County Track Meet

Just a quick note on the end of the track season. Lexi competed in the county track meet in the long jump and the 4x400m relay. The relay wasn't real successful. However, Lexi won the long jump by jumping 14' 1/2". This was also her personal best. It was a great way to finish her middle school track career, and we're all really proud of her.

Our competitive seasons are over, but with summer comes camps, workouts, etc. Fall seasons will be here before we know it.

Track Report

The kids had two more track meets this past week (Griffin only got to compete in one because there was a 3-way meet and we have too many boys). Griffin won his 100m heat and finished 2nd in his 200m heat. He also competed in the long jump and 4x100m relay. Cami finished 5th and 7th in the 800m and is learning how to run this race with some strategy. She also competed in the long jump and 4x400m relay. Lexi won the long jump at both meets (she set a personal record with 13' 9") and her 4x400m relay team also won both times. The boys team won both meets and the girls team won one and finished second by 2 pts (I think) in the other.

This week, the kids have two more meets.

Track Update

The kids had one meet this week, and it was pretty successful. Because they competed in a 4-way meet, the opportunities for the twins were a little scarce this time. Cami ran the 800m and finished 5th out of around 15-16 girls. She would have placed but she was the fourth girl from our school, and each team was only allowed to place two kids. Griffin won his 200m heat (and received some compliments on his form from the high school girls' coach) and he long jumped. Lexi was a part of the 2nd place 4x400m relay team and she was the winner of the long jump, with her best jump of the season so far.

There are two scheduled meets this week, weather permitting.

Another week of track

The kids had one meet this week, as the other scheduled meet was cancelled due to weather. Only Griffin and Lexi competed this time because Cami rolled her ankle during the school day. Griffin ran the 100m and 200m, winning his 100 heat and coming in 2nd in his 200 heat. He also long jumped and ran in the 4x100m relay. Lexi ran the 400m, finishing 4th. However, the big news was that she won the long jump and her 4x400 relay team won that event as well. Both the girls and boys teams won the meet.

Only one meet is scheduled for this week, so hopefully the weather cooperates.

Track Meets Get Underway

This week, the kids had two track meets (Lexi only competed in one, due to an 8th grade field trip - however, that benefited the twins, as they got to compete more). The boys' team won both of their meets, while the girls did not.

Individually, Lexi competed in long jump, 400m, and 4x400m relay. She finished 3rd in the 400m and she did a nice job with her leg of the relay. She also did okay in long jump. Cami ran the 800 twice, long jumped, ran the 4x400m relay, and the 400m during the field trip meet. She finished 3rd in her 400m race (earning a ribbon for the first time), and did a nice job in her other events. Griffin ran the 100m and 200m, the 4x100m relay, and long jumped (all twice). He is running in the second heat of the sprints. In the first meet, he ran well, losing to a 7th grader and an 8th grader, but beating the kids his age. In the second meet, he finished 1st in his heat in the 100m, and second in the 200m (by a small margin, according to Cami). He is still working on long jump, and he did fine with his leg of the relay.

It was a great start to the season. Two more meets this week.

Winter Wrap Up

Last week we finally wrapped up our winter sports seasons. Cami had her last volleyball tournament. They finished 1-3 on the day, but played two of the losses very close. They all improved a lot, with the highlight being winning the Shamrock Showdown tournament. Cami had a blast and got a lot better, particularly with her reaction time and arm placement when hitting the ball. She's already looking forward to next year.

Lexi tried out, and made, the high school cheer team. She's attending a cheer clinic today to work on stunting, which is something she may be doing more of next year.

All three kids are still in the track pre-season. They are working hard and looking forward to the first meet in a couple of weeks.

Volleyball Champs!

This past weekend, Cami's volleyball team won their tournament. They finished 1st in their pool, then won a crossover match against the winner of the other pool (the other team from our school). It was pretty cool. Cami had her best day of volleyball so far. She had several big serves (including for the second to last point when the final was tied 14-14; she also got her next serve in but they didn't get the point). She had a lot better arm position and control on her bumps, sets, and returns. She is also really improving on her reaction time. Her team has one final tournament this coming weekend.

In other news, track practice continues with an eye to competing after spring break.

Track and Basketball End

Track season came to an end this week at the County Meet. Lexi competed in the 400m and the long jump. She finished 8th in both events. In the 400m, Lexi was challenging for 5th, but just ran out of gas at the end. She was also having trouble breathing, as she was fighting being sick. However, she still finished the race with her personal best, so that was cool. As far as long jump, because of how the meet developed, Lexi had to take all three jumps immediately after finishing the 400m. Due to this, she wasn't able to get her best jumps in, but she did get close to her average for the season. While the season didn't end the way she hoped, it can't be looked at as anything other than a success. We are all very proud of her, and look forward to how she improves next season.

Cami and Griffin attended what will probably be their last basketball practice for this session. They both have shown improvement, particularly in making a dribble move before shooting (behind the back, between the legs, etc.).

Other than summer camps, this ends our sports seasons for a few months.

Best Track Week Evah!

This week was the best track week ever for our family. To begin with, Lexi won four ribbons combined for her two meets. In the long jump, her distances started going back up, and she finished second and tied for second. During the first meet, she ran the 400m competitively for the first time. She had told me multiple times that she thought it was easier than the 200m, but I didn't really believe her. However, she blew us all away. She finished first, and kept a consistent pace throughout. Her coach told her she was 4 or 5 seconds off our middle school record. The crowd was really excited for her, and so was Lexi. She had set a goal to earn a first place ribbon and did so. During the second meet, she pushed through and finished in third, only a couple of seconds off her first time. As a result, she is going to run the 400m in the County meet (our version of a conference championship). She will also be competing in the long jump.

To add to our track meet, Cami and Griffin competed in the Youth Track Night, a sort of introductory event for elementary school kids. They both had a great time running the 100m and 200m, throwing the shot put (with a softball), and doing the long jump. They think they may compete on the middle school team next spring (our 5th graders are allowed to do that). In addition, they also had another basketball session, and did a great job.

This week, the County meet and basketball.

Another ribbon

During this past (rainy) week, Lexi ended up only having one track meet (in the rain). She ran the 4 x 100 relay, and her team had their best time. She also long jumped, and while her distances aren't hitting her best, she still placed. This time she earned 3rd place. She was very excited, and has now tripled her stated goal for the year.

Cami and Griffin had another session of basketball camp. Because their group is small in size, they are getting some personal attention. Plus, the coach really encourages Cami (he used her as an example twice, she told me), I think because she is one of very few girls who participate. Both Cami and Griffin showed some improvement and weren't complaining about how hard they worked when the time was over, so that's nice, too.

This week, Lexi is scheduled for two track meets, Cami and Griffin have another session, and the twins are also supposed to be participating in the school's youth track night (weather permitting).

A little track and another ribbon

Lexi just had one meet this week. She ran the 100m and 4 x 100m, and did okay. Her best event continues to be long jump, though. This week she finished 4th, and because it was a three-way meet, she earned another ribbon. Next week she has two (maybe three) meets.

Cami and Griffin had their first session at the Indiana Basketball Academy this spring. They are in the Shoot, Shoot, Shoot clinic, which focuses on shooting. For nearly an hour straight, they did multiple shooting drills, combining dribble moves, ball fakes, and passes with taking good shots. They were both exhausted, and Cami wasn't thrilled. I don't think she was used to being coached by someone who wasn't a parent of one of her teammates. Griffin went through this last year, and the work on form really helped him improve. Also, their coach this session was Jim Crews, former IU player (1976 National Champ) and D-1 head coach (Evansville and St. Louis University). They get back at it again next week.

Track Update

This week, Lexi only had one track meet (the other was canceled due to bad weather). Fortunately, this was a pretty successful meet for her. Lexi competed in the 100m and the 4 x 100m relay, as well as the long jump. She was a couple of hundredths from winning the "JV" heat of the 100m, and looks better and better running it every time. She did a nice job in the relay, but her team is all 5th-7th graders, which makes it hard for them to win. However, the long jump is where Lexi excelled. For the first time ever, Lexi placed in a "varsity" event. She finished in 2nd place, and was really excited to earn her first ribbon. That was a goal she set before the season, and she was super stoked to meet that goal. She has told me that her new goal is to finish 1st in an event. She has one, maybe two, meets coming up this week.

Cami and Griffin will be starting a once-a-week basketball camp this week. They will be participating in a session that focuses on good shooting form. Griffin participated in this last spring, and it was clear that his shot was becoming better and his form was improving, so I'm excited to see how they grow over the next few weeks.

Track and an Academic Honor

Lexi had one and a half track meets this week (one was canceled due to weather half way through). Twice she ran the 100 m, both times as part of the 1st heat. The second time she set a personal best time, and finished 4th or 5th (she wasn't sure and I couldn't tell). She long jumped at both meets, setting a personal best with a jump of 12' 3". She was in the 4 x 100 m relay in the first meet and did okay, and ran the 200 m in the second heat of the second meet. She ran out of gas near the end, but looked good running up to that point. All in all, it was a good first week of meets for Lexi.

In addition to track, Lexi was accepted into the National Jr. Honor Society this week. She will be inducted next week, and is very excited. Several of the current members were "fighting" over who was going to get to induct her at the ceremony.

The twins are still biding their time, waiting for camps and such.

Spring Sports are Underway

Lexi has been practicing for track over the last several weeks. Finally, she is supposed to have two meets this week (Monday and Wednesday, weather permitting). She is currently going to be competing in four events for most meets: 100 m, 400 m, 4 x 100 m relay, and 4 x 400 m relay. She is super excited and has been doing really well so far.

The twins are currently in a holding pattern, with the chance Griffin will be going to a basketball camp and Cami with the possibility of some more volleyball.

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.

Week Two of our Spring Sports Odyssey

Because of rain, our week of activities was actually shortened, but the kids still kept us busy and entertained.

Lexi only had one meet this week (which they won), and she ran the 100m and 200m, and long jumped. She did a very good job and is continuing to learn more and improve during her first track season. Plus, I think she is becoming the unofficial encourager of the team. She really enjoys standing at various places around the track and cheering her teammates as they try to do their best. It's pretty cool; I'm beginning to believe that encouragement is one of her spiritual gifts.

Cami had two (rather than three) games. They did not win either. Cami's team is 10u, but they don't have many, if any, 4th graders, while the teams we play have at least some. That experience is really noticeable on the field. However, the girls keep playing hard. The first game of the week saw Cami play catcher for an inning, and make her first contact while at bat. She hit a ball hard down the 1st base line, but it just went foul. In the second game she was a lot more involved. She was hit by a pitch and ended up scoring, and then hit a hard shot at the pitcher, who made a nice play on the ball, grabbing it right out of the air. Cami also pitched two innings. She struck out another girl, and fielded several balls, throwing a girl out at first. She was much improved over her first outing. It is clear to see that she is improving with every game, particularly with her pitching.

Griffin tried a shooting clinic at the Indiana Basketball Academy, on top of his normal session. He did a terrific job. His shot is getting better and better as his form continues to improve. My favorite part is when he looks at me with a little grin of pride when he does everything correct and the ball goes in. It is an affirmation that he is getting better.

More of the same in the week 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.

Games and Rain

Another busy week.  Lexi participated in the 4 event elementary track and field competition. Her practice night was rained out, so she did a little practice and then competed on the same night. There were three girls in her age division, and Lexi finished in 2nd twice and 3rd twice. She did pretty good in the 100m sprint. She was in 2nd coming around the last turn on the 400m, but then discovered how tough a race it was. She couldn't breathe very well, which caused her to be passed. She threw shot (a softball for the girls) and finished 3rd. The final event was long jump and it was her best performance. She ended up in 2nd by 2 inches, but the coaches were very complimentary of her form. She did well and had a fun time.

Cami's team came back to tie their game in the bottom of the last inning (there is a time limit rule, so no extra innings). She was 1 for 2 with a single, and had a couple of chances in the field, playing 2nd base.

Griffin's team started their game in the rain, and with only 7 official players (a source of frustration to me). After two pretty rain-soaked innings, the game was called, which was unfortunate, because it was the best the team had played so far.  Griffin was 1-2, with a single, RBI, and a run scored. He played 3rd base and didn't have any chances to field the ball.

This week, the girls have volleyball camp, Cami has 2 games, and Griffin has practice and a game.