Wichita Reds....Already Miss Them!

Baseball season has been done for awhile but this time its different.  Struggling to let go.  You see these boys aren't going to be together anymore.  They all started high school last month.  They will try out for high school baseball and move in different directions. Gratefully our coach has prepared them exactly for that day. Most of the team have been together for 3 years.  We're like family.  I'm closer to some of these parents than some of my family.  It's all a bit heartbreaking.  When you do youth sports at a competitive level where you start practice in December and your season doesn't end until July....well.  These boys are like brothers, I mean they've gone through puberty together. That's huge.

I am so grateful for coaches who have walked along side my son, my fatherless son, and been a positive role model for him.  They have encouraged him, trained him, corrected him when needed, been there for him.  Trust me.  It was still hard to see all the dad's with their sons, each week, walking off together, talking to their son when they were discouraged.  And then God did something amazing. This year he brought a new player.  He also lost his dad at age 7, his mom was also a widow (now remarried) and we instantly had a connection. So cool. Did you all know that?  Thank you, Ben for introducing us.

We could not have asked for a better coach.  I know so many other teams deal with drama on a regular basis.  Constantly.  People upset, teams disbanding, fighting all the time.  We were just blessed with a coach that wouldn't put up with that sort of thing.  Like I said most of us have been together since the team started 3 years ago. You don't often see that.  Ben you have been so great for this team.  Thank you for pouring yourself out there, every single day for these boys.  I know you have loved them as your own.  You are a good man. And he has the cutest kid on the planet.  I just don't know what I will do not seeing that sweet boy every week.  I will have so many uneaten Beef Sticks because Cannon wasn't there.

I will miss being known for having no sense of direction.  If we join a new team, they won't appreciate that about me.  They will just let me get lost.  Coach won't say, "Who's got Reneene?"  Sure I won't end up in Augusta when we go to Garden City, this time, because I know now.  But Ben and I will be wandering around aimlessly in some other town.  And I'll be missing all of you.  Just know that.  Mostly Lori.

Being a stay at home, widowed parent.....I don't get out much.  You baseball parents are my peeps.  I really am going to miss you.  I don't like when seasons change in life.  I know there's facebook.  It's not the same.  There's something really incredible about watching your kids play sports.  Love everything about it.  Youth baseball has been a blast.  Thank you for including us on the journey, we have loved every minute.


And we can't forget the most amazing photographer.  What would we do without Lori?  If you haven't got your video, I'm going to try to post it here.  This will show what you're missing.  Love, love these boys.  Thank you for always being there to capture it all on film.