cup-problems!!!!!!!
The cup......not an area of female expertize, yet we try our best to assist our boys with these essential protective garments! I am VERY proud of the fact that if my youngest falls asleep in full gear, I have figured out that I can actually REMOVE his cup without him waking up. The older one, poor guy had a legendary malfnction this year, when we bought him new cup-knickers that were too big, ad during warm-ups that cup actually FELL OUT and slipped down his pant-leg! Thankfully the baseball momster had all under control with spare-but-old ones in the ever-present cooler!
And the socks......who can forget the socks?! My current sock-complaint is when my boys remove them along with the smelly cleats, and then stash it ALL in the hall closet, to be forgottern until next game/practise! They seem to have no problem wearing CRUSTY socks, that could practically stand up by themselves.....heck, I think the stirrup-socks from this season probably could have walked away with no assistance because of this little routine! Of course if I was one of those "married-for-my-housekeeping-skills" types, I would have been SO on-it, and remembered each time to grab them and wash them, but alas, having the distractions of a preschool classroom to run meant my reliability in theis matter was probably only at 50%...
All this being said, you have to admit - when they step out, in their NEW uniform, be it all-stars, tournaments, or regular season, that MOMENT where the pants really are still white, and everything is still bright and new.....there is nothing like it. The smile on their face, the pride in their stance, it makes it all beautiful! You proudly take a picture, whether it is a mental snapshot that you file away, or the one you proudly post on facebook. It's another part of their baseball journey, one to treasure and enjoy. May these days never end!

The nutrition police

The longer you are around baseball Moms, you should be able to spot one of these a mile off - the nutritionally sound Mom - she brings a pre-packed cooler loaded up with fruit, veggies, whole-grain granola bars, and 100% juice boxes. In our little circle......that's me! My total obsession over nutrition origionally began when I suddenly realised how much of my paychecks were filling the snack-bar's cash register! It seemed as though our wonderful days at the baseball field were suddenly getting rather expensive, coupled with the fact that my children were seeming exceptionally cranky when the day was done! I had been ATTEMPTING to monitor quite how much sugar they were purchasing and consuming, with some success, but they had gotten smart to the "sugar" part, and so would purchase high-fat snacks instead......Now please don't miss-understand me here - I love that I can and DO allow my kids to buy a treat from the snack bar, but what I'm talking about here is treat, plus another treat, plus yet another treat...enough treats that your child then doesn't want to eat dinner, and then you wonder why they are a whining pille of mush at the end of the day! After my little wake up call, I also began observing my oldest son - he seemed constantly tired and rather pale....my Mommy-red-flag thought was a wondering about anemia, and enough iron in his diet, so I began reading up on sport-nutrition for children. There are PLENTY of websites out there if you just google it, and from my reading I began to develop my own philosophies! I realised that a huge part of the puzzle is convinience - baseball season, especially during all-stars or tournaments, means a lot of rushing here, there and everywhere. Grab-and-go sees to be the name of the game, and so any hope you have about eating heathy food needs to be planned out somewhat! Personally, I feel that the time it takes to fill a tupperware with blueberries and strawberries, really isn't a big deal, and I'd rather feed THAT to my children than save myself 3 minutes, and hand them another dollar for the snack bar. The other part I was realising, is that during intense training times, I need to bump up the "big-and-strong foods".....breakfast, even though it isn't always easy getting them to sit down and eat it, really IS super important - in our house, I've found that allowing an extra 15 minutes, even if you have to wake them up earlier, so that you make sure you can sit and eat something that is appealing and healthy, makes a big difference in attitude and endurance. There are numerous things that you can stash in that "nutrition police" cooler too......applesauce now comes in handy squeezy-things, so no spoon needed.....pita chips, trail mix, pretzels....all available in large/small sizes, and not too expensive.....fruits/veggies in the ever-handy tupperware.

To end this post, I wanted to share one of my older son's favorite breakfasts......he went through a scrambled egg phase, which was a good pre-game THING, and now we're in a smoothie-and-yogurt groove.....his usual smoothies we're basically a banana milk shake, now we have graduated to THIS...he claims it tastes like a reese's, but as nutrition-momma I tend to think of it in terms of the perfect blend of carbs-protein and kid appeal!

BILLY'S BREAKFAST REESES-SMOOTHIE
-One ripe banana
-A Tablespoon of peanut butter
-A Tablespoon of nesquik chocolate powder
-Milk

Mash the banana with the peanut butter, then add it to the blender. Add the choc powder, then slosh on as much milk as you want - Billy likes his with enough milk to cover the other ingredients, plus about an inch. Blend. Drink. I suppose you could add a scoop of protien powder if you wanted to beef it up some more, but the milk and peanut butter are good sources for that too.

The World Of A Baseball Mom

You are up at the crack of dawn....before civilization as we know it has awoken from blissful slumber, your cooler is already packed. The baseball pants are laid out, the correct socks bought, and the blessed "cup-knickers" are at the ready. Your team drew the 1st game of the day, and you are READY, READY, READY. If this sounds familiar, you're a baseball mom! You fully understand me when I say that schools have no business holding events such as talent shows and open houses during baseball season! You also constantly check your phone during playoffs for that text saying who beat who, and who you are playing next. I'm hoping you share my caffine habits, and my list of medical-issues while watching the games: shortness of breath, panic attack, mild heart attack, and "I think I need a depends"/"I'm gonna pee my pants".

During our times at the field, we actually (I think) all experience a wonderful sense of community. In one sense it can be a shared traumatic experience! We really all do feel the pressures and the adversities that are playing out in front of us on the ball-field. We want them to succeed, we want them to be proud of their play, we want them to put everything in and play with 100% effort......And then there's the exhileration when it all comes together - the joy when your son makes that tough catch in the outfield, the feeling of completion when the double play actually WORKS and makes 2 outs.....that amazing hit, when he rocketed a perfect line drive and didn't pull his head or "golf it"! The emotional rollercoaster ride we all engage in while we watch together, just brings a feeling of family to it all.

Another of my observations, is that those who have never done this kind of thing before - and by this I mean the other people in our lives - just stare at us when we talk about baseball.....they read our Emails and find it all to be crazy! Attempts to expain how we actually LOVE to be this busy, and how the piles of laundry and dishes that we do not have time for really DON'T bother us, are all in vain! We now live in an US vs THEM phase - if you are a baseball-family you are in, and if not, you are out......at least until the season is over, and so-called normal life can resume!