Concussions, Hoops and More Heartbreak

It's been a busy last few weeks in our household. Hailey finished up her softball season with a third place finish and we think ended her soccer career too as she gave up travel soccer (her teammates chose to go to other clubs and she just didn't love it enough to try out someplace else too). She did learn some great ball handling skills at her twice weekly basketball camp she was attending including how to post up for a pass and perfect her steals. I signed her up to try out for the travel basketball team too since she is a beast on defense and clearly wants to work harder here than in soccer. Of course she was mad at me for signing her up but then proceeded to ask me every day since the tryout if she made the team. So seems like she wants to do it but we don't find out until mid to the end of July if she made the team. Next up for her is sleep away camp followed by volleyball camp and travel tryouts. We're keeping her busy and off her iPad! She does do a lot of reading too and asks me weekly to go to the library - which I love too. The two of us walk through those doors and we just exhale. We're home and could spend hours in there immersed in books. 

Our basketball player

Peyton has been extremely busy with high school cheer practice over the last month (and finishing up her swim season) but last week was especially brutal with four days of cheer camp coupled with team bonding which would have the girls gone from 6:45am-8pm most days. She was having a lot of fun and learning new cheers, dances and stunts. However, on the last day of camp, as they were practicing for their performance at cheer camp later that afternoon, one of the flyers fell and ended up landing on Peyton's head. Concussion protocols were immediately enacted and so Peyton was unable to compete in the performance that afternoon and had to take some time off this week from swim (luckily cheer was over until mid-August). We've had to meet with the trainer at the high school and implement a schedule to reintroduce her to activities so the last day or so she's been back swimming - just not diving in or doing flip turns. She's going to get a few more practices in before she competes in our Country Club swim meet on July 13. Then she'll have a month off until high school cheer and school starting. 

Our cheerleader before concussion

Austen escaped his Regional playoffs in Kansas City without a concussion despite a kid hitting him in the back of his head with his head. I could see it hurt him as he struggled to get to his feet and rubbed the back of his head but within a minute he was back up and running. If they check you for a concussion during a game, they'll need to take you out to employ a more serious concussion protocol and so I've seen most of these athletes play on and wave off any assistance. 

What can I say about Kansas City. First, it was really, really hot. Hotter than St. Louis last year as our country experienced a heatwave last week/this week with temps hovering around 95 degrees for a noon and 2pm game time on days 2 and 3.  I thought the boys were well hydrated and rested to compete but I wasn't confident we could pull off getting out of our group stage this year. Last year, we only needed to get out of the group stage to advance to Nationals in July. But two ties and a win did not bode well for us. This year, we had other problems. Our coach had once again changed midyear (early April) and he was still getting to know the boys and trying out formations and combinations. We did not have these down all through State Cup (which cost us in the final game) and because we did not win State Cup this year, we were thrown into the hardest group for Regionals (we qualified for Regionals with first place finishes in the Midwest Conference Premier 1 and Elite 64 Leagues). So I wasn't too confident that we'd make it out of Group but still I packed for a trip that would last Thursday - Wednesday. First game was telling. It was a must win. I thought everyone knew it was a must win but apparently our coach did not. We go down 0-1 in the first half on an error from one of our forwards. It starts there. Then our coach subs when we have critical minutes to try to get a goal. And he doesn't sub one or two players. He subs at least 7 of them. Our subs are good but when you sub an entire line up, it changes things. And it did. We lost precious minutes. He makes some other crazy changes at the end of the game that we've never seen in desperation which were crazy and then the game is done and we lose. Rumors abound that coach was trying to conserve players for day 2 but what's the point now. Our chances are slim to none that we make it out of Group. Day 2 is another disaster. We score pretty early but huge errors in the defense cost us. We make an errant pass back/shoot on our own goal and our goalie has to sprint back and make a diving save so it doesn't go in the goal. They get a corner kick (should have been an indirect kick on the goal line) and one of our players gets called for a hand ball in the box. They get a PK and convert. Tie 1-1. Next game, coach says he's playing the subs because it doesn't matter. We tie again 1-1. I think we place third out of four in group stage and don't advance to Nationals in July. Heartbreak all over again. 

Austen - first row, third from left

I don't know what to say. Really. Frustration at having three different coaches over the last two years has definitely impacted these boys. We haven't found that coach yet that can get the best out of this talented group of boys. They have the ingredients but I also think this year that some of these coaching decisions (specifically when to play subs) have cost us in big games. Yes, we have opportunity to put it in the back of the net and not make terrible errors on defense (which during Regional play was really shocking) but to play to get everyone in the game at some point is a place that we are beyond at this age. Cost us in Orlando in January in the last 10 minutes when were up 2-1 and would have been a direct line to Nationals; cost us in the State Cup Final when were up 2-1; and cost us in at least that first Regional game when we were down 0-1. Pivotal games. You don't use everyone. I don't care if their parents are calling you and complaining about playing time (true story). For the record, as much as I'd love to call the coach and ask him what the hell he was thinking, I won't because that's Austen's battle. And, one that he should use as fuel to kick some ass next year and learn that sometimes you just shouldn't listen to your coach. Now onto a great Senior High School Soccer Season! 

The soccer parents - a really great group of kids and parents

Father's Day 2024!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there. Per usual, we spent the entire weekend celebrating in Michigan (How come there are never any games on Father's Day?). We left Friday afternoon, and had a leisurely evening of getting up there, grocery shopping and a quiet dinner at home before retiring fairly early to bed. 

Dinner Out!

On Saturday, we slept in and had a big breakfast before Tom, my Dad and Austen headed out for a 2pm tee time. The course they played is the same one they played last year and is about 30 minutes from our house. Apparently it is beautiful but very, very hard. (Definitely doesn't sound like something I'd want to do/try.) So while the guys struggled for almost five hours playing this rigorous course and losing about 22 golf balls (they said last year it was about 30 so a definite improvement), the girls and I took the time to go through their Michigan closets and clean them out/reorganize. 

Hailey gets Peyton's hand me downs from Michigan so she also has an abundance of clothes up there but Peyton had just about nothing left so we decided to go shopping for a few things! Hailey was less than thrilled we had to go to the store (not a shopper and a kid who'd rather stay home) but we convinced her it would be fairly quick so she begrudgingly agreed. Then it was home to meet Tom, my Dad and Austen for dinner. 

We met at a place we've all been to before called Plank's in St. Joe. It's right on a marina and has decent food for that area (which is hard to come by). It was a beautiful night and we caught up on the day's events  before closing out our dinner with ice cream and a walk in downtown South Haven. 

Sunday, the guys woke up to another big breakfast (Tom decided to cut the grass early that morning) and then spent some time on the beach before we had to head home. 

Weekends always go fast in Michigan. Tom was counting down the days to go and I could tell did not want to leave so early (even though we didn't get home til almost 7pm). But it was a beautiful weekend spending time with the Dads until we got home and I realized that Tom had given one of the (garbage) bags of clothes I was bringing home to donate to Austen who thought it was trash and threw it in our big black garbage can with a bunch of smelly old things! Yuck! Always something! Happy Father's Day 2024!

The St. Joe Marina

Top Dad with his crown (made by the girls)

Top Papa with his crown (made by the girls)

Cheer is Real

The day after Peyton graduated from middle school, she has been fully immersed in Cheer Summer Camp.  Practices run every day (mostly from 6:45am-9am) and then sometimes they have a double session at night for four hours too. Then at the end of next week, she kicks it into high gear with 12 plus hour days of cheer camp at a junior college, and evenings filled with bonding with her teammates doing scavenger hunts, hanging out at a teammate's cool house and going out to dinner.

HC JV Cheer Team (P=second row, third from left)

She is exhausted but happy! In addition, she has added a tumbling class to her week so every Wednesday night she attends that as well as her swim practices/meets (Ruth Lake only since she's quitting swim and I can barely get her to go to practice). 

She comes home sore from lifting girls up into stunts (for hours), learning new cheer dances and practicing her jumps. She's made friends with some of the Varsity (older) cheerleaders and she's always telling me what I need to order for her from Amazon or Lululemon. 

Last week, it was underarm sweat pads because sweating through your shirt is embarrassing (cue the eye roll), then a specific white Lululemon tank that she needed because everyone else was wearing these when the outfits (yes, each day they have different themed outfits) called for a white tank top. She had me order a Santa hat too for some skit that her cheer family (sounds like sorority life) was doing during camp and she's told me she deserves new cheer shoes but I should wait to order those til closer to the season starting. 

I'm beginning to understand why they say girls are so expensive! All of this is in addition to the $500 plus dollars that I spent for her cheer camp outfits and fees and that is totally separate from the school cheer fees. 

But she's having a great time and is so happy she's almost done with swim!

8th Grade Graduation and State Cup Finalists

Peyton graduated from 8th grade last Friday and kudos to her principal for a very quick ceremony. She joined choir this year and instantly regretted it when she found out she had to sing at her graduation ceremony. I guess that's what you get for changing classes to be with your friends! 

Graduating 8th Grade

Anyway, she mouthed most of the words during her choir performance and was acknowledged in the program for being a Student of the Month this year and being in the Choir. After the ceremony, we celebrated at one of our favorite restaurants, Davanti where we feasted on our favorite focaccia di recco, meatballs, salad, pizza and gnocchi.

The very next day she started her grueling cheer team training/workouts. These girls work so hard. She's come home sore and exhausted but very happy. Two more full weeks of training left before they get July off and come back in August. Whoever says that cheerleaders are not athletes should see what these girls are required to do. It's a heck of a good workout and a lot of muscles in use! Can't wait to see them in action this school year.

Following Peyton's graduation, the next day, Austen also had his State Cup Final Game. They were the defending State Champs for this 2007 age group and were playing the same team they played last year in the final except this year they had a new coach and their starting center back and one of the starting wingers were out due to injury. Galaxy scores first off a direct kick from Austen to their striker who tips it in. He hammers another banger off the top of the crossbar but it doesn't go in. We head into second half 1-0 but for some reason our coach decides to put in some subs at this point. The other team scores the equalizer. Austen again puts us up 2-1 with a header goal. We think this is the game winner but the other team answers not even five minutes later and we head into overtime 2-2. First half of overtime, the score is still tied. Second half of overtime, the opponents score the game winner and there goes their back to back State Champ title. I thought for sure they were going to pull this one out and if they did, I'm quite sure Austen would've been named MVP of the match. Super disappointing. But on to Regionals (since they had already qualified through their league play) in both of their league brackets with first place finishes in each. The State Cup win would've been the trifecta! Next up - Kansas City at the end of the month to advance to the National League playoffs in Orlando in late July. Good luck boys! Go earn your place!

8th Grade Graduation Program

Peyton's name and recognition of Student of the Month and Choir

Austen and his Co-Captain handing out the medals

No one is happy with second place in this picture!