Over the river and through the woods...in an ambulance...on Mother's Day

When I was in high school, our tournament schedule started slightly sooner than the tournament schedule for my 16s today. And thank god. I'm really not sure how my parents did it...playing all the way through May (during high school ball), June and July. It's quite a strain on the mind, back, neck and back-pocket.

I gave my girls the weekend off so they could truly enjoy their mothers, hoping they'd realize that they won't see much of their moms for the rest of the summer. Oh sure, they'll spend countless hours with those fine women, who took (and take) the time to raise them, in the car on the way to practice and tournaments...only to pass them off to me, a sort of weekend babysitter, if you will. But those hours, I gaurantee you, will be spent with iPods on and eyes shut. They're 16, after all.

Or, if you're anything like me, those hours would be spent in the ER...on the way from the CAT scan to the X-Ray machine and back. I made quite a few of those trips in my day but one really stands out in my mind, even though the details are a bit fuzzy.

It was probably 2000, which means I was about 15, when our tournament in Catonsville, MD came to a very quick end for me on that Sunday, Mother's Day. A foul ball that the umpire didn't call loud enough, a hefty girl that hit the foul ball and barrelled down into me at first base, sirens, an oxygen mask, a body board and then a long ride to the hospital swept me away from the single-elimination game we were already losing. I don't remember all of it to this day, but I remember it was Mother's Day. I remember the look on my father's face and the phone call he made to my mother, as an Australian parimedic tried to keep me calm.

I'll never forget the way my mom rushed to the hospital, dropping whatever she was doing just to be with me. All my other coaches rushed over after the game, too, just as worried as my parents were.

So, it's times like those that make me remember how tournament teams really work: It's a big family. At the head of that family are the coaches (the surrogate mommies and daddies), then you've got all the daughters (the players). I'm not asking for a thank you or a happy mother's day card; don't think I've earned it yet :-D. But I'm just proud to be a part of all the girls' lives, helping them grow into mature women (and great softball players!). I've only been working with the 16s for 8 months now, but I'm getting a little teary just thinking about them going off to college and "leaving me behind." Haha, oh to be a woman.

I've got my mother to thank for everything from day one to day 8,778 (today). And I can't thank my co-head coach, the "bad cop," enough either for all her guidance over the last 8 months.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone who has children, especially daughters...regardless if their yours by birth, marriage, mentorship, team, etc., etc.