Game Ball

Maddux's softball season will come to an end tomorrow. It's been a season of ups and downs for sure. Between the freezing temperatures and the rain, it took quite a while to really get started; we weren't able to consistently practice or have games until after Spring Break. Also, Maddux isn't always as focused as we'd like. That is not to say she isn't performing well enough - that's not at all our concern. She just tends to forget why she's at practice (to learn, not play follow the leader), and she often loses her equipment/uniform (both at practice and at home).

But she's excelled as a softball player. This girl is just athletic all around. She makes solid contact with the ball every at bat. She throws well, and her head is IN the game. (When she's focused, that is.) She has made many really great plays throughout the season, even though they haven't all resulted in outs. When she is positioned at pitcher, Maddux tends to pay so much attention that she knows where to run with (or throw) the ball without even checking in on the runners...she's really impressed us.

Today Maddie showed that level of focus again. She played a great game, both at pitcher and catcher, and in the last inning, made a crucial out. The game was tied with the bases loaded. When the ball was hit, she hustled to it and sprinted to home, tagging the runner at the plate and preventing the winning run from scoring. Game ball for Maddux...winner winner, chicken dinner.

Softball

Maddux's softball season has finally started to take off. After a long line of canceled games and practices due to cold weather and torrential rain, I think her team is starting to get into a rhythm now.

Lately Maddux has been playing some Pitcher and Catcher. But unlike most kids this age, when she plays Catcher, she doesn't just sit on the ground or on her knees and wait for the ball to fly by her. She hops up in a Catcher's stance and really tries to stop the ball.

Maddux has had her share of great plays infield also. When she's playing second, she runs the ball to first. And if she realizes she won't get them out, she turns and immediately runs to the next place there is a runner....all without checking first. (She knows where the runners are before the ball is hit.) Loving the focus on this girl who is sometimes anything but focused.

And as we already knew, Maddux is speedy as can be. She has no problem getting on base, and when the girls run laps, she is often leading the pack.

Batter Up!

Maddux is well into this season of softball, but we've only had one game so far. Between freezing rain and ice storms, so many practices and games have been rescheduled and cancelled that I'm doubtful she's really getting a taste for the sport.
Regardless of that, Mad Dog had a GREAT first game. Ruby and I got there just as the girls were warming up prior to the first pitch. In her first appearance, Maddux played pitcher, second base and right field. During her inning as pitcher, she fielded the ball every time it was hit, getting it to the first base (wo)man quickly.

Maddie hit three times, getting on first or second every time she smashed the ball. She LOVED the game and said hitting was her favorite part. 


Unfortunately, Eli's soccer game overlapped, so the boys weren't there to see her debut. Eli was quick to voice his disappointment in this, which was music to my ears.

Maddux's Last Game

This morning was Maddux's last softball game of the season. The weather was not very compatible; it was raining when we arrived at the field. Unfortunately, the game got cancelled. Fortunately, our team was already there and the rain was minimal, so we turned it into a practice/pick-up game with adults and kids. The girls had a great time playing with dads, me and Eli, and it was a perfect way to end the season. Maddux got a trophy and a snack, so she was happy. Our schedule is now cleared up a little more, so Lehr and I are happy.

Game Two

Maddux had her second softball game yesterday morning. She was so excited because she was playing her friend, Anni's, team. We got all suited up and went to the game as a family, which tickled Eli and Maddux both. (Eli had a scrimmage at the same time as Maddux's first game, so he missed her in action last week.)

Maddux did great, hitting by pitch once and off of the tee the next time. She played several positions, including pitcher, which allowed her to throw to first a few times. (Throwing is her strength; she's still a bit stand-offish when the ball is thrown in the air to her.)

My favorite part of the morning was how into it Eli was. He knew a boy at the field and the two of them played football for most of the softball game, but Eli did stick his head in the dugout a few times to converse with and encourage Maddux. I didn't notice the best part of this until later when Lehr and I looked through my pictures. When Maddux was up to bat the first time, Eli stopped throwing the football to focus on Maddux's chance at the plate. Love it!

Mad Dog's First Softball Game

What a spring this will be. We got both Maddux's and Eli's ball schedules this week and it pretty much filled our calendar up until May. Yikes! Tonight Eli had a scrimmage at the same time Maddux had her first game. Lehr is assistant coaching Eli and I'm assistant coaching Maddux, so it was a night of divide and conquer. The good (?) news is that Saturday they both play, but at different times. So while we will be spending all day at a field of some location, at least we'll all be together.

The league we put Maddux in is very basic and 'loose'. Her game tonight consisted of each team going through their lineup completely while the other team practiced some fielding work. Then we switched. We did that twice by the time our hour was up. I got to lead the team tonight in the head coach's absence, which wasn't as scary as I thought. But that may be because I was on the field and not in the dugout while our girls were up at bat :) Since Maddux is one of three girls who can throw the ball with some distance and accuracy, I put her at pitcher for the second inning and she loved it. Even though she didn't hit any balls pitched to her tonight, she played well and had fun. Life is good.

Batter Up!

About a month ago we signed Maddux up for a low-stress softball league. This weekend was an introductory clinic to get the girls together before their first practice. Since Maddux has no baseball clothes of her own (and I know any 'street' clothes I'd send her in would be covered in Georgia clay), we dressed her in some of Eli's outgrown baseball stuff. She loved it. Even better, HE loved to share it!

We got to the field to find all girls, eight and under, working together for a warm up. Many of the girls were wearing cute pink pants and white t-shirts and I was grateful once again for having already stained baseball clothes for Mad Dog. After a quick talk and warm-up, they broke the girls into smaller groups to work on a few skills. Maddux stuck with her friend, Anni, the rest of the morning. The two of them got to hit off of the tee, throw and catch grounders, and do a little bit of 'soft toss' catch. She had a blast and can't wait to go back for practice on Wednesday.

Ball Girl

For 2 1/2 years, Maddux has gone to countless baseball games and practices for her brother. She's taken part in hundreds of driveway games and drills, even when she was only an infant. And now, at age four, Mad Dog will be on a team of her own.

Lehr and I opted to not sign her up for the same league as Eli this season. She could be on the same team as her brother, making our lives MUCH easier. However, Maddux has yet to show a true passion for any sport, let alone baseball/softball, and given the more 'intense' schedule of his league, we worried it might make the game seem like more of a chore. Instead, we signed her up for the all-girl softball league that meets at the park across the street from our neighborhood. It is much more low-key AND she has a friend playing (we've requested to be on the same team).

This last week found me outside with both kids, going over a few 'drills' to get us ready for the season. For the first time ever, Maddux really got into it, squatting down to get the ball and focusing on her throws. And it held her attention for a long time! I am looking so forward to this season for her! And as much as she loves hitting, She does throw the bat after contact. The 'skill' of not throwing just moved to the top of our practice priorities.