The Fall Seasons End

Lexi wrapped up the tennis season with a doubles match and a #3 singles match. She did not win either one, but did perform admirably, even taking her singles opponent to deuce 8 or 9 times during the final point. Overall, this (from my point of view) has been a very successful tennis season for Lexi. She definitely improved, both from a physical aspect and a mental aspect. Hopefully she plays next year, too. She also has two more football games to cheer at in the upcoming week, and that aspect of cheer is complete.

Griffin's team lost their playoff game 24-18, so the season has ended. However, the team played their most complete game of the year. They even stripped the ball with about 30 seconds remaining to give themselves one final chance to tie. They fought to the end, and made a bunch of good plays. Griffin was involved in multiple tackles, including a pretty good solo tackle on the edge, while playing cornerback. This was a very good season for Griffin. He really improved his aggressiveness, and overcame his hesitation when it came to hitting. He made multiple tackles, blocked well, and scored. I'm very proud of how he did. Next up is travel basketball.

Cami finished her fall softball season with a double-header, one loss and one tie (due to time constraints). She finished on a high note, walking once, striking out, and hitting an arching line drive into short right field for a stand up double. She also scored the tying run. She played 2nd, outfield, and pitched the last inning of the second game. She made a great play at pitcher; a ball was hit hard back at her, and she fielded it and made a great throw to 1st for the out. It was a good fall season, and I'm glad Cami had a chance to practice pitching more and to improve her hitting. She is growing in confidence.

Basketball is almost upon us all, but a brief respite awaits in the near future.

Just Another Week

Lexi had two tennis matches this week. She lost her doubles match, but she was able to play #2 doubles, and beat her opponent 8-2. That was her first singles win that did not come in an exhibition game. She also cheered for middle school football on two different nights.

Griffin had his last regular season game and won, 16-0. He played every play on defense at cornerback, getting in on multiple tackles and having a couple where he was the primary tackler. He also nearly had an interception, but deflected it instead. He also played his old wingback position a bit, and did a fine job of blocking. Playoffs start on Tuesday.

Cami's team played three games this week. In the first, she pitched and got three outs, played some second base, and hit a double and scored. In the double header, she played RF and 1st, and had a really good hit (off a pitcher, and not coach pitch). She smacked the ball down the third base line, and eventually came around and scored. In the second game, she pitched all three innings. She struggled with consistency a bit, but was a trooper and kept fighting. She got a hit in this game as well, scoring a couple of batters later. Unfortunately, her team lost all three games, but Cami did a nice job.

More to come next week.

Double the Fun

This week, Lexi had two tennis matches (unfortunately, she also had an invitational rained out). She and her partner lost both matches, but it is clear Lexi is improving. She is moving around the court more and making forehand and backhand shots. She also went straight from a match to cheer for the football team.

Griffin had two football games (one was a make up game). We lost both games, but Griffin had some good plays. In the first game, he played cornerback the entire game and had 3 tackles and ran a kid down on a long run but just didn't know how to dive at the end. In the second game, he played every single play, due to 5 or 6 boys being out from illness and other stuff. He did a nice job blocking from his wingback position, and his one chance to run didn't go well (most of our offensive plays weren't really successful in this game). He played corner again, and again had the chance to run a kid down; this time, he was able to dive and saved a touchdown. He also defended several pass attempts, nearly being in position for an interception. Next Saturday is the last regular season game.

Cami was due to have a double-header today, but was rained out. She'll have several games coming up due to all the rain-outs.

This has been a frustrating season weather-wise, as it seems every time there is a softball event or football game, there is rain. Bleech!

An Interesting Week aka More Rain

This was another week that saw some interesting weather impacting the kids' activities.

Lexi had two tennis matches (an invitational was rained out). She played 3rd singles in the first one, and lost. However, she was very excited and felt that playing singles helped her improve. She also played a doubles exhibition match that day, and won. In the next meet, she played 1st doubles, and she and her partner won. At this point, I have no idea how the team overall is doing, but Lexi is getting better everytime out, and is seeing success fairly consistently. She has a match or two this coming week. The football games she cheers at were canceled due to weather, but there will be another this week.

Cami had her first fall softball game. Her team lost, but she did get a hit. I'm not sure if she had any fielding chances (Griffin had practice at the same time). Today, she participated in the fall softball clinic, with an eye on improving her hitting. She has a game (maybe two) next Saturday.

Griffin's team lost their game, after a rain-shortened week of practice. He played a series on defense and was involved in making a couple of tackles. Offensively, this was a rough game, as there was very little success as a team. This week he has two games (one a weather make up): Wednesday and Saturday. We are hopeful for a better showing.

The Lull In-Between Events

While none of the kids have events during Memorial Day weekend, we had plenty last week.

First off, Cami got 1/2 an inning in before lightning started. She has yet to play a game of fall softball, but we've got a reschedule for this Tuesday, which adds to the regular game this Saturday, along with practice. Should be a full week, weather permitting.

Griffin's football game was also on Tuesday, and actually was called with 4 minutes left due to the lightning. At that point, we were up 28-12. Griffin blocked much better this week and scored a 2-pt conversion that was so open he could have run the entire length of the field. Griffin also got to play defense, which made him happy. He was involved in a few tackles, and showed more aggressiveness. We're back at it on Saturday.

Lexi had 3 tennis matches, and unfortunately, she and her partner lost all three. However, Lexi was able to play a singles exhibition match, and won. She showed much improvement during that match, and the doubles match earlier that afternoon. She used both forehand and backhand strokes effectively, which she had not been doing. I actually like her playing singles better, because it forces her to move around the court more. She also tried to go to the football game and cheer after one match, but as with the twins, by the time Lexi was able to get there, the game had been called due to the lightning.

We are hopeful for better weather this week, allowing the kids to compete in their activities.

Weather Interference

It has been a heck of a week, weather-wise. Lexi was able to get one tennis match in, which she and her partner won, 8-2. It was a tighter match than the previous two, but the competition was good for the girls. Wednesday's match was postponed/canceled due to tornadoes in the area. She did get to cheer for the middle school games, though, and even saw some church friends who attend the opponent.

Griffin's football game was canceled due to flooded fields. Like the others, Cami's first fall softball game was canceled due to flooded fields. It rained a ton here this week, and continued today.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate this week, as all of the kids' activities take place during the week with Labor Day weekend coming up.

Spring Sports Seasons are Finished

This past week, Cami's softball season came to an end. Her team lost in the first round of the playoffs. However, they played perhaps their best game. Cami walked twice, but was thrown out trying to score (she did make a nice slide to try and get under the tag, though). She fielded several balls at 2nd and 3rd, and had a fun time. All of her teammates received softballs with a descriptive word written on it from the coaches; Cami's said "Dedication". She is really wanting to keep improving, and is looking forward to fall ball.

This week starts the summer sports camps season, with the girls attending basketball camp.

Beginning to Transition to Summer

The kids (and I) finished the school year last week. Griffin had his last basketball session, and has improved every week. I look forward to seeing him apply his new skills in school ball.

Cami had one softball game (she lost). She had several fielding chances playing 2nd base, throwing one girl out at 1st base. She pitched some, as well. She also reached base (she was hit in the foot) and ended up scoring when she slid into home plate. She was pretty proud and excited. She has a tournament game Tuesday, as part of a single-elimination format, so any further games depend on wins.

We're transitioning to summer break by spending Memorial Day weekend swimming and resting. Nice weather is helping us get off to a wonderful start.

Getting Closer to the End of the Season

With her track season officially over, Lexi wrapped up more activities this week with a school band concert and a piano recital. She also attended her first official Jr. High youth group activity at church.

Cami had two games this week. Her team lost the first, but did many little things better. Cami got her first hit, and eventually advanced to 3rd before being tagged out a home. She also pitched about an inning. She is getting more consistent every time, evening working to overcome a steady rain during the game. They won their second game, and Cami played okay. She played shortstop and left field, and got to field a couple of balls. She put the bat on the ball during one at-bat, but it just went foul. There are two more games coming up this week, so more chances to cheer Cami on.

Griffin's shooting form continues to get better every week. We put him through two shooting sessions this week and he was exhausted. He has one more session this week, and then we'll take a break from the summer.

With summer coming, sports camps are headed our way, and Cami got them started with volleyball camp this past week. She loved it, and looks forward to the time when she can play at school (sixth grade).

Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.

Nearing the end of the Spring Seasons

Lexi's competitive track season ended this week with a rainout. The team competed at the conference meet, but only the top two in each event run/jump/throw. She cheered her team to a 2nd place finish, and the county meet is this upcoming week. I'm not sure if Lexi will continue with track or not, but she seemed to have a fun time. She showed improvement, not only in her abilities, but in the mental toughness it takes to train for track events, especially with the high amount of running. I'm very proud of her.

Griffin continues to improve his basketball skills, learning more about proper shooting form, including how to put his legs into the shot and put backspin on the ball. He is also becoming a better ball-handler every week.

Cami's team had a double-header, due to a rain make-up game. Her team went 1-1. The exciting part was that Cami pitched all three innings of the first game and earned the win! She struck out four batters, and overall, had her best pitching outing. She was way more consistent and did a good job catching the ball when it was thrown back to her (that had been an adventure). Her hitting hasn't quite come around yet, but she is doing a good job of not swinging at bad pitches. Two more games this week, if the weather cooperates.

Less Rain, More Sports

This week, kids were able to get in a few more activities without having them canceled by rain.

Lexi had two track meets, with the team going 1-1. She long jumped in one of them, and wasn't pleased with her distance, but it was a very windy afternoon. She also continues to run in exhibition races for the 100m and 200m. In the second meet, she came in second in her heat, posting her personal best time of 14.9 seconds. Improvement continues.

Cami also had two games. She is continuing to hit the ball more consistently, but so far she keeps hitting it back to the pitcher. It's only a matter of time until she punches one through. Her fielding is improving, and she had several balls hit to her yesterday. No pitching this week, but we will see what the upcoming week holds.

Griffin started his second round of basketball drills. His shot keeps looking better and better, and he's picking up on some new dribbling moves, including trying to dribble between his legs. One of the coaches keeps calling him "southpaw", so I got to explain what that means.

We have a couple weeks of spring sports left, and lots of fun times are there to be had.

A Rain Shortened Sports Week

This week, Cami's softball game was rained out, as was one of Lexi's three track meets (two of which were rescheduled from previous rainouts). Fortunately, Griffin's basketball camp is indoors, so that went well. He keeps learning new skills, and it's really cool watching him continue to develop a stronger dribble and proper shooting form. This week he even tried dribbling behind his back during some of the drills.

Lexi did have two meets this week. During the first, she only long jumped, as there were no extra heats due to the weather. It wasn't her best jump (she was fighting wind and rain), but she competed hard and is improving her form. During the second meet, she long jumped, and again kept working on her form. Due to some injury and absence circumstances, Lexi also got to compete in the main event 200m race. She was super excited and represented herself well. She did not place, as she was racing girls older than her, but she was able to hold her own, and looked like a sprinter while doing it. It's a lot of fun to watch her compete. Also, the team won both meets, and are currently undefeated.

More stuff to come.

Spring Sports are Underway!

Lexi had her first middle school track meet this past week. She competed in the long jump and in an exhibition race for the 200m dash. She jumped 10 ft. and changed, and set a personal best in the 200 at 34 sec. She was nervous beforehand, but really excited and proud afterwards. She has another two meets this week. She also tried out for, and made, the cheerleading squad for next year. She is a busy girl.

Cami had her first softball game of the season. She was 0-2, but the highlight was her pitching. She pitched the 3rd inning (of 3). It was her first time pitching to live batters, but she did a good job. She had one strikeout, hit one batter, and one really awesome, fast strike. She didn't give up any runs, and would have earned the save (if they keep that stat). Her team won 6-5. As far as pitching, each batter gets five pitches from a kid, then two from a coach. So Cami's goal is put the ball over the plate so the coach doesn't have to come in. She is working on building arm strength, and making sure she pitches straight. It should make for a fun season of watching her grow.

Griffin opted not to play any spring sports, so we signed him up for a basketball skill camp at the Indiana Basketball Academy. Currently, he plays games and switches with other boys to work on dribbling and shooting skills. He is improving each time, and even received a nice complement from the clinic instructor about his shooting form.

Nearing the Sporting End

Lexi had two tennis matches last week. She and her partner lost the first one, but one the second one in pretty convincing fashion. The tennis season ends this week. In the meantime, we still have cheerleading to support Lexi in.

Cami's last softball game with postponed, and then canceled, so her fall season is over. She had a good time, and showed improvement, especially at the plate.

Griffin's team won 20-6, to finish the regular season at 3-5. He played a bunch, at both linebacker and running back. He got to carry the ball once, but couldn't quite break a tackle. He was involved in a few tackle piles, also. His playoffs start on Monday, against the team he just beat. We will play Tuesday, and then Wednesday as long as we keep winning.

More Fall Sports

Lexi had two tennis matches this week, losing both. She really enjoyed the second match, though, even though she and her partner were beaten badly. She said it was fun because she was getting her serve in and there were some long volleys. Love to hear her excitement and seeing her improve.

Cami had one mid-week game, and one Saturday rain-out. In the game she played, she had two hits and two RBIs. She said it was fun. This fall season has been great for her skills and her confidence.

Griffin's team lost to the best team in the league, but played them extremely tough, scoring more points on them than anyone else. Griffin is still getting used to hitting, and made some strides during the second half. His regular season ends next Saturday, and then there are the playoffs.

We wrapped up the week by going to the Indy Eleven NASL soccer match. We had great seats and a lot of fun.

Back to the Sporting Life

After a rather slow week for the kids (at least this season), they were back at it. Lexi had two tennis matches. In the first one, she and her partner lost. In the second, she played singles and the beat the 2nd singles player from the other team 6-1. She was excited and so were we. She is still playing the equivalent of JV, but is getting better each and every day. She was also selected as the Royal Pride Athlete of the Week after being nominated by her coach. She has at least one (might have a second) match this week, in addition to the weekly cheerleading at the middle school football games.

Griffin also had two games, with one being a make-up. The team did not do so well in the first game. Griffin played a bit at LB but was not able to be involved in any tackles. The second game went a lot better. We still ended with a loss, but it was a close game and the boys played much better. Griffin again played LB, and was able to get himself near the action. He's still trying to bring himself to hit someone, rather than just get in a pile, but he is getting better and still having fun. The next game is Saturday.

Cami's team won both games in close fashion, maybe by a run or two. She went 2-4, while knocking in a couple of runs and scoring once. She also nearly ran a girl down while playing third base. She thought that was pretty cool.  He last double-header is next Saturday.

Slow Sports Week

Last week was a slow sports week for us. Lexi had two matches, winning one and losing one. She and her partner beat the 2nd doubles team in a pretty cool upset.

Griffin was supposed to have a mid-week game, but lightning in the area caused it to be postponed. So, this week he is scheduled to have two games.

Cami just had the weekend off, and will be back at it on Saturday.

Big Week for the Knight Athletes

As per usual, Lexi had her double activity week. She cheered for two football games, and its amazing to me how she keeps looking more and more like a middle schooler. She also got to play her first tennis match (doubles) against another school. She and her partner won, and the team won, too. Apparently, the coaches were very complementary of Lexi and like how she is developing.

This morning, Griffin's team won 34-0. The offense ran less than 15 plays, and we scored off an interception, a punt return, and with three different long runs.  Griffin played a bunch at middle linebacker, and was in on several tackles. He was even the first to the ball carrier on one. It was a huge deal for him, because he's beginning to realize that hitting someone doesn't really hurt all that much. The mental breakthrough is coming.

Finally, Cami had another double-header. She lost by one in the first game, and won easily in the second. Personally, she had 4 hits, including a double, and scored 3 runs. She also hit a hard line drive that the pitcher's helper somehow caught. Cami played most of the games at shortstop, but rotated to outfield a couple of times and even played an inning at pitcher's helper. She is really growing in her confidence, especially at the plate.

More excitement to come next week!

Sports Update

Lexi had her first tennis match of the year. She competed in an exhibition doubles match against another team from Eastern Hancock. She and her partner won (8-2, I think). Lexi did a really good job, particularly with her serves. She had several aces. The team won the overall match, as well.  It also looks like she will be able to compete against a team from another school this week. Additionally, she cheered for both the 7th and 8th grade football games, and I was able to see a little bit. She did a really good job. She has a natural talent for being loud and encouraging.

Cami had another double header. Her team split the games, but Cami did an awesome job. She had 3 hits, 3 runs, and 3 RBIs. She played SS, 3rd, and outfield. She also had a nice defensive play, aggressively fielding a ball at SS and throwing a runner out at 1st. She has a double header again next Saturday.

Finally, Griffin's team lost. It was a close games, and the boys played better for the whole game. Unfortunately, a few big plays cost us. Griffin played a handful of plays at LB and was on one kick-off team play. He is learning to be more aggressive and it gravitating toward the ball more. He even got his first "injury" - he had a player come at him at LB and Griffin got in the way, but was knocked down. In the process, his arm was stepped. After a sitting out a bit, he was able to tough it out and play some more. He also has another game next week.

We finished up the week by attending the Chicago Bears vs. Indianapolis Colts game. It was a good time, and we got to see the Bears win.

Busy Week

Last week, Lexi somehow managed to juggle tennis practice, cheerleading practice, piano lessons, homework, and her first middle school cheering event. Thursday, the cheerleaders traveled about an hour away and cheered for both the 7th and 8th grade football teams. Lexi didn't get home until 10:30. Needless to say, she is learning how to organize her time wisely. I'm really proud of her.

Griffin's team lost, 18-8, mostly because of uninspired 1st half play. Griffin played a down or two at RB, and another five or six at outside LB and CB. He even filled in on kickoff team. He is learning to be more aggressive. He is also dealing with the strange dichotomy of throwing his body intentionally into another person in order to tackle them. It's a hard thing to convince yourself to do when you are in your first season of football with pads. He is getting better each practice, and his confidence is growing.

Cami had her first fall softball double-header. Her team won both games. She struggled at the plate in the first game, but fielded several balls at 3rd base, tagging a girl out as well. In the second game she went 3-3, knocking in some runs and scoring all three times. She was pretty excited about that.

This week, Lexi has a tennis match Monday and another pair of games to cheer at on Thursday. Cami has another Saturday double-header, preceded by a football game for Griffin.