April sports

[waverly]

Starting this because I have a question on how to clone myself.

I work one Sat. I thought I had it covered for DH to take DD’s dance class and birthday party. Now the baseball schedule dropped. Baseball league is new this year and games and practices are all over the place- no set days. And it’s at the same time as dance. We don’t know anyone at dance to take her. I know people in baseball but not well enough to carpool yet. I can ask them for their numbers at practice maybe....

Do I need to sign up for all the leagues with 1 friend from now on due to carpooling? I like being independent but I just can’t seem to figure out how to make it to everything. I drop anything unnecessary like non mandatory cub scouts. I tried to do drop for Girl Scouts and gotbpushback because some are for petals and it’s not clear which are and which aren’t. Other mom has helped with Girl Scouts.

Our babysitter is 14 and can’t drive. I could switch the Sat I work but we just run into other activities on other weekends.

How do I prioritize? Just by the RSVP first? She already missed 2 dance classes because our spring breaks didn’t line up. I am going to try to skip dance next year or move to the park district. We couldn’t do it this year because it started at 4:15 I think. There is a 5:15 ballet and 6 tap I think next year but she wants to do soccer and basketball do I would like her to drop it. She does love it.

Also I have to leave work early for rehearsals for the recital- ugh. DH is trying out a local job mid April which he could be home by 5:30-6 some nights to help but it doesn’t solve the weekend problems when I work or he works.

[2chatter]

I totally sign up with other people. Even for summer camps and clinics. For everything. I also drop early to enable multiple drops - like, if the coach arrives early to set up I explain I have to drop DD at the same time and ask if DS can arrive ten minutes early. Usually I handle through email in advance. I’ve also coordinated a “point parent” to drop early - it’s less intrusive than sharing a ride, but if there is someone who is there early I ask if they would watch my child because I have to take another one to practice. Ten minutes outside a classroom when they are already watching their child is much easier than “can we ride share”?

Outside of sports and scouts the kids have to enroll together - dance, gymnastics, art class - to minimize my driving. They don’t always love it because they don’t always agree, and there are occasional exceptions, but that’s the general rule.

[mommyatty]

DS is playing tee ball and seems to not enjoy it at all. He wanders around in his own head, so I’m constantly yelling at him so he doesn’t get whacked in the face with a ball. He complains and gripes. But then if you ask him he says it’s fun. But I asked if he wanted to play next year and he said no. Maybe we will try soccer or karate.

DD has a chance to play volleyball but she couldn’t because it overlaps with baseball. Only 2 games are after baseball season, and one of those we are leaving for vacation. They play in the fall too, and I’m trying to convince her to give up cheerleading for volleyball. The girl is going to be close to 6 feet tall. She loves volleyball. But she also loves being a cheerleader. So who knows which way she will go?

DD is doing really well at baseball. She’s not a great hitter yet, but she’s an awesome fielder and a fast runner. She still loves that she’s playing with the boys, but when we told her next year she can play softball with all girls, she thought that was awesome.

[madringal]

Last week was brutal with no activities for any of the girls. They were so bored! This week DD2 goes back to gymnastics and then next week the older two start swim again. My oldest is absolutely itching to get back to the pool. She gets so exhausted from the long seasons, and then really enjoys the breaks for a like a week and a half, and then shes ready to be in the pool. Summer season for her is her first season as an 11-12, so all new time cuts to earn (she did pick up two 11/12 divisional cuts as a 10 yo). This is basically a "throw away" season for her. No real chance to make any state cuts or relays so she can swim whatever she wants and just try to get a few more divisional cuts. She can also start competing in the 500 free races, which she has been dying to do for over a year now. She loves distance swimming, so she totally gets that from her dad.

[186momx]

DD has her first pre-team practice today. She is nervous but I think okay. Right now she is more worried about my mom picking her up and buckling her into the car like a baby and embarrassing her in front of the kids from school. My mom still thinks she needs to get in the back seat and buckle DD into her HHB booster. I keep telling her she can do it on her own. My mom's reasoning is she takes to long. Will see who wins this battle today.

waverly, I would just communicate with baseball coach and say DS sister has her set class at X. DS will be X minutes late. Don't forget that you normally need to be to games 30 minutes early at least for warm ups. this may or may not help with your timing. Other options is asking one of the aftercare workers if they would be willing to earn extra by helping you out on a couple Saturdays driving DS or DD to sports when things overlap.

[waverly]

I am thinking he can drop DD at dance, then DS at baseball because they do need to be there early and then pick up DD then pick up DS. I also signed her up for a birthday party, so he is going to love me at the end of that day. But I had to do that on the day that he worked.

186momx, I see now why they have to be at the games early. I was wondering since he has 5:45 games- great for parents yay, but then they want him there at 5:25 boo. If it becomes a time crunch then he will just have to change at aftercare and head right over. Otherwise we typically go home for him to change and grab equipment and get water, but then he always forgets water. How do I put that all on him? Checklist on the fridge, where I say do you have everything on the checklist? Good idea on asking the aftercare worker. One of the moms is from our daycare, if I had more time I could coordinate, but DH still has to drop DD off and pick up and pick up DS, so maybe her taking him doesn't matter that much anyway, but I think I need her # for all this. I do have her on FB.

[186momx]

waverly, DD is in charge of her stuff. She packed her leo, water, and non-cold snack last night in her gym bag and then put that bag in her backpack. I added the cheese stick to her lunch this morning. We never have the time in the morning so prepping it all the night before is necessary. Can you just keep extra waters in each car? If she forgets her water then she has to use the fountain. I would also leave the bat, glove, ball, helmet in the car. No need for that stuff to every come into the house during the season.

Even if the mom from daycare can't help getting DS there she could be beneficial for after practice or game especially if you are having to run and grab DD during.

[waverly]

Does he need his own helmet? Last year he used the league helmets, but this is a different league. Sports bag needs to come in if we are switching drivers/ cars. Water would get really hot in the summer, but maybe OK in the spring to put it in the car beforehand...


Other question, should I plan on arriving late for sports (with dual drop offs/ pick ups) rather than leaving early?  When I left early from basketball to pick up DD from girl scouts, the coach kind of gave me crap saying he was planning on playing DS.  I get I should have communicated that, but I decided spur of the moment because I was uncomfortable with the GS leader waiting in her car for me after she already got there early for us (she was the one that insisted that DD go, I was just going to cancel). Left early then GS ran late anyway- which they always do, I should have known. 


So anyway, should the plan be for sports since practice goes before the game to just arrive late?  


For example, we have baseball game and then DD has girl scouts right after.  Of course I don't want her to be too late and want to prioritize her, but I don't want to piss off the coach.  But also we will need to arrive late for baseball because we will need food.  Example schedule, arrive at aftercare at 5pm, baseball game 5:45 with 5:25 arrival which I now know is for practice.  So we will need to run through a drive through I think for dinner.

Actually not sure when it ends, I was thinking 6:30, but it might be 6:45 then drop DD off at Girl Scouts at 6:30, so maybe if baseball runs late then come back to pick up DS after dropping her off.  This is how my life is starting to go- ahhhhh.  

[campermom]

I was just notified of DDs soccer schedule. We got Friday nights 6-7. Yes!!! ! I feel like doing a dance.

DS1 continues fencing which I love for many reasons but mostly the laid back nature of the club. Give as much to the sport as you want. Busy weeks, we don’t go and that’s ok. We have been taking him a lot lately though bc he’s been getting really good and placing at small tournaments.

[186momx]

waverly, in my experience baseball games for kids lasted an hour. So you had 30 minutes warm up before game, 1 hour game, and then give 15 minutes for snack and stuff afterwards. I would rather see him running 10 minutes late than you having to pull him before the game is over. Depending on how many kids are on the team he may be playing the whole game. I would almost try and find someone for him to go home with after the game on the nights your DD has girls scouts and then leave early drop DD off and then run to the friends house to pick DS up before running back to get DD. You can always run and get multiple food pick ups. How many nights do you have games and girls scouts conflicting?
For weeknight games my parents always packed us an extra snack to eat before pick up and then we ate a late dinner after the game. I did this with DD when she had practice from 4:45-6:30 for gym twice a week.

[mae0111]

Just got the notification for DD1’s softball team in our hometown. I only know 2 other kids on the team - love one... other was one of the ringleaders last year that kept sending DD letters and having her mom text me about summer play dates. So that’s a little concerning. But I’m hoping for the best.

It’s weird not to be coaching.

[twinmomma]

I've gone from zero activities for my kids to a whole ton at once!

I'm registering them for gymnastics on Saturday, but thankfully that won't start until next fall. We'll just do random open gyms through the rest of this year. Worst time ever though - classes are at noon on Saturdays. Gross.

Fun run series starts up again this month, so that will be Sunday afternoons. Thankfully it's an easy one, just have to block off the calendar so we don't forget it.

And 4H starts up now too. They want to also add on riding lessons in the future. They did it before and loved it, but I don't think I can swing the cost of gymnastics and horse back riding. Of course they pick two of the most expensive options for activities!

Right now we're just signing them both up for everything. It makes my life easier and their interests are similar enough that it'll be fine. DD2 might want to do dance next year, but I don't know if I have the ability to get her to class in time, so that's probably not realistic.

[waverly]

186momx, I think it is just once. I wonder if the other mom could just bring DS home while I take DD to girl scouts. If the game runs until 6:45 then that works also because I could definitely drop at 6:30 and then make it back.

[mustardseed2007]

Oh guys. DS' baseball team is so cute.

His poor coach can't get into a groove about field reservations and last practice they had to play in the easement area between fields. Gah.

He sent an SOS yesterday asking for field reservation help so I have sent him info on two fields. Neither one is going to work for Wednesdays, when he's trying to have practice, but...well Wednesdays aren't great for me anyway so oh well.There's a big opening for Thursday!

[186momx]

DD had a blast at gym last night and Grandma didn't have any issues with pickups and drop offs. All nerves are gone and she had sore muscles this morning. She had Coach N yesterday who she loves and is one of the coaches that has really helped her at open gym get a few skills. Guess Coach J will be doing Tu/Th and Coach N will be doing Mondays as they are still trying to figure out coaching issues. I will figure it all out later. She also got another supply of leotards and shorts from my leotard maker client and had 10 minutes of delightful squealing as she checked out her new things.

[madringal]

Summer swim season begins today, God help us all. Back to carpools and schlepping 2 kids plus neighbors back and forth to the pool. First meet is in less than a month!

DD2 is also doing gymnastics on top of swim. She is learning her first routines and its so cute! Her floor routine looks awesome, her her beam needs some work. Also, I had no idea that the music was just a universal thing? Like, she told me to google "level 2 floor routine music" and that it would come up, and it did. Is that right? All level 2s in the country use the same music? Learn something new every day!

[mae0111]

I signed DD1 up for 2 softball leagues - H plays on Mon and Wed, and B plays on Saturdays and one other day during the week. Guess when all of her weekday B games fall? Mon or Wed. She has a conflict literally every week. Super.

Also, when I signed DD1 up for H softball, I wrote a note that stated, "I cannot coach, but I'd be happy to help when I can." This translated to "Assistant Coach". WTH? I can't commit to that. We will have a conflict every week, and I knew going into it that I couldn't coach and watch DD2. That is one of many reasons I didn't offer to coach.

Sigh...

[186momx]

madringal, yes compulsory music for gymnastics is universal. Very annoying piano music. It does change a little for each level. So you won't listen to the exact same piano music for level 2-5. I was informed that most parents have ear buds in during meets to help with the music not getting stuck into your head. when I heard that it remined me of "Its a Small World"

[2chatter]

mae0111 - ignore the league, tell the coach there was a mistake and you never volunteered to assistant coach and never think of it again.

Here’s to hoping rain reschedules work for you as they did for me - DD has not missed a single volleyball game or practice for soccer because it rained on every single conflict, and reschedules didn’t conflict. Amazing miracle!!

[covergirl82]

DS has little league practice starting tonight. They have a few weeks of practice; once games (2 per week) begin the last weekend of April, he won't have any more little league practices. We have winter weather again today, so we'll see if he even has practice today.

DS also has practices once a week for his travel baseball team, and their first tournament is the last weekend of April.

DD is still doing gymnastics one night a week.

[mae0111]

DD1 has softball scheduled Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for the same team. She is one of 3 kids that can pitch, but she is the youngest on the team, therefore 3rd in line. None of them are awesome. They’re 9 and 10 years old - they’re lucky to get it over the plate. There is a 9-inning Max per week per pitcher, games are 6 innings. So the other pitchers pitched today. DD has to miss Monday’s game to play in another league.

I emailed the coach, nicely saying that if she needed her to pitch, tomorrow was the day she needed to use her, because we wouldn’t be there Mon. Basically trying to give her a heads up to save her other pitchers.

Now I’m worried that I’m the PITA mom pushing the coach to let her pitch. Far from it. I can tell the coach isn’t organized. I’ve worked with her in the past when I coached and she’s kind of a hot mess. I was really just giving her an FYI. Hope she takes it the right way...

[waverly]

Apr 27, 2019 14:35:31 GMT -5 mae0111 said:

DD1 has softball scheduled Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for the same team. She is one of 3 kids that can pitch, but she is the youngest on the team, therefore 3rd in line. None of them are awesome. They’re 9 and 10 years old - they’re lucky to get it over the plate. There is a 9-inning Max per week per pitcher, games are 6 innings. So the other pitchers pitched today. DD has to miss Monday’s game to play in another league.

I emailed the coach, nicely saying that if she needed her to pitch, tomorrow was the day she needed to use her, because we wouldn’t be there Mon. Basically trying to give her a heads up to save her other pitchers.

Now I’m worried that I’m the PITA mom pushing the coach to let her pitch. Far from it. I can tell the coach isn’t organized. I’ve worked with her in the past when I coached and she’s kind of a hot mess. I was really just giving her an FYI. Hope she takes it the right way...

Sounds OK to me like just so you know we won’t be available on Monday... Especially if she is not great at line up organization.

[mommyatty]

After getting hits her first couple of games of machine pitch baseball, DD decided she’s scared of the pitching machine. This is the third sport where we have had this experience. In gymnastics and ice skating, she did the same thing. In skating, she was literally lapping all the other kids one week and decided she was too scared to be on the ice without someone holding her hands (both hands) the next.

I’m so annoyed by this, I told her I’m not going to let her do another sport until she can assure me she’s not going to be a chicken. She really wants to play volleyball with some friends. Her friends’ parents coach and are ultra-no nonsense. I’m half scared they would kick her off the team for this insanity and half-afraid they would traumatize her by throwing the volleyball at her face to show it won’t really hurt.

[madringal]

Apr 27, 2019 17:52:49 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

After getting hits her first couple of games of machine pitch baseball, DD decided she’s scared of the pitching machine. This is the third sport where we have had this experience. In gymnastics and ice skating, she did the same thing. In skating, she was literally lapping all the other kids one week and decided she was too scared to be on the ice without someone holding her hands (both hands) the next.

I’m so annoyed by this, I told her I’m not going to let her do another sport until she can assure me she’s not going to be a chicken. She really wants to play volleyball with some friends. Her friends’ parents coach and are ultra-no nonsense. I’m half scared they would kick her off the team for this insanity and half-afraid they would traumatize her by throwing the volleyball at her face to show it won’t really hurt.

How old is she? Is not staying for her practice an option? My kids are always wimps when I am around, a little less wimpy for their dad, and not wimpy at all for other parents or their coach. Can you drop her off and leave?

[mommyatty]

Apr 28, 2019 12:39:53 GMT -5 madringal said:

Apr 27, 2019 17:52:49 GMT -5 mommyatty said:

After getting hits her first couple of games of machine pitch baseball, DD decided she’s scared of the pitching machine. This is the third sport where we have had this experience. In gymnastics and ice skating, she did the same thing. In skating, she was literally lapping all the other kids one week and decided she was too scared to be on the ice without someone holding her hands (both hands) the next.

I’m so annoyed by this, I told her I’m not going to let her do another sport until she can assure me she’s not going to be a chicken. She really wants to play volleyball with some friends. Her friends’ parents coach and are ultra-no nonsense. I’m half scared they would kick her off the team for this insanity and half-afraid they would traumatize her by throwing the volleyball at her face to show it won’t really hurt.

How old is she? Is not staying for her practice an option? My kids are always wimps when I am around, a little less wimpy for their dad, and not wimpy at all for other parents or their coach. Can you drop her off and leave?

She’s 6. And nope, it doesn’t matter if we are there or not. She’s just being a wimp. Unfortunately she’s also very delicate-looking, so adults let her get away with this kind of crap.

[mae0111]

DD1 pitched for the first time today. Struck out 2, walked 4, hit 1. She loved every minute of it.

[covergirl82]

DS had his first (of five) baseball tournaments this weekend. It was in our city, so very convenient, especially for running home between games. They played two games (won the first, lost the second) on Saturday to determine their seed position for Sunday, and were seeded 4th of 6 teams.

It was single elimination, but they ended up winning two games on Sunday, so they played in the championship. They lost in the championship game, but DS had an amazing play at 2nd base and an awesome hit for a double (he got to second base) and stole third and then home, but they called him out at home. He was actually safe. I took pictures (action setting) of the whole thing and went back through the pictures right after, and sure enough, it shows in one of the pictures his right foot was over home plate while the ball was still in the air. It was a tough life lesson, but it was not a deciding point for the game, so our coaches didn't fight it.

Most of the kids on the team are the same as last year, with three new kids for this year. I really enjoy this travel team - the kids, families, and coaches are all great. All the parents cheer for each player, and the coaches are encouraging and never belittling to the kids. I hope DS continues to make the cut each year to stay on this team.

[186momx]

mommyatty, can someone just stand with her in the batting box and slowly work on getting a little farther away each day? I find pitching machine scary as an adult.


Finally talked with her new gym coach. DD is doing okay but gets distracted really easily. No idea how to fix this as this wasn't a problem in the last class.

[madringal]

Apr 29, 2019 10:55:38 GMT -5 186momx said:

Finally talked with her new gym coach. DD is doing okay but gets distracted really easily. No idea how to fix this as this wasn't a problem in the last class.

In my experience, it's just about maturity. Some kids can really zero in a focus for hours at a time, and some just aren't there yet.  She just moved to a newer (harder) training group right? I'd give it some time. It's hard to transition from Rec to competitive.  But she sounds like she really wants to improve.  So maybe seeing how the focus and concentration of others is helping them get their skills down will help her understand that practice is now a time to WORK, more then she did when it was rec.

[186momx]

madringal, I think that it is it. There are 4 girls in the group. DD and M who are going to turn 8 in June. The other two girls are 11 and 12 so it is really obvious the focus difference between the two age groups. This coach also works the fine point so they have a lot of waiting around which is not helping DD with her focus at all. Hoping things find a better rhythm soon.