Well, now that school and baseball season are over, I actually have time to put up a baseball picture of Landon! Poor kid, his games were so intense, that I often forgot to take any pictures!!

Here’s my little slugger, who had a great season. I feel we’ve been very blessed as far as baseball goes for the last two years. My son has played for the team that received first place (tied with another team this year), which has certainly been fun. But what I’ve liked best is that both last year and this year we’ve managed to play on a team where the coaches and parents (pretty much) displayed good sportsmanship and seemed to concentrate more on what the kids were learning instead of winning all the time.

Which is what I think Little League baseball should really be about.

There are many, though, who are so competitive and obsessed with this sport that I’m amazed at how they can behave. This year, as well as last, there was always The Team.

The Team always seems to have a lot of talent, both with players and coaches. These guys know the game of baseball. The Team always expects to win. And somehow The Team seems to attract the kind of parents that yell at other kids or insult the umpire or threaten to fight people from the other team. I don’t know it The Team’s parents are suffering from the trickle down effect, where their bad sportsmanship comes from watching the coaches behavior and the behaviors the children are allowed to display.

I dunno. I know my husband and I have watched The Team, and prayed that our kid doesn’t get put on The Team. The Team seems to change every year but it always seems to be there.

That’s why I suppose we feel we’ve been very blessed these last two year. Landon has played on very talented teams with fairly laid back coaches. I felt like he learned a lot both years and wasn’t pressured to be perfect, but pressured to work hard and do his best.

Landon, although he’s a decent ball player, is not going to be a super star player anytime soon. Our family really doesn’t want to eat, sleep, breath baseball and that’s pretty much what it takes to be that. I want my son to enjoy baseball. If he ends up being good enough for a college scholarship, I’ll be thrilled. If not, no biggie. I want him to learn sportsmanship, teamwork, and discipline…all things that can be taught in sports.

But is it worth playing if children aren’t learning these things? What if they are being taught the opposite? Is it worth having a kid that will get to play high school baseball in 8th grade, if he still stomps off the field in a fit when he strikes out?

I’m very competitive. I love sports, and love that my son shares that love. I love, love, love to win!

I love, love, love my son more though…and I hope we can stick with baseball and continue to have it be a benefit to him.

I hope he stays off The Team. I’d rather lose.

Hrmmmmm….wonder what Bethany is doing tonight?

Wanna see?

Go Spurs! Go!

If you know me well, you know I’m a huge fan of the San Antonio Spurs. I come by this love genetically it seems, as my parents, especially my mother, are huge Spurs fans.

I haven’t written about my love for this NBA team a too terribly much, but here are a few of the things I have written about them. I started blogging after the playoffs last year (otherwise I’d probably have several posts concerning the Spurs) and since I moved over the summer we do not get outside television. Of which I’m much appreciative, it just makes it harder to keep up with my team.

My mother has kept me pretty up to date about the Spurs though. And last night could have been their last game of the season. They were playing in Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks and were down 2-3 in the series.

I decided to drive north for thirty minutes in order to support the team that I love.

Now, if you follow baseball you know that the season is in full swing! My family happens to have a favorite baseball team as well. That would be the Atlanta Braves.

And you sports fans who know that the Spurs are basketball and the Braves are baseball are really wondering now about my title.

Let’s just say, it makes for an interesting ballgame when your favorite team is in a possible elimination game with one of its biggest rivals, a nail-biter where ten seconds are left in the game and you’re not sure who the winner will be, and your father flips to the Braves game during every timeout!

Yes…and after the high paced basketball game, the intensity, the ulcer growing in your stomach, having to watch a picher walk a player is agonizing. Atlanta Braves fan, or not!

So, it made for an interesting night. A fun night, considering my team pulled it off. Now if they can only win Monday night’s game……

And watching that play-off game gave me basketball fever in a big way. I think I’ll be visiting my mother again on Monday. And hopefully, several more times as the play-offs continue!

Oh yeah, the Braves won too! And I’m glad about that as well!

David Robinson is one of my favorite people ever. He plays my favorite sport. He retired from my favorite team. He loves his family. He loves God.

I loved watching him play basketball. He played well. He is a future Hall of Famer. He has won championships and MVP’s. He’s one of the best.

But, he never curses. He never puts down opposing players. He doesn’t spend all his press time bashing the game officials (even though I’ve been known to do it for him from my living room!)I’ve never picked up a newspaper and found him on the front page faced with domestic violence or rape charges.

He is a prominant member of this church. You may have heard of his pastor.

And he started a private school for underprivelaged children. (I actually have applied for a job here before. )

The Carver Academy opened in San Antonio on September 17, 2001 with 60 students pre-kindergarten through second grade. The school was named in honor of George Washington Carver (1864-1943), an African-American botanist, spiritual leader, educator and outstanding man of character. The Carver Academy is the vision of founders David and Valerie Robinson who believe all children, regardless of financial status should have the opportunity to better themselves through education. Through service and faith, The Carver Academy’s hope is to inspire students to be good citizens exemplifying the principles of leadership, discipline, initiative and integrity.

He was the number one NBA player in charitable donations.

I just found this article about the Admiral at the Spurs website and wanted to share. I wanted you guys to read a little bit about one of my favorite persons .

Enjoy! And be sure to tell me what you think!