A Saturday for the Ages

With boys, especially ones who love and play sports like ours do, so many of your Saturdays are jam packed with drives all over town, or to nearby towns, for games of some sort.  Soccer.  Basketball.  Baseball.  Cross country or track meets.  

And, of course, I love it.  Every single minute of it.  Watching my boys compete on an athletic field, hands down, is my greatest joy in life.  It pains me terribly to think about the void that will be left in the not too distant future when neither JP nor Joe are playing anything other than middle school or high school sports. In a way, we're halfway there, now that JP has narrowed his athletic focus to running.   

If you're lucky, as a parent, you have the rare Saturday where it all falls into place for your boys, or girls.  For me, yesterday was one of those. 

Rather than tour Notre Dame, JP decided to run in the Trinity-Valkyrie Invitational in Louisville, KY, where he set a PR (15:19) last year.  Gabe and Wynn decided at the last minute to run it and JP wanted to join them.  Jude and I thought it was the right decision, especially on the heels of his mildly disappointing race in Huntsville last weekend (15:20).  Late in the week, we hastily booked a hotel room and made plans, arranging for Jude to go with JP to Louisville, so I could take Joe to his soccer workout Friday night and his baseball tournament games in Murfreesboro on Saturday.

Yesterday morning, I got up early as I typically do, and drove up to Dose for coffee.  Joe slept in.  As I drank my coffee and tried to figure out if I could get live updates of the race in Louisville, I met the parents of one of JP's sophomore cross country teammates.  They were on the way to Dickson to watch their son (and the other boys who didn't race in Huntsville) race.  Very nice people.

I am superstitious, although I know I shouldn't be.  As I bounced around on the MileSplit (Kentucky) website and the link to the Trinity-Valkyrie Invitation, I couldn't find any live race results.  It felt similar to two years ago, when Joe and were at Dose for coffee and breakfast, as we tried to get live race results from NXR in Cary, NC.  That, of course, was a memorable day in JP's racing career, as MBA finished second and qualified for NXN in Portland, OR.  I was hoping, yesterday, to have a similar experience.

Turns out that I did, as JP ran 15:05:03 (12th overall in a very fast field).  The ever more elusive PR and ever so close to breaking 15:00:00.  It was a race JP needed, I think, to boost his confidence.  He raced extremely well in the fastest field he will see the entire season.  When I talked to him on the telephone immediately after the race, I could tell how excited, and relieved, he was.  

Later in the morning, I drove Joe over to Murfreesboro for his first tournament game of the fall with the Redbirds.  In what is another story for another day, Joe landed with the Redbirds after Brian Harris unceremoniously folded his tent and shut down Harris Baseball Club in July.  Not surprisingly, the messaging ng to HBC parents wasn't handled well by Brian, as a result of which 150 + boys were left scrambling to find baseball teams to play with in the middle of tryout season.  

When Joe and I arrived at the baseball complex in Murfreesboro, his coach asked him if he was ready to pitch.  "Sure," Joe said.  "Good, you're staring."  Kyle replied.  This will be interesting, I thought, as Joe hasn't thrown a bullpen in a while or otherwise worked on pitching.  No matter, because Joe is Joe.  Mentally tough.  Dependable.  Always ready to take the ball.

In four innings of solid work, Joe struck out stayed around the plate and stuck out six batters.  His control was good, as he only walked one batter.  He didn't throw particularly hard and two or three batters put good swings own the ball for extra base hits.  Still, he threw to contact, as he so often does, and he added nifty play on a ball hit back up the middle.  He gave up three runs, only one of which was earned.  

The only real mistake, other than a two out walk in the fourth inning, was an 0-2 fastball he left out over the plate to the second to last batter he faced.  He would have liked to have that pitch back, as the boy laced a line drive to center field to plate the third run.  Joe left with the score 2 - 3.  He was out of gas at 60 o so pitches.  The final was 2 - 7, as the next pitcher in for the Redbirds struggled.

In the second game, Joe played shortstop and batted second.  After a weak pop fly in foul territory to the first baseman in the first inning and a towering pop fly that he misjudged for an error, Joe settled in at shortstop.  In the last inning, down 1 - 2, Joe lined a ball to right center field for a base hit that advanced the leadoff hitter to third base.  He stole second, then was thrown out at home to end the game as he tried to score on a single to right filed.  I was proud of how Joe played, although there is room for improvement . . . for Joe and the whole team.  

Joe has gone from being the youngest player on his HBC teams to, suddenly, being one of oldest, most experienced players on his Redbirds' team.  It's time for him to lead.  

Jude rushed Joe straight from the second baseball game in Murfreesboro to Franklin for a Bucket Squad basketball game.  That didn't go was well, as his team lost a game they probably should have won.  I skipped the game but, according to Jude and JP, Joe didn't shoot much at all and wasn't a real factor in the game.  

Still, it was a great Saturday, for the boys and for Jude and me.

Sports on Earth

Saturday morning in Huntsville was hot, unfortunately.  That made it tougher on JP and the other runners in the Southern Showcase running the championship round at 9 a.m.  

The course and surrounding sports complex are impressive.  So much space.  Tennis courts,  soccer fields, and an expansive cross country course.  For spectators of the race, it's almost like a tight golf course, one where holes are side-by-side, in opposite directions.  Think Old Natchez Country Club in Franklin.  The result of the layout is that if you hustle, it's fairly easy to get to multiple vantage points on the course to see the runners.  So, that's what I did Saturday morning, so I could see JP and cheer him on as much as possible.

As I wrote earlier, it was a very fast field with runners from all over the southern and mid-eastern United States.  Schools from Pennsylvania and West Virginia sent teams, too.  It's a big race, probably the biggest of the season with over 280 runners.

JP started out fast and when I saw him early, he was in the second pack of runners, right behind the leaders.  For the first couple of miles, he ran with a tall kid from Columbus North HS (Indiana).  During the third mile, the other kid pulled away and JP was left in no man's land, running by himself, slightly ahead of what amounted to a fourth group that included Eli Wharton from Division Academy in Nashville.  He's a super kid that JP has gotten to know.  

JP held off Eli Wharton for 11th place, finishing at 15:20:81, six seconds off his PR.  It was a solid run but I think JP was mildly disappointed he hadn't run a little bit faster.  Cross county racing is a strange beast.  Eight seconds faster would have been a PR.  Eight seconds slower feels differently.  Still, 11th place out of 283 runners is something to be proud of, for sure.  I was proud of JP, of course.  

JP is going to run in Louisville, KY, on Saturday, with Gabe and Wynn.  Gabe ran a PR at 15:30, as did Wynn at 16:33.30.  JP was scheduled to go to visit Notre Dame with Jude but he wants to get another race in since the Chickasaw Trails Invitational was canceled.  I thinks it's the right decision because the way to get better at racing is to race more.  That's apparent to me.

I drove back after the race and met Joe and Jude at my office.  They had driven to Huntsville on Saturday morning to watch JP race.  We sat in my office, relaxed, and watched football on the flat screen I had put in a little more than a year ago.  We had an hour or so to kill before Joe's Saturday afternoon basketball game at TOA Courts in Cool Springs.  Joe's Bucket Squad was set to play some of his former teammates from the Stars' team he played on in the spring.  Page Middle School boys.

It was a great game.  Probably the best game I've seen this group play, coached by Thomas McDaniel.  Joe's team only had five players.  No subs.  They played hard defensively and shared the basketball as well as they every have.  What saved them was they got an early lead and hit a lot of 3's.  Somewhat, they withstood a spirited comeback attempt led by one of my all-time guys, Will, who hit multiple 3's in a real heat check game for him.  He played with Joe in the spring on his Stars' team.  A great kid who always seems a little sad.  I try to give him as much love as possible and to pump him up because I think he needs it.

Joe played a solid game defensively, making almost all of the right plays, as usual.  He turned the ball over a few times but not too many.  He had several nice assists, which is his game.  Really, a fun basketball game too watch as Joe's Bucket Squad held on for a 43-41 win.

One Saturday.  A lot of sports.

Season Opener (Again)

Last Friday evening, I drove to Decatur, AL, stayed in an Airbnb, then drove 30 minutes early Saturday morning to Oakville, AL, for JP's first cross country race of the season, the Chickasaw Trails Invitational.  

The weather didn't cooperate, however, and after a couple of lighting delays, the race was postponed.  The race organizers claimed the Lawrence Co. EMS made the decision but I have my doubts.  There's no reason that I can see that the organizers couldn't have waited an hour or two, if necessary, to see if the weather would clear off enough for the races to start.  But, that didn't happen, so I drove back home without getting to see JP race.  

Tonight, I find myself in Huntsville, AL, in another Airbnb, after driving down from Franklin after a long, crazy day at work.  Have race, will travel.  That's the life of a cross country parent.  And I love it.

Tomorrow, JP and his MBA teammates will race in the Southern Showcase.  It appears to be the biggest, most anticipated cross country race of the southern season.  There are teams from as far north as West Virginia and Pennsylvania and as far south as Miami, FL (Belen Jesuit HS, the strongest cross country program in the South year in and year out).  

MBA hasn't run in the Southern Showcase since JP has been running with the varsity.  I'm curious when they last ran here.  Before the season, JP and Gabe asked Coach Russ if the team could run in bigger races this year.  More competition.  More exposure.  They'll have both in spaces tomorrow because it's a really, really strong field.  I'm very curious to see how JP and Gabe stack up against the best of the best.  

I was nervous last Friday night.  Tonight, I'm a little more relaxed.  Really, I just want JP to run his best tomorrow.  I'm very excited for him to find out what it's like to race against some real horses.  

For now, though, time to watch a little Dodgers-Giants on my iPad and get in the rack.  Early start tomorrow.

Pre-race.

JP, Gabe, and Winn.  Classmates.

Coaches Roderick Russ and Tom Cirillo.

Gabe and JP after the warm up run, shortly before the 2025 Chickasaw Trails Invitational was postponed.

Co-Captain Jack McDaniel and his dad, Thomas.  

Team photo just before packing the tent up and heading up I65 North to Nashville.

Season Opener

After a summer of dedicated training, running and in the weight room, JP's first cross country race of the season is tomorrow morning in Oakville, Alabama.  For the third consecutive year, MBA will begin the season running in the Chickasaw Trails Invitational.  

JP's ready, I think.  I'm ready, too.  

After a busy day of work and the Williamson County Bar Luncheon, I will drive down early this evening to Decatur, Alabama, where I have an Airbnb for the night.  As near as I can tell, I will be about 30 minutes from the Oakville Indian Mounds Park.  The last couple of years I have stayed in a hotel in Decatur.  However, the selection of hotels isn't the greatest, so for this year, I thought it might be nice to stay in an Airbnb.  I prefer vacation homes to hotels any day of the week.

I am so proud of JP for how hard he has worked, really, from the beginning of June through the beginning of school a couple of weeks ago.  He's been so disciplined about his running, which is his way.  Set goals.  Follow the program.  Eat right.  Plenty of sleep.  Run.  He's driven.  Always has been.,

For the first time this summer, JP didn't play travel baseball.  It was a decision he made on his own and one that I supported.  JP's thought - and I agreed - was that he couldn't afford to miss three or four days of running for seven or eight weeks in June and July, while he was playing baseball on the weekends in Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville, etc.  Not if he wants to be ready for the cross country season and give himself the best opportunity to reach his running goals. 

When he decided last spring that he wanted to run in college, that changed things.  Again, it was something he pointed out.  I agreed with him.  As a result, his primary focus, athletically, necessarily became running.  A lot has to go right, for sure, and I realize that.  He needs to stay healthy.  He needs to perform at peak level in races.  He needs to continue to love running.  And he probably needs a little good fortune.

As always, the thing I am the most proud of when it comes to JP's running is his discipline, dedication, and courage.  Running take all of those things and he has them.  Life requires those things, too - and more - so I hope he can apply to life the lessons he has learned, and is learning, as a competitive runner.  If he can, he is going to give himself and edge that will start him down the path of independence and success.  

What I want tomorrow out of the race - what I always want - is for his hard work to be rewarded with a race day performance he feels good about and is proud of.  I want him to be happy.

Every run is a gift from God.  My run last night in the neighborhood at age 59 - three miles - was a gift.  JP's run tomorrow - his race - is also a gift.  I am grateful for these gifts, for him and for me, too.

This is JP's moment.   

Meet the Teachers on the Hill

Last night was Meet the Teachers Night at MBA, for Joe.  It's a hectic night, and a long night, as the parents rush from class to class to meet their son's seventh grade teachers, following their boys' daily class schedule.  

When I got home after work to check on the boys, I was tempted not to go.  I was tired and it had been a long day.  Jude was going, though, and I didn't want to leave her hanging, especially on a night when I was able to get home at a decent hour.  So, off I sent in the middle of a rare September early evening downpour.  

As so often happens when I attend an event at MBA, I was glad that I found the time, or made the time, to be there.  Across the board, Joe's teachers are an impressive group.  Experienced, driven, caring, involved, and available.  It's amazing, really, how high caliber the faculty is at MBA.  All top notch.  

From our first stop in Mr. Cooper's pre-algebra class to our last stop in Mr. McMurray's Roots of Modern America (History) class, I was delighted by what I heard from Joe's teachers.  We only got to spend 10 or 15 minutes with each teacher and, as the bell rang at the end of each class, I found myself wanting to stay longer and engage in a more involved, two-way conversation.  

What a really felt was an overwhelming sense of pride that my sons are student at MBA.  It's expensive and a bit of a stretch for Jude and me to send JP and Joe to school there.  My running joke that my lake house or my mountain house has gone to USN and MBA and, now, MBA, has more than a small element of truth to it.  Still, a night like last night reminds me that it's worth every penny we spend to send our sons to MBA.  Every penny.

With JP starting his fifth year at MBA - fifth year! - I'm more familiar with the school, the faculty, and the parents.  A couple of Joe's teachers - like Emmett Russell - already know me, which is nice.  In the halls, I saw other teachers and coaches I know, like Coach Dunlap, who asked me why I'd shaved my mustache.  I saw Roderick Russ, JP's cross country coach and one of my favorite people at MBA.  I feel so much more comfortable on the Hill than I did when JP first started there four years ago.

It's interesting.  Joe loves all of his teachers and I can see why.  That wasn't the case at USN.  He's being challenged academically.  It's early, of course, but he's working hard and doing well so far.  I'm proud of him.

My fervent hope is that Joe has just as positive and enriching of an experience at MBA as JP has had but that he does it his way.  Joe's experience will be different from JP's and that is it should be.  It's what I want, too.  

Two years with both boys on the Hill.  It's going to be fun.

The Dog Days Are Over

Another August is in the rear view mirror.  Thank goodness.  

The last week or so, the highs have been in the upper 80's or very low 90's, as opposed to the high 90's.  That's been a nice respite, to be sure.  The 10-day forecast shows high early in the week in the low 80's, which will be fabulous before the temperature spikes just a bit over the week into the high 80's again.  

Still, just knowing that September is officially here today, which means October is around the corner, makes me very happy.  Fall is so close I can smell it.

This weekend, it's been Joe and me on our own.  A stripped down version of Guy Town, with Jude and JP in Philadelphia visiting Penn and Villanova.  Official college visits for JP.  Wow.  Life comes at you fast, doesn't it?

I took Joe and his buddy, Sam, to the MBA football game Friday night.  It was an MBA blowout, so we left at half-time.  I grabbed the boys burgers at Burger Up after the football game.  They had a late dinner and played hockey upstairs.  No X-box, just roughhousing and playing hockey.  Old school by their choice, which was pretty cool.  

Saturday, Joe and I watched a lot of college football.  A lot.  Vols beat Syracuse.  Vanderbilt beat College of Charleston.  FSU upset Alabama as a 13 1/2 point underdog!  Ohio State beat No. 1 Texas and, in the process, made Arch Manning look pedestrian in his debut as a starter.  I made a made a high protein chicken and broccoli pasta dish in the crock pot, courtesy of the "It's Damn Good" guy on Instagram (my new culinary hero).  Tasty.

Joe and I went the Green Hills Y in the afternoon, so I could run on the treadmill and he could get some shots up.  I rebounded for him after my run and helped him with his shot.

Yesterday, Joe had a 3-on-3 basketball tournament at TOA Courts in Cool Springs.  Tough day for the home team, as the boys went 0-4.  The last game was the best game, as they lost by three to a team that had beaten them soundly in the first game.  Joe's guys made a great comeback at the end and Pike had two open 3-pointers to win it but they didn't go down.  Entertaining game to watch as I kept score at the scorer's table.

Joe didn't play particular well.  He's challenged, still, due to his height and lack of quickness, especially laterally.  It's showing up more on the basketball court as the boys hit middle school.  He's grown a little bit this summer and, hopefully, more growth is on the way.  On his team, none of the boys have hit puberty, yet, and others have, which makes it tough on all of them.  

I picked up dinner from Slice of Italy on Belcourt last night and we watched Miami beat Notre Dame in what was a pretty good football game.  I read for a while, then shut it down for the night.  

After I finish my coffee this morning at Dose, I'm going to grab Joe and get breakfast at Bongo Java, I think.  Again, old school.  

Jude and JP get home today at 1 p.m., so it will be interesting to talk to JP and see how his first college trip went.  His first cross country race of the season is this Saturday in Alabama, so it's a big week for him.