Lil Eagles Softball Camp

 

Last week, Brandon participated in the Nike Basketball Camp.  This week, Mia participated in the Concordia University softball camp.  The softball camp ran for one week, Monday thru Friday, from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.  It was a great opportunity for her to improve her skills,

Since I have been working every day, I asked to take an extended lunch so I could drive to the camp and watch my little girl.  I was able to see her do some fielding and bat twice.  Each time she goes to bat, I see her glance my way to make sure I am watching her.  I couldn’t stay for that long but I made sure I left her a mushy love note on the car for her to find. 

Mia was also selected as "camper of the day" one day, and at the conclusion of the week, she was selected as "camper of the week".  I'm very proud of her.

Mia hits!

Girls look fierce

Going through drills

Mia and another girl as campers of the day.

There are so many various summer camps available, and I’m grateful my children were able to be involved.

Mia will start playing Fall Ball softball next month! I'm so excited to watch her.

Nothing but Net

I really love basketball. I love watching the games (professional and youth). Most importantly, I really love how it brings our family together.  This is the first season that basketball has become a family activity. Lance and Dylan continue to coach while Brandon plays, but this season, a very young Mia joined the team.  She is very inexperienced and is one year too young to play.  She really wanted to play for "Commander" so with a small request to the Rec Center, young Mia was granted permission to play up a division.

  Lance has struggled as a coach, but each season, his team progresses further in the rankings.  This year, the Gryphons, are undefeated, and I'm fairly optimistic that they will not only get first place, but will finish the season undefeated.  He has a really great team.  Brandon has always had the pressure of holding the team up, but this year, he has very skilled teammates, and they play well together.

  

I'm proud of all my kids.  Dylan has gained confidence as a coach.  He knows what to do. He is great with the kids.  He isn't nervous communicating to parents anymore.  We have three girls on the team, and it is so obvious that the two have a crush on Dill Weed.  Brandon continues to perfect his skill.  He hussles and is driven.  Mia is just learning the game.  She does get confused between offense and defense.  I don't know if she is going to continue playing or not.  Her summers are her break from softball, and next summer, she may resume cheerleading.  Lance is an incredible coach.  He spends alot of time not only teaching skills, but building the player's confidence.  I'm the team mom.  I send out the communications.  I create the snack schedule.  It is a family affair.

Look how focused Lance is..

There are two inexperienced players on the team: Mia and Akira.  At our last game, Lance encouraged all the kids to give the ball to them so they could make a basket, and Akira was fouled during a shot, and he made one of his freethrows!!!!!  You could see his eyes light up.  The entire team cheered enthusiastically.  It made his day, and for a kid who is not the most athletic, he is going to remember this moment.  When the game ended, Lance recognized him and everyone clapped for Akira.

Our team is extraordinarly good, and when we have such lead, Lance gives players an opportunity to play positions they are not accustomed to.  He put a young girl, Kayla, as point guard.  She didn't want to be, but it's about getting out of your comfort zone and having a coach that believes in you and takes a risk.  I truly think Lance found his calling. He gets so much joy from coaching.  Everyone knows that Lance loves his time on the boat, and coaching has frankly interferred somewhat with that time, but that only shows how much coaching means to him.  He loves it.  Even Dylan said, "I really love coaching." It is so rewarding to work with kids and to see them grow.

Lance has a special connection to this 7 year old whose brother is on the team. Aidan was too young to play but he attends all the practices.  Lance made little Aidan an assistant coach and he sits on the bench with the team.

As the Gryphons are in mid season, I wanted to give Brandon some memories, and so I discovered Nike Basketball Camp.  I placed Brandon in the Nike Basketball camp this past week.  It was an all day camp from 830 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Monday thru Thursday. I admit it.  I am terrible, and I am into the name brand of Nike. I dont really care about other designers, and I'm completely ignorant, but if something has the Nike logo on it, you have my attention. 

I noticed an improvement when Brandon was done at the camp/  He was one of nine kids recognized at the end of camp for "most improved." Just proud.  Also, he took some of the drills he learned and taught them to his Gryphons teammmates. I saw some of the drills on video, and I was impressed.

Nike Basketball Camp

Nike Basketball Camp

Brandon getting recognized and winning a shirt for "most improved" at the Nike Basketball Camp.  Only 9 players received recognition.

Brandon received a Nike basketball after camp

I also put Brandon and Mia in a shooting camp/clinic on Friday called Evolved Shooters.  This camp focused on shooting form, and Brandon is now learning to shoot with one hand.  I was told by the director that Brandon was one of two who he felt had great potential. I know my son isn't going to be in the NBA, but I also know he is great basketball player.  For Brandon last week, it was all basketball all week long.  He was exhausted.



Brandon and Mia doing a partner drill.

Evolved Shooters Clinic

Mia shoots at Evolved Shooters Camp

And now, I took these three action shots of Brandon shooting.  It was a swoosh, nothing but net, baby!! 

 

We are halfway through the season.  I cannot wait to get those well earned number 1 trophies.  Go Gryphons!!

July 4th 2015-Holiday Weekend

July 4^th was relatively quiet for us.  The kids opted to celebrate with their dad this year.  He lives in a city that allows fireworks.  He also lives within a mile from Knotts Berry Farm, and they have a spectacular firework show.  They spend the day with family and neighbors having a BBQ, playing volleyball, and sitting by a fire pit. In fact, Dylan told me he stayed up all night.

Our (Lance and I) original plan was to spend four days on Tide the Knott, but we changed our minds and chose to stay at home because we were concerned about Buddy and Bella.  Tide the Knott is in the perfect spot to watch fireworks, but last year, Lance had a horrible time trying to contain Buddy who was ready to jump overboard.  Lance said, “It was the longest 20 minutes of my life.”  Buddy was so frightened.

We had a four-day weekend, and Lance spent the first two days on the boat.  I stayed at home and took the kids swimming; I was able to get some fantastic underwater shots of the kids with our new camera (this was the camera I bought for the Camp Pendleton Mud Run).  The kids went to their Dad’s on Saturday, and Lance returned home Friday night.

We had a mellow 4^th with just a small BBQ for just the four of us (yes, I include our babies Buddy and Bella).  We rented videos and didn’t do much.  We realized though that we did make the right decision about staying at home.  For three days, we had to deal with Buddy. Bella was surprisingly calm during the fireworks, but Buddy panicked each night.  Yes, people started the 4^th of July celebrations on Friday, and it continued until Sunday.  We gave him three Benadryls and a Xanax each night. He finally called down.  He was pacing, crying, and huffing uncontrollably.  It was stressful.  It was like dealing with a colicky baby.

 

Sunday morning, we took the dogs out for a ride on the dinghy.  They absolutely love being on and in the water.  We packed a picnic lunch and spent several hours cruising around Newport Beach bay.  It was a perfect day.

 

Balboa Island

Do you see Buddy out there?

a house with your own private beach.--wow

Sea Lion

Lance and I have joined a six-week Biggest Loser competition at work.  We have been really good.  When I went shopping, I refrained from buying “junk” food.  I spent every day of that four-day weekend at the gym.  I admit that I go through the same cycle every year.  Late summer, I get into incredible shape because I’m preparing for my marathon training.  My marathon training begins, and I’m feeling great.  Once the marathon is done, I resort to an old bad habit of eating everything in sight, and then the weight creeps back so by summer, I’m at my heaviest until again, (late summer) I start pre-training.   We both recognize though that we do need to eat healthier. I know what that entails, but honestly, it does require effort.  It is so much easier and faster to eat junk.  But, we are trying….

Healthy July 4th BBQ with lean meat and veggies