Troyer Party of 9: Baseball 2022

EAGLES BASEBALL

Wyatt had the opportunity to play on our schools first ever baseball team this year and it was more fun than we could have ever anticipated. When they told us that they had one spot left at the end of basketball season we felt like we couldn't pass up the opportunity. Wyatt had never played before but they weren't having tryouts as this was the first year and it was something of a trial run. Brandon loves baseball and Wyatt has been wanting to play for the past few years so this was it. We had been warned that it was a significantly greater commitment than Upward basketball and that had felt like a lot so we really were pretty apprehensive as we agreed. Anything we add feels like a big leap right now.

Anyway, Wyatt borrowed a bat and started working with a batting coach once a week in February and by the end of March the boys were starting to practice together. The coaches had a lot on their plate getting not only a bran new team started but also fixing up a field that hadn't been played on in years, and dealing with lots and lots of rain. We didn't get to help out as much as we would have liked to but it really was special to be a part of this year, watching everyone come together to make this season happen.

I believe we played a total of 14 regular season games, plus quite a few scrimmage games, and some playoff games. At first we switched off a lot as we didn't know how the babies would do at the games but by the end we were actually taking them to most of them with us. A lot of the boys had sisters so while the boys played baseball the girls would all run around or bring toys and snacks and play together. They were great with our little ones and it really made it a lot of fun for all of us.

Wyatt grew a ton during the season. He was definitively behind the other boys in terms of experience and skill but he learned a lot and we can't say enough about the coaches and families on this team. Even when he didn't play well I would hear the older boys especially encouraging him and giving him pointers. There was one time in particular that I remember him coming home so pumped. He hadn't played that well but one of the 6th grade boys had told him that he'd been looking at the stats and that if he had had Wyatt stats his first year Wyatt would be better than him. Wyatt was so encouraged and as a mom I was so thankful for the way that they built him up and encouraged him all season long.

We also loved getting to know the other families and the sense of community that this season gave us was truly an unexpected blessing. The last game of the season we were standing behind the bleachers, I couldn't even watch, and there was another dad back there just pacing back and forth. Brandon teased him commenting on the fact that he was pacing and his reply was, "You know I'm pacing for Wyatt as much as I am for my son" and he was. It's been a long long time since we've felt like we've been a part of a community outside of my family. However, by the end of this season we really felt like we were. Wyatt rode to every game and many of the practices with Coach J.B. and Sara and as he struggled towards the end of the season another friends dad invited Wyatt and Brandon over to use their batting cage which made a big difference in rebuilding Wyatt's confidence.

The boys ended up not quite making it to state but they did go all the way to the playoffs the weekend of July 15th. The loss was absolutely heartbreaking, but we couldn't be more proud or more thankful for this opportunity and for our AMAZING coaches and team. Win good loose good. That's what we always tell our kids. There really are lessons to be learned through both.

We were seriously sad to see it end and I'm still sad if I think about it because I don't think we'll ever have a season quite like this one again, but we're also thankful for it and we're tired and ready to head off to vacation and the rest of our summer.

So proud of you Wyatt and can't wait to see you continue to grow as a player and a teammate.

Go Eagles!!!

A Few Videos from the Season

The team used a great app called Game Changer that allowed us to watch the game via live stream when one of us was not able to be there and even saved clips that we could then download.