Softball

This girl LOVES softball. I think she would live, drink and sleep it. She has people in the family to compete with though on who loves the game most and I'm really not sure who would take home the prize. The competition - her father and Grandpa Terry. Last year, Andy coached Taylei's city league team. He does a really good job -- the girls advance quite a bit from the first of the season to the end. But, while the season is in season he gets lost in his own world a little. I guess that really is unfair to say. I could get lost in the same world with him. All I would have to do is . . . what did I say earlier "live, drink and sleep it." Andy would talk to me but 95% of the conversation was about pitching, hitting or where to play who. I really am glad he is so passionate about it. The scenario became even worse when his team won first place in the championships. This qualified Andy to choose an all-star team for tournaments. A long story short, a team was chosen and Andy also selected to let Alley Gee (Juab High School's Softball Coach) be the main coach. The started playing in some tournaments together and to be honest the first tournament was not pretty. The rules were new and the other teams were pretty seasoned at this point. By the end our girls got in a grove and actually placed 3rd and 2nd.

This year we are off to a much better start. Three girls were lost because of age qualifications but they basically started with the same team. Our team has some really good things going for it. Six of the eleven girls are pitchers and if we could get them to all be a little stronger there would be no stopping us. The girls started out with a tournament in St. George. They won their first pool play game and tied the second - and I guess if you tie a pool play game you just flip for the win -- we aren't really good at flips and lost. On Saturday we all got to freeze. The weather was horrible and everyone was counting on sunshine. The girls barely lost their first game and had to battle back through the losers bracket. They ended up taking 2nd place! Everyone thought they did a wonderful job - playing five straight games in the freezing cold is not an easy task.
Taylei throws the ball really hard.  I caught for her last year and I should have taken pictures of the bruises I developed when I missed.  She is still working on her accuracy.  She seems to have a reason for throwing balls or strikes and it mostly depends on her smile.  When she smiles you know it is going to be a good pitch.  It is when she starts to get frazzled and quits smiling that we begin to have troubles.  I yell and yell until she smiles at me.
Taylei spent this last Saturday at a softball clinic in Spanish Fork.  She was awake at 6:45 am.  There was a hitting drill where you had to hit the ball past a certain point or it was an out.  Once you got three outs you were done hitting.  She got eight "hits" and was so excited about it.  They also stayed longer for a pitching clinic.  Their groove was thrown off a little because they were coaching them with a 12 inch ball instead of the 11 inch they are used to.  She got told she needed to step off of the mound more -- too bad Andy was doing sprinklers -- he loves to learn anything he can that might help her out a little. Taylei is currently at the top of the line up.  We played a tournament on the 8th and 9th in Orem and Taylei either hit, walked or got hit all but one time up -- and this time you can't really blame her for it.  The coach got a little messed up in the order and forgot to have her warming up.  She basically had to run straight for the batters box and struck out.  The girls ended up in the losers bracket at the beginning of this tournament as well and this time they got to play six games straight.   I'm not sure who I need to petition but the losers bracket deserves an hour break so the girls can eat and unwind for a minute.  It really isn't a humane thing to do.  They ended up losing to a team that they eliminated in St. George - one we could beat if we weren't so exhausted . . .

This last picture is from the St. George tournament!  A trophy and a shirt.  I really think Andy and Taylei will have a closet full of them by the end of summer.
Taylei has had a ton of support this season.  My parents went to St. George to watch her games and Andy's parents came to Orem to watch -- I think they all might be nominated for grandparents of the year.  She has also had aunts, uncles, cousins and friends show up to cheer her on.  She loves every minute of it and gets so excited to have fans.

Taylei is also playing city league ball again which her father is coaching.  The first game was last week and it was a little hard to watch -- I've grown accustomed to the accelerated girls and half of the city league girls have never played before -- once again a lot to teach and learn.  Taylei's team won.  I don't think the other coach had any idea someone that age could pitch so hard (two of the other pitchers on the accelerated team are also playing this age group -- 1oU and so there really should be some pretty good games). 

Keanna is also playing and her first game was on the same night but started thirty minutes later than Taylei's.  I was in the car going over to catch the end of her game when I saw her and grandma in the car.  Taylei's game went late and Keanna's game was short.  She is playing coach pitch.  I think she also earned the first double play of the season.  While playing catcher a ball was hit in front of her.  She picked it up, tagged the runner coming to home and then threw the ball to first base and got the out there as well.  I'm sure she will be just as good as Taylei.  Andy spends time helping her extra as well and she has watched enough of Taylei's games that she has a great understanding of how to play the game.

We don't end there.  Andy is also playing in a men's softball league.  His dad made it up this last week in time to play (he really came to do yard work on his house next door).  Grandpa Terry hit it out of the park twice that game.  Because of the "one up rule" one of the hits actually counted as an out.  Andy showed up late to the game because of board meeting and only got to bat once.  My dad was up before him and with two balls told the ump he was planning on getting walked.  The ump then decided the next two pitches were strikes and my father struck out without even swinging . . . win some and lose some I guess.

This summer will be spent at the ball field.  I'm so glad I have a new, comfy chair to sit in.  I keep thinking I need to start crocheting leper bandages -- something productive.  I don't really think it would work though . . . I love to watch, cheer and sometimes tell the umpires they are making bad calls.