As some of you know my daughter has played travel softball for the past three years or so. She has been on some really good teams, but her new team that we decided to form when there weren't enough girls to move up to a 12U team has gotten off to a quick start. We have an impressive young woman as a our coach who we hired so that she has the necessary time to dedicate to the team.

The team didn't even come together until right before Christmas with the first practice occurring between Christmas and New Years. Last Saturday they played in their second tournament, one week after getting their first win as a team. They took home the silver (runner up rings). Here are some photos...





Softball has been a Godsend for my girl given her PTSD diagnosis. She has gone from having some serious anger issues to being coachable and a good teammate. Her focus in all areas has improved... but on the field she's locked in like a laser.


She now has ten rings... time to build her a ring display.

Congratulations! Glad it has been good for her.

That’s awesome! Team sports are good for kids; glad it’s given her something to focus on. You’re a good father for taking care of her this way!

Congrats to you and your daughter Sir! That is great.
Even Tom Brady is jealous.

Congrats! This is fantastic! It is my sincere hope that the skills your daughter learns as she works hard and competes will serve her well her entire life. I see this in my own daughter (now 24). She was a pretty good basketball and lacrosse player. She wasn't always the best athlete out there, but she was usually the hardest working. She never quit, was never intimidated, and always gave her best. Now that she is on her own I see those same characteristics in her. Sports can instill some very good traits in our children.

Good for you and her.

I like the 10 rings pic. LOL

Congratulations to you and her.

Awesome for her and you also get credit for helping her be successful. Those traveling teams require a lot of effort, time, and $$$,.

I am very happy for you Parallel.

Athletics were a Godsend for me when I was young...

I had all the "typical" kid ailments that would warrant medication in todays day and age.

But my Mom got me into little league and scouts...later Rugby and Ice Hockey.

Good on you for helping your daughter find an outlet and an activity that helps her build the foundation of a great attitude toward life...friends, discipline, teamwork, effort, rewards, etc etc.

Tell her, nice bling!!!

Thanks for all the kind words y'all. Dealing with her has been a huge challenge, but we knew it would be even before we chose to adopt her. She has always been tough beyond belief for a very young girl, but now her toughness is able to be harnessed and used to improve her life instead of as an irrational response to real or perceived threats.

We've been through a few teams, because it takes a special coach to be willing to deal with the extra baggage she brings. They all were enamored with her abilities... but only a couple have been able to connect with her and understand how to hold her accountable without triggering her PTSD. The last team we were on our coach who was a volunteer dad was AMAZING. In fact, Danica has had a bit of a rough winter as she had a ruptured appendix which took days to get surgery for in November and then she had COVID-19 along with the rest of our household in January. Getting her back in the groove was proving difficult; so we asked her old coach to speak with her a few days before the tournament. I have no idea what was said, but the turn around in confidence, attitude and mental toughness was immediate.

This new coach seems to be up to the task as well, but it's going to take some time. We're just thankful that she has this as an anchor in her life... and yeah... it IS quite expensive, especially when paying a portion of the coaches salary; but we think it's totally worth every penny and the time invested.

By the way... they got themselves humbled today. They ran into a buzz saw of a team and got eliminated quite early, but if they learn from the experience then so much the better.

quote:

Originally posted by parallel:
By the way... they got themselves humbled today. They ran into a buzz saw of a team and got eliminated quite early, but if they learn from the experience then so much the better.

True enough! There is sometimes more to be learned from a loss than a victory.

quote:

Originally posted by parallel:
By the way... they got themselves humbled today. They ran into a buzz saw of a team and got eliminated quite early, but if they learn from the experience then so much the better.

First off congrats to both of you. Second, from someone who coached boy's baseball for almost 10 years, don't get too caught up in the win/loss thing right now. Given the age of the girls, keep the focus on skills development and teamwork. The rest will come as they begin to master those two things. And I'll leave you with one final thought. I've coached something like 200 kids over the years and to date, I've never met a bad kid. I've met a lot of bad parents, but the kids were always reachable and teachable if you spent the time to find a way to understand them. Best of luck with your daughter and her teammates.

Congratulations on your daughter and her team's success!

My daughters have flown the nest for a while now, but I know one very important thing as a parent is keeping your children active. Don't let there be too much downtime.

The sad part is that after social media enters their life, they soon get stolen away from you. That is another BIG issue to deal with in this new day and age.