The day has come

[nixxy311]

Last night DD played in her last HS game. Wasn't the ending we were hoping for. But they made it to playoffs for the first time in 3 years and fought really hard. We made it in as the 4th seed so had to play #1 (the defending state champs). The first inning we gave up 3 and that is all they would get. Only gave up 1 hit after that. Probably the best game we've played defensively all season. Our pitcher for the game - one of DD's best friends and who she plays TB with - isn't a fast pitcher but she hits her spots. And she had a team who is known for crushing the ball just unable to do anything. It was one of the best games she's pitched. We unfortunately only managed 2 hits - their pitcher had 16Ks against us. (DD was the only girl who didn't strikeout). But we did have a chance to tie it up - our best HR hitter was up with 2 on and it just didn't happen.
Second game was 0-0 until the 5th inning and we made some errors that eventually led to them scoring 1 run which would be the winning run. And just couldn't get our bats going again.
I'm really proud of how well we played, but I'm still sad it's over. There were tears at the end. We got a new coach this season and DD said she wished she had had this coach her full HS time - I'm glad she enjoyed her last season. She did pretty well offensively - just behind some of our best hitters and did have her first HS HR also. Only 2ks all season as well.

I joined DFP back when DD first made the middle school team in 6th grade and can't believe she's now a senior. Time really does fly. She's played with some of the girls on her team since she started SB. During Pee-Wee (8U), DD made the All-Star team and that season our team went undefeated in the 3 tournaments we played. A lot of the girls from that team are still playing together today - it's a season I'll never forget and with girls who will always have a big part of my heart. A few girls moved to other districts (in fact 3 of them moved to the #1 seed we played against!) and one stopped playing SB but a big core of that team are still playing together.

While she still has TB coming up - it still isn't quite the same as playing with girls she's been with for so long - luckily 2 of the girls she's played with on that All-Star team are on the same TB team.

 

[Orange Socks]

Big Congrats on a great season.

I have a Senior in College and Senior in HS both playing their last year. DD2 just plays at softball. I gonna have to split time between the two. HS plays Tues/Fridays. HS team doesn't have pitcher this year and really hasn't had a real pitcher since DD1's Sr Season. I'll make the Tuesday games and miss the Fridays unless I forego a long road trip.

 

[PJR202]

Bittersweet congratulations.

My older one is a junior and due to work and some college prep extracurriculars, has decided she won't be playing this coming season. It's disappointing, but I do still have my younger one, who is a freshman and a pitcher. Even with so much time left for her to play, I still could feel sad if I thought about the end much.

 

[DryHeat]

Thanks for sharing, Nixxy. I am glad she had a good experience her last year.

Our time will come too, but my family has a few years left.

 

[CoachJD]

The worst part of being a high school coach is I have to watch the end for some girls every single year. I miss watching all of them play (OK, maybe not ALL of them). I miss having them at our practices, on the rides to away games. I miss the daily conversations. It's so much fun watching them develop over the years, but when it comes to an end I always, every single time, wonder if I got everything I could out of them as players (almost always the answer to that is "No.").

This past season, I watched a girl graduate who had played with us since seventh grade. I can't believe she's off at college now. I'll have another one of those this year, and I'm secretly hoping she stays close for college so I can make her part of my coaching staff as soon as possible.

I'm not really big on motivational quotes -- I use them all the time on my players, but they rarely affect me much -- but I recently heard one that I've been thinking about a lot lately. The internet says it was Muhammad Ali, but who knows if that's true. "Don't count the days. Make the days count."

I imagine if you do that, you'll feel good about all of it when it's over.

 

[uncdrew]

Are you able/willing to share what highschool she's with and which highschool beat her to go to States?

My daughters are with Cambridge High School, and are off to states in Columbus tomorrow. 5A, should be a blast.

 

[nixxy311]

Are you able/willing to share what highschool she's with and which highschool beat her to go to States?

My daughters are with Cambridge High School, and are off to states in Columbus tomorrow. 5A, should be a blast.

She plays for Collins Hill - North Gwinnett was the #1 in the Super Regionals they were in. This was the first year NG wasn't in our region so we had the full regular season not having to play them and instead we got the juggernaut Buford :/ (who finally lost a game in the playoffs but came back to win 3 in a row to move on to Columbus) - Looks like y'all played well against them though! We only managed 1 run off them in the three games we had to play against them.

Good luck to your girls - It's weird this year that it's starting on Wednesday - I thought it was only Thurs-Sat most years?

 

[uncdrew]

She plays for Collins Hill - North Gwinnett was the #1 in the Super Regionals they were in. This was the first year NG wasn't in our region so we had the full regular season not having to play them and instead we got the juggernaut Buford :/ (who finally lost a game in the playoffs but came back to win 3 in a row to move on to Columbus) - Looks like y'all played well against them though! We only managed 1 run off them in the three games we had to play against them.

Good luck to your girls - It's weird this year that it's starting on Wednesday - I thought it was only Thurs-Sat most years?

Buford is a powerhouse, that's for sure. We know a few families who moved just to be on that high school team. Crazy.

Our school dropped down to 5A, so luckily don't have to play Buford again in conference.