'Til Next Year, Grizzlies!

The last day of school just happened to be the Grizzlies last softball game as well.  Oh my word, I have loved softball.  It's been fun to watch, to get to know the other families, to sit outside in some pretty weather.  And Harper has seemed to really like it as well, especially batting.

this may best illustrate her focus level (visor completely over eyes)

 

 

in the dugout with one of her best friends Mya

Her team went out on top, winning their last game.  The last two innings, Harper got to play second base, and she even fielded the ball to tag a girl out. 

chatting up the runner on second

 

 

After the game tonight, we went to Katie's Ice Cream to have a year end celebration.  Coach Dave was so sweet to say a few words about each player as they accepted their award.  No one had to guess whom he was talking about when he starting saying words like "Spark Plug" and "Firecracker."  haha!

"What's a spark plug?"

Grizzlies 2016

See ya next year, SCSL Grizzlies!

Kasey Comes to Softball

It's a Saturday, but where is Kasey?  Right here at Harper's softball game.  Her cousin's daughter Maggie plays for the Geckos, another SCSL team, so Kasey was sweet enough to come and watch the girls play each other today and cheer them both on!

Harper didn't play her best game, but Kasey did get to see a hit and a Grizzlies' win. 

Life Group at the Field

How sweet are these people?  We let our Life Group know that we wouldn't be making it to group on Tuesday because Harper had her third softball game.  So, what do they do?  Show up.  They came to cheer Harper on and do life alongside us.

I'm so glad that Grizzlies got a win (and Harper went 4-4), since we had quite the cheering section.  The Grizzlies are now 3-0 and Harper is loving it.  Truth be told, so are we.   :)

South Roanoke Softball Opening Day

Batter up, Grizzlies!

Since Upward basketball wasn't all together miserable, we decided to let Harper give rec softball a go.  She's playing in the 8 and Under division, and was placed on the fierce and ferocious Grizzlies.  (I love that she was a Bear for basketball and now a Grizzly for softball!)

So far softball has proven to be much more of a commitment than Upward was.  She has had 1.5-2 hour practices two times a week, and lemme tell you about Opening Day!

I'm not sure if there was a straw-drawing ceremony, but if so, we drew the short one.  The parade of teams was at 11:00 a.m., so we had to be there around 10:30.  That only last for a few minutes, but our pictures weren't until 1:00 p.m., so it wasn't enough time to leave and come back.  And then, her very first game was at 3:00 p.m.  So, it was definitely a full day at Darrel Shell Park. 

Can we just talk about how sweet these girlies are?  You can certainly tell that there's a big difference between an 8-year-old and a 5-year-old, but so far the team has gotten along great.  I love that Harper's with older girls because I think it makes her try harder.   

It looked like it was going to rain right before the game, but thankfully, it cleared out before the first pitch.  Sue, Granny, and Sydney came to cheer on Harper for her first game, and I know she appreciated the encouragement, because I have never seen that child so nervous about something.  She literally had tears in her eyes in the dugout because she was so nervous to play!  Or maybe she just didn't want to put on her too tight batting helmet.  :)

On defense, Harper played right field and catcher.  It's a coach pitch division, which means that the opposing coach pitches to his team, and Harper would "catch" it and "throw" it back.  I think that may have been part of Coach Dave's big strategy because Harper ran that other coach to death with those throws back.  Haha! 

 

 

  

I could tell she was so nervous, and sweet girl struck out her first three at bats.  They get five pitches at every at bat and there are no balls or walks (since it's your own coach pitching to you), so they swing at everything.  She hit a few foul balls and took off running, and just couldn't understand when they sent her back to home plate.  I was so nervous and anxious for her, but she didn't seem to mind that she struck out.  I didn't want her to get discouraged, since she had been so nervous about playing to begin with, so I just prayed and prayed and wished and prayed when she stepped up to the plate for the last time.  Please, please, please let this tiny little thing get a hit!  And sure enough, on the third pitch, she hit it toward third base, and by the grace of God the little fielder made a bad throw that the first baseman wasn't even closed to catching, so Harper Mae Fertitta reached first base for the very first time.  And so of course, I, her mother, went hysterical and almost cried.  Hahaha!  She ended up making it to third base, and The Grizzlies made out with a big 14-2 opening day win!

It was a long day, but a good day, and most of all, Harper is glad she played.  Cheers to a great season for the Grizzlies and lots of fun and growth for our Big Little Love.