The End of Ali's Season

 Ali's season ended last week with her team (USSSA Pride) playing in the Championship Game!  I was excited that they made it that far and also that it meant I could finally wash my car (the fields we spent so many of our nights at were quite dusty) and I also got to watch most of the game.  I felt like with the boys having games/ practices at the same time as Al, I missed a lot (of all of their games). I did take a shift of watching the Littles at the playground but got to catch most of the action.

K.K. and Ali-Cat

Ali tried her hand at pitching this year (and didn't do too bad) but spent most of her time playing infield (either shortstop or third base).  When I was in high school, I played softball as a freshmen with Ali's Coach's wife (did you follow that?) who was a senior.  Her dad was the coach of our team and I played for him for four years.  He was able to come to some of the games at the beginning of the season and it was GREAT seeing him again. He now works for the USSSA Pride so goes to Florida for the season.  He sent the girls these awesome medals for having a great season!  Ali was so excited.  That is her pictured with my friend's daughter (who is in kindergarten and a great little ball player)!  She's lucky because her folks are tall~ unlike Ali's!

 Being in the Championship game also meant that Uncle Dan had finished up his season coaching Varsity Ball and was able to come and watch her.  Al's little cuz (and shadow) also came.  TZ came too but, like the boys, spent most of his time on the playground.
Next year, Ali will move up a division which means she won't play with the Pride team anymore (sob). She sure learned a lot from her coaches.  She always took her job as a player seriously and was at the ready and a good listener.  Sometimes she listened so well and they wondered if she could speak!  In a thank you card for her coach, she told me she wrote him that she'd talk to him in ten years!  He sometimes joked about how quiet the "Ali-Cat" was.  We sure will miss Coach Bill next year!  It was a great season!

Here is a SHORT video of the few (four) videos I found on my phone.  I sometimes took videos when Jeff was gone so he could see how she was doing.  It wasn't always easy with Sean around...