Put me in Coach....

So last month a couple of my clowns decided they wanted to sign up for baseball this year. So I signed them up, and on the sign up sheet that says would you be willing to help out, I checked yes.

I'll let you in on a little secret. When they ask you if you'd like to help out , that's really code for you're going to be the coach. I've now experienced this twice in the last three months for two different sports, so I'm pretty sure it's a rule or something.

Don't get me wrong, I wanted to be involved in some capacity with my kids' team. What I had in mind was to yell from the sidelines, and then when I feel like my kids aren't getting the playing time they deserve, I chastise the coach. You know, something like that.

So anyway, I'm now the coach of my son and daughter's baseball team. I've got 13 kids. Boy's and girls ranging from 5 to 8 in age. No big deal right?

Last week we had our first practice. It was a little Helter Skelter out on the field, and I'll admit I should have been a little more prepared. After practice one of the mothers grabs me and wants to talk. Ok sure. So she asks me questions like how many kids do we have, in case she wants to bring juice boxes or something. Would I call if practice was cancelled, and how long will they typically last.  I chalk them all up as simple mom questions. No harm in that. And maybe something I should have addressed from the beginning. Then she throws me a curve ball and says, So I noticed there was a lot of standing around, to which I explain, yeah it's baseball, that happens from time to time. Then she comes back with, so how are we going to keep the kids engaged?

What?? Um, OK lady.

So I get back to the car and tell the DW about this lady and her Keep the Kids Engaged comment, and immediately the DW goes into Al Pacino, Scarface mode as if somebody has just gone against the family, and she's ready to put a horse head in this lady's bed.

Now according to the DW this lady was chastising my coaching skills. Ok first, that was supposed to be my job. And second, WTH lady. It's the first practice of the year? In fact its the first baseball practice of my life as a coach. Cut me some slack.

I should have let her know that I'm only one coach, and she's welcome, in fact encouraged, to come out onto the field and help me out. But I didn't. In fact, I didn't really think anything of her comment until the DW started singing Pink, Na na na na na na na we're gonna gettn' a fight.

So anyway, I got a feeling this one's gonna be difficult. Wish me Luck.

March Madness...

So this past weekend was one of my favorite weekends of the year. It was the opening weekend of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, more commonly referred to as March Madness.

This past weekend is my favorite for a few different reasons. Typically it's around St. Patrick's Day, I know it was a little later this year, but whatever. So there's beer to be consumed and St. Patrick's day along with basketball games, provide a good excuse to drink. For me, the tournament also represents the arrival of Spring, even though we had snow on the ground yesterday. And each year, here at the Palace we fill out our brackets for house bragging rights.

But maybe more than anything else this past weekend reminded us of hope, and what it's like to live in the moment.

Every year a little unknown team takes on the big boys and captures our heart with their display of brotherhood, or what it's like to be a true team. They give us hope by showing us that anything is possible even when others say it can't be done, or we can't win. And with each tournament win by the Florida Gulf Coasts of the world we see the youth of America dancing and celebrating, living in the moment, knowing they just slayed the giant.

And every year,  it reminds me that I suck at pickin' the winners.

So, how's your bracket?