Champions

Jack's baseball team won a championship last night. This is different from the highly competitive travel team he plays on; this is the local recreation league baseball team for his age group. He's been playing in it since he was 6 years old (Tee Ball), then 7-8 (Rookie League, which Kate is in now), and now 9-10 (Minors). The travel kids play in it, but so too do all the kids who will stop playing baseball at 12, or 10, or younger.

At Tee Ball and Rookie, they don't even keep score (well, not officially; apparently some of the kids keep score in their heads and fill everyone else in after each half inning ("We're up 7-5!"), which is kind of amusing. And Jack's first Minors team last year was one of the league's worst teams, routinely losing (I think we finished up at 3-9 or something) and sometimes failing to even score.

But these things go around as the better (often older) kids move up a level and the younger kids get better, and it was clear that this year Jack's team was going to be one of the best. And it was, and we started out winning all the time, endured a late-season slump where we weren't hitting and lost 3 of 4, occasionally in excruciating fashion, and then turned it back on late. We had a rare, in-season practice right before the playoffs started, and that's what I'll point to as the main reason. There were some fun in-team competitions and a chance to bat and field without consequence or pressure (unlike a game), and I think it really loosened the kids and maybe the coaches up.

I spent much of last week being nervous about our first playoff game, but that practice helped. And we won our first game 9-1, won our second game just 15 hours later 8-2 (over the No. 1 seed), and then really walloped last night's opponent for the championship. Each of the three teams had beaten us in our previous encounter, so call it a Revenge Tour; it fits.

Jack had been in a bit of hitting slump; getting hits and getting on base, but not hitting it with as much authority as he had earlier in the season and even through the last travel tournament. Might have slipped into a bad habit, I don't know. We practiced some in the backyard before yesterday's game and seemed to get it sorted out, but he's not quite there yet. One good hit and a couple of soft ones, one of which a play should have been made on. But he caught a couple of popups and threw a runner out at the plate in the final inning from first base, and capped off an overall strong season and Minors career as a champion. And I'm proud to say our efforts to get him and all the kids to show class in victory (a worry when you're winning big) resonated, or seemed to; kids lined up, smiling, to say good game, then ran to the outfield throwing their caps in the air in happiness.

I stood there in front of the team looking at their happy faces, glanced out to clapping parents, shook hands and hugged the other coaches. It's not the World Series, but it's the top of this level of baseball (kids on our team were saying "worst to first!") and for many if not most of these kids it might be the only sports championship they'll win. We posed for a picture for the local paper and then danced off into history. Well, 2015 Port Chester Minors Division history!

I'd like to remember a lot of things about it. This little kid Nick catching the last out. This girl Dulcinea who missed two weeks with a sore knee, coinciding with our skid, then returning for our playoff march. The kids who were thrilled when they got to catch, or play first base, or get 2-out hits to start or finish rallies. The Mom that made cupcakes before our biggest regular-season win and the championship game -- "victory cupcakes," she called them. Her saving a last cupcake for me, which I was about to get when Kate appeared at my side. "Can I have that cupcake?" Sigh. Yes, Kate, OK.

After the game there was a lot of handshakes and congratulations and pictures and Jack and the team being happy. That's mostly what I want to remember. Next year Jack will be off to Majors and there might not be much winning (or maybe; you just never know).

Got a text from the head coach, a jovial, very experienced coach who's been leading baseball and football teams for 20 years or whatever, whose kids were on Jack's and Kate's teams as well. He thanked me for being a great assistant and helping all year long. Nice note.

I thanked him back, but how do you really thank someone who helps your kids become better athletes, better players, better teammates, better kids? I guess you just say thank you, and try not to forget. Try not to forget the practices, not the games, not the coaching, and not the smiles.