$1,000 Hot Dog Night

Last year, the Nashua Silver Knights invited me up to historic Holman Stadium in Nashua, NH to be the guest of honor on $1,000 Hot Dog Night as part of the National Hot Dog Month Tour.

This year, they are holding $1,000 Hot Dog Night on Tuesday, June 26. It may be a bit early for the National Hot Dog Month 2012 Tour, but the Hotdogman will be on hand nonetheless! Assuming the weather holds, The Silver Knights will take on The Wachusett Dirt Dogs at 7:05 PM.

Like last year, I will be tossing out the first pitch and eating the ceremonial first hot dog of $1,000 Hot Dog night.

The way the promotion works is, when you buy a hot dog, there could be money stuffed in the wrapper in the form of one, five, ten, twenty, or even a hundred dollar bill! If you're lucky, you'll win enough to pay for your dogs or even the whole evening.

Whether you win or not, taking the family to Holman Stadium is an inexpensive way to view some quality amateur baseball. The Silver Knights are part of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League- a summer, wood bat league featuring elite college baseball players. Like its more famous cousin, The Cape Cod Baseball League, the FCBL provides fans with good baseball at a cheap price in a family friendly, minor league atmosphere.

If you don't have anything to do that night, head on over to Nashua and catch the game. First pitch is at 7:05 PM. See you there!

Opening Day: Casey at the Bat

Today is Red Sox opening day. It is a day that heralds the beginning of Spring and the renewal of Hope for millions of baseball fans. The game of baseball will be a part of the daily fabric of our lives for the next seven months. There will be moments of great joy and bitter disappointment throughout those months and no single piece of literature captures the roller coaster ride that is a baseball game better than the poem Casey at the Bat by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. It is a song of hope and despair and it is one of my favorites.

Here it is:

Casey at the Bat

The Outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -
We'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despis-ed, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from 5,000 throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped-
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And its likely they'd a-killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

A Hot Dog a Day Number 23: Wareham Gatemen Game at Spillane Field in Wareham, MA

For July 23rd's hot dog, I waited until dinner time. The 23rd day of my mission to eat a hot dog a day in honor of National Hot Dog Month was a hot one- best spent at the beach. That's just what I did too. The evening brought other diversions, like a Cape Cod Baseball League game at Spillane Field in Wareham, Massachusetts. Wareham is the home of the Gatemen; they were playing the Harwich Mariners. I was looking for a hot dog.

This dog looked pretty hot- it was around 90 degrees at game time!

I  had a few words with Terry Thompson, pitching coach of the Gatemen.

We had a brief chat while the Gatemen players groomed the field. No prima donnas in this league!

The concession stand menu has everything you'd expect at a baseball game: candy, chips, nachos, meatball subs and HOT DOGS!

The gals in the concession stand were having fun- I think they thought this was a Hollywood movie.

They serve Kayems at Spillane Field- you can get a "regular" or "jumbo." I got the jumbo: a quarter pounder! They serve it to you plain and you dress it up yourself.

I dressed mine all around and...

CHOWED DOWN!

HAPPY NATIONAL HOT DOG MONTH!

View the video of my visit to Spillane Field on Hot Dog Stories.

Nashua Silver Knights $1,000 Hot Dog Night

Tonight, Tuesday July 12th, I'll be having my hot dog a day at a special place. I have been invited to The Nashua Silver Nights baseball game to throw out the first pitch and eat the ceremonial first hot dog of $1,000 hot dog night! The Silver Knights, a Futures Collegiate Baseball League Team, are putting money in their hot dog wrappers. Hungry fans will get the opportunity to win 5$, $10, $20 or even $50 when they purchase a hot dog for a dollar.

Wally, the Green Monster is going to be there- so bring the kids!

Since the game doesn't start until 7PM, I won't have pictures up until midnight or later.

If you want to know more about the Silver Knights, visit their webpage. For more info about $1K Hot Dog Night, click HERE.

SEE YOU AT THE GAME!

Tee Ball Time!

My local Little league had their first sign ups for the 2011 season last week. Normally, this would have me very excited for a new season and the promise of Spring. I have coached 15 seasons including our Spring, Summer and Fall leagues.

I have had the pleasure of watching my son (who plays for his high school) grow up in the game. Our teams have always been competitive and we've gone deep into championship rounds; we even won the whole thing a few years ago. It has been a fun ride, and now I get to start it all over again.

Tonight I am going to pick up my equipment bag for my 6 year old's Tee Ball team. It has been 10 years since I have coached Tee Ball and my first team will be juniors and seniors in high school next year. I have literally watched a generation of players grow up over ten baseball seasons.

Some folks say Tee Ball is ridiculous. They call it "organized mayhem" or "herding cats." The kids may be a bit squirrely, but they are fun at that age. This is the age the kids are first introduced to the game and if it's fun for them, they won't quit baseball to play soccer or lacrosse (you know what they call kids who play lacrosse-kids who suck at baseball).

I'll have kids who know how to hit and throw and others who won't know which end of the bat to hold-so there will be a lot of teaching. When I see a kid I coached at a young age excelling at the game in his or her high school years, I like to think I had a little something to do with it.

Maybe the next local super star is on my roster, maybe not. I just hope they'll say "Hi coach," when they see me around town.

Let the games begin!

What Makes You Happy

It's funny how some things just make you feel happy. Like a sunny day. Or a good cup of coffee. Or even just a smile.

Today I am happy, but not for myself. I am happy for my son. You see, this past weekend, there were Babe Ruth baseball tryouts for our town. In the past, I have always coached my son's team. Since I have a six year old, I decided to coach Tee Ball this year. It's my son's last season in Babe Ruth, so it was a bittersweet decision to not coach him, but he plays for his high school and he'll miss half of his town league games, so I opted to coach Little Miss's more regularly attended Tee Ball squad.

When I picked Junior up from tryouts Saturday, he was just finishing and he looked a bit worse for wear after trying out in 35 degree weather. He said he threw very well but he was down because he felt he didn't hit as well as he could have.

There are two divisions in our town league, A and B. The A division is comprised of mostly high school rostered players, but since my son goes to private school, he has gone unnoticed in the past by the A division coaches. Since it's his last year in the town league, he really wanted to make an A team.

Sunday night, around 6 o'clock, I got the call from an A division coach letting us know Junior had been selected to his team. We were both very happy! My son was happy because he made it on his own merits (dad didn't pick him). I was happy because he made it and was picked by possibly the best coach in the program (since I graduated to Tee Ball anyway).

It's the next day and I still can't wipe the smile off my face. Here I am, a father of five healthy, intelligent, GOOD kids (the oldest is off to college next year- PRE MED) and the thing that gets me smiling is the fact that my son made A division Babe Ruth.

It's funny what makes you happy.

Law Dogs

From the ABA Journal:

A Kansas City Royals fan has lost his lawsuit that claims he suffered a detached retina when he was hit by a flying, foil-wrapped hot dog tossed by the team’s lion mascot, Sluggerrr.

Jurors deliberated for slightly more than an hour before finding the team not liable for injuries suffered in September 2009 by John Coomer, who had three surgeries to repair his eye. Coomer was a long-time fan who had attended 175 games, according to Chicago Tribune wire services. He said he was “hugely disappointed” by the verdict.

A lawyer for the team had argued Coomer should have taken more responsibility for his own safety.

The Tribune calls the tossed sandwich a “wayward weiner” and a “fateful frank,” while the Kansas City Star calls it a “flung frank.”

HERE'S THE VERDICT:

A Jackson County jury has ruled that the Kansas City Royals aren't liable for injuries to a fan who was hit in the eye with a hot dog flung by the team's large, furry mascot.

The Kansas City Star reports jurors deliberated a little more than an hour Wednesday afternoon before coming back with the verdict.

John Coomer of Overland Park, Kan., sued for more than $25,000 after he says he suffered a detached retina when he was clocked by the foil-wrapped wiener at a September 2009 game.

Coomer was sitting six rows behind the third-base dugout when the mascot, Sluggerrr, tossed the frank behind his back and struck the fan in the left eye.

Coomer says he's disappointed in the decision but respects the outcome nonetheless.

Pitchers and Catchers

Pitchers and catchers reported to Spring training yesterday!

This means a couple of things to me:

1. Spring is right around the corner
2. Hot Dog season is right around the corner!

Spring is obvious-there are only 34 days until the first day of Spring which comes on March 20 at 11:21 PM this year. Seeing baseball again conjures images of warm, sunny days on emerald fields- a far cry  from the snow covered deep freeze we are in now. When the pitchers and catchers report, the proverbial light is at the end of the tunnel.

Hot Dog season always started for me around the first of April-45 days from today. That's when the real games start. Baseball and hot dogs go together like, well, like baseball and hot dogs! Even though most ballpark hot dogs can't measure up to a dog you'd get from your local hot dog truck, the symbiotic relationship of baseball and hot dogs makes the start of baseball season a tubesteak milestone.

It won't be long until all the hot dog carts and trucks (at least the ones that packed it in for the winter) start dotting the landscape and serving up that finest of delicacies- the roadside hot dog.

So get pumped for Spring training. Hot dog season is right around the corner!

Manny will be Manny Elsewhere

When the Red Sox traded Nomar in 2004 at the trading deadline, I expressed shock and dismay. Then the Red Sox went on to win a World Series title.

When I heard about Manny today, I was similarly stunned. I can only pray the Sox will have similar results. His is one tough bat to replace in the lineup. He is, quite simply, the best hitter in baseball. I always liked him, despite the shenanigans. I wonder where he'll end up next year. I just hope it's not the AL East.



Bye bye Manny. The Hotdogman will miss you!

Swift's Commercial

MMMMMM. Ballplayers with hot dog juice...

Tryout Review: Bad Parenting Revealed

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As many visitors know, I coach a youth baseball team. We had our tryouts last weekend. Over 220 10, 11 & 12 year olds tried out for baseball last Saturday and Sunday. The tryouts help coaches to draft "even" teams and group players according to ability. The kids run the bases, field grounders at the shortstop position then throw to first, and they hit balls pitched from a pitching machine. As a coach I look for kids who can throw well and who "hustle." Every player on my team has hustle. It's not an easily identifiable trait, but I know it when I see it.

I remember baseball tryouts when I was a kid and I always wanted to show the coach that even though I may not be the most talented kid, I was a hustler. I would expect any kid trying out to give his or her best effort.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen in one case last weekend. There was one kid, a kid who is an excellent ballplayer, who purposely "dogged it" at tryouts so he would drop in the draft in order to be picked by a specific coach. This kid was easily the most talented athlete at the fields either day last weekend: he had played exceptionally well during summer ball last year and his summer ball coach made it no secret that he'd love to draft him. Unfortunately the coach had the fifth pick in the draft, so there was a good chance another team would pick him.

Apparently the kid's parents wanted him to be on that particular team because the kid was CLEARLY advised to "dog it." When running the bases he practically jogged. When fielding grounders he'd normally get to easily he purposefully bobbled the ball. When hitting he stood in as a lefty (he's a righty) and batted with a right hand grip! While in the batter's box he was seen to be grinning and staring out as his dad-as if they were both in on the joke. It was obvious to all the coaches and to the folks who were running the tryouts that this kid was "dogging it."

The coaches who wanted to pick him were mortified-both guys are not the type to engage in such chicanery. Other coaches thought the display was disgusting and voiced their displeasure in a variety of ways. Now I am not one to believe that a 10 year old kid can be so diabolical-he had to have gotten the idea from somewhere. One look at the SEG on his dad's face and it was obvious where he got the idea. What a piss poor example for a father to present to his son! If my kid did something like that, I'd be wicked angry at him, I believe you should ALWAYS give your best effort.

Now I coach in this league, I run the league website and compile all the schedules and I am on the Board of Directors. I spend hundreds of hours (along with many other dedicated people) making our league the best it can be for our children. When someone makes a JOKE out of what we do like this dad and his kid did, it pisses me off. It shows disrespect for the league, the coaches and all the other kids who were out there trying their hardest.

4 teams passed on the kid in the draft and he was eventually picked by the team that wanted him (I wouldn't want that kid on MY team because he showed he doesn't want to play by the rules-not easy to coach). We decided not to punish the kid by disqualifying him-but there are many dissenting opinions. I personally don't think the kid could have come to the decision to "dog it" on his own and knowing the history of the kid's father, (not the first time he's acted like an ass in youth sports) I can make the leap that it was HIS idea. You can't punish a kid for who his parents are.I am not sure how the father will be received once the season starts-I for one have very little respect for what he apparently advised his son to do. I can't imagine the move will be held in high regard by most parents with kids in the league.

On the plus side, it looks like I have a good group of kids and I can't wait to get out there and get them practicing. We got snowed out last night!

Please leave your thoughts on the kid "doggin it."

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Let the Beatings Begin!

No, I'm not talking about the Yankees again. Although the Red Sox are sure to administer their fair share of Yankee beatings this season...

I am talking about Fantasy Baseball. I don't participate in a League, but my brother Laz does. He's the crackerjack Football Handicapper who had a stellar season on Winning Football Picks, one of my other sites.

Participating in a fantasy baseball league is a challenging prospect to say the least. The sheer volume of statistics you need to keep up with can send your head spinning! It's like managing a Major League Team (which we all believe WE could do better than the local manager). You need a fair amount of time and some good analysis tools to be a player in any fantasy baseball league.

There are lots of cool tools out there. One of the best is the new Sports Prophet fantasy baseball software. It's a completely web based system so you can log in from virtually any computer in the world. It has all the tools you need to manage your fantasy baseball team from constantly updated stats, injury reports and box scores to player management features, draft assistance and a player ranking system designed by an Uber computer PhD!



Winning a fantasy baseball league can make you money too. First prize for my brother's league is a five figure number and there's payouts for up to 20th place. I think he's been "in the money" 9 out of the ten years he's participated. He's paid for more than a few goodies with his "earnings" (as he likes to call them).

As with any GOOD tool, there is a cost to be a member of Sports Prophets. It's only $39.95 which, if you win a five figure prize, is chump change. They're having a special discount for readers of the Hot Dog Truck. When you sign up for Sports Prophets fantasy baseball software, enter the coupon code BMC200 and receive $10 off INSTANTLY.

Good Luck and LET THE BEATINGS BEGIN!

Hot Dogs and Beer

Not to beat a dead horse here with the steroid issue, but I thought it was appropriate with baseball season coming. The hot dog reference didn't hurt either!

Memorabilia Magic

I'm sure by now everyone has heard that the guy who bought Barry Bonds' 756th home run ball plans on sending it to the Hall of Fame with an asterisk branded on it. That is one expensive piece of sports memorabilia.

Speaking of memorabilia, I came across a great site called SPORTSMEMORABILIA.COM that carries all sorts of signed baseballs, cards, bats-you name it, they've got it.

They even have gift certificates so the discerning baseball fan can pick and choose whatever they want.

If you have a young or old baseball fan that you want to find a gift for, this is a great site to shop at. They've got tons of stuff from every Major League team, even autographed baseballs. Of course I'm partial to Red Sox autographed baseballs, but whatever team you root for, SPORTSMEMORABILIA.COM is sure to please!

Clicker Etiquette

We have four TVs in our house. One in the kitchen, one in the playroom for the kids, one in our bedroom and one in the living room. The living room TV is the "good" TV. My wife and I are in a constant struggle for control of the almighty CLICKER.

If we're going to settle down to a night of TV, there are certain unwritten rules we follow. I'm not much of a TV fan. I like a good movie. I watch baseball, football and the news. The only shows I watch are Two and a Half Men and Survivor (I PROMISE I'll never blog about Survivor).

My wife is a clicking fool. She will flip around until she finds the most inane reality show she can find. She watches Survivor. She watches anything to do with reality programming and remodelling while commenting "Oh, that looks like a good project." I cringe when these shows are on. She watches Dog the Bounty Hunter, Flavor of Love, Super Nanny, Biggest Loser, The Bachelor, The Apprentice and the list goes on (and on). If its a reality show, she'll find it.

Now during baseball and football season, there is a struggle for CLICKER CONTROL. I, naturally, want to watch the games on the "good" TV. Here is where the unwritten rules come in. For Red Sox- Yankee games there is no discussion. The ball game is on. If its a game against Kansas City, she'll make some noise, but if I can invent some drama ("hey, Manny's going for Home Run number 500"), I can get the CLICKER without much fuss.

She's getting savvy though. She checks to see who's pitching and for the opponent's record and if it's a "dog" game, she'll protest. Depending on my mood, I may relent if it really is a dog game.

Sunday Football takes precedence, she even watches sometimes (although my brother just got a humongous Plasma-I'll be going over there a lot on Sundays this year). For the Sunday Night and Monday Night Football games, I'll relinquish the clicker if the game is one sided or has no "sporting" significance. Needless to say, the Patriots games are always on.

I got her good once. Last year NFL Network began the NFL Replay on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. They replay two games from the previous weekend each night. I was watching a game on a Tuesday night and she asked what the heck football was doing on TV on a Tuesday night. I told her they were experimenting with new nights. Rolling her eyes and letting out an exasperated sigh, she trotted upstairs to watch some reality drivel. It took her three weeks to figure out the Tuesday and Wednesday games were replays and boy was she pissed when she found out! She actually hid the clicker on me!

Most of the time we reach a happy equilibrium with the clicker, but it's a never ending struggle for CLICKER CONTROL.

Red Sox Memorabilia

I love the Red Sox. I have a giant "K" I got signed at Game 5 of the (ulp) 1986 World Series by Luis Tiant and Dick (the Monster) Raddatz. I also have a signed ticket stub from that same game by starting pitcher Bruce Hurst.

My son's two most prized possessions are a hat signed by New England Patriot Troy Brown and a signed baseball by non other than Cal Ripken which he got at Cal's final game at Fenway Park.

My kid now has the Baseball Memorabilia bug! He collects baseball cards and he loves getting signed baseballs from the Cape Cod League players when we go to the Wareham Gatemen games in summertime. He always says: "Hey dad, this guy could be a future All Star!"

So now when I want to get my son a gift, I like to get him some quality memorabilia. He'd rather have that than just about anything (except maybe a deep sea fishing trip).

I came across a great site called MLBFANSITE.COM that carries all sorts of signed baseballs, cards, bats-you name it, they've got it.

They even have gift certificates so the discerning baseball fan can pick and choose whatever they want.

If you have a young or old baseball fan that you want to find a gift for, this is a great site to shop at. They've got tons of stuff from every Major League team. Of course I'm partial to Red Sox memorabilia, but whatever team you root for, MLBFANSITE.COM is sure to please!

Baseball Season Wrap Up

My boys' season came to a close yesterday. Our team was 12-6 in the regular season, earning us the two seed in a four team double elimination playoff tournament.

Our best pitcher was out of the playoffs-he went to summer camp. Our second best pitcher was in Maine for game one of the playoffs with his family. We dropped game one 6-2.

Game two saw the return of our #2 pitcher who went six innings (a complete game in Little League) earning a win in a 7-4 victory.

Game three was the heart breaker. With our # 2 guy done for the week (6 inning per week max by rule) we went to the Hotdogman's kid. He gave up three runs on a three run homer in the top of the first. The boys got 4 runs in the bottom of the first! No runs allowed in the top of two. Four more for our boys in the bottom! No runs allowed in the top of three. Two more in the bottom of the inning.

10-3 Red Sox.

Top of four the kid strikes out the first two batters he faces then loads the bases on two walks and a single. When I go to the mound to visit, his arm is hurting so I have to take him out. I have only a few pitchers left at this point. The kid I bring in walks two runs in then induces a ground ball to the third base side of the mound. Rather than flip it to third for the out, he turns and throws the ball 10 feet over the first baseman's head leaving the batter on third and clearing the bases! He walks one more in then strikes out a kid to end the inning.

10-9 Red Sox.

We get one back in the bottom of the fourth. The pitcher promptly walks the bases loaded, then walks in a run. The next kid walks in two more and I replace him. After giving up a grand slam, this kid bears down (while openly weeping on the mound) and gets three outs without giving up any more runs.

16-11 Bad Guys!

We don't score in the bottom of five, they don't score in the top of six. Still 16-11.

Bottom of six we get a pop-up to the mound, a couple of doubles, a walk, a strike out, a bunt single and another double. When the dust clears, three runs are in, there's a man on second and third with the tying run at second and the winning run (my kid) at the plate.

Here's the pitch and a DEEP DRIVE TO LEFT. The left fielder made a nifty catch. Sox lose 16-14. Tears, downtrodden faces, the works.

Bottom line: we ran out of pitching and threw the game away.

It was a bittersweet ending to my son's Little league career.

We are off to the beach tomorrow!

Blog Your Blessing Sunday XI

Our Little League team made the playoffs. We dropped game one Saturday. Since it is a double elimination tournament, the boys cannot lose another game or they face elimination. The game of baseball is about the journey, not the destination. I am reminded of this:

Romans 5:3-4


And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.

Kids and Sports

I came accross this article while perusing the Sunday "paper" online. I couldn't have said it better myself!

By Meredith O'Brien
GateHouse News Service
Mon May 21, 2007, 09:07 AM EDT

It's hard to be a good sport.

A parental good sport, that is.

Especially when you're in the midst of youth sport insanity. Sure, you may sometimes have the urge to tell your son, "You could grow up to be Tiger Woods some day, rake in millions in endorsements and have your life chronicled on sports pages worldwide." Or to wax enthusiastic to your daughter, "You could be the next Mia Hamm, what with your drive, determination and talent. World Cup look out for you!"

But there's a fine line between being an optimistic parental cheerleader and someone who has lost one's grasp of reality, the person who reasons that because Tiger started playing golf before he could read, that if you push your kid to spend quality time at the links at age 2, he'll be set for life. There's a line between maintaining a reasonable limit on how much of a grade schooler's time should be devoted to organized sports, and pushing a youth athlete and her entire family to the brink with non-stop sports activities before said athlete has even entered puberty.

I'm of the mind that giving my kids breaks from sports serves an important purpose to give them a broader perspective. But I've found that the moderate approach of limiting grade school-aged child's sports activities to one a season, makes me look like an undedicated stick-in-the-mud in the youth sports world. You've given up. You look like a spoilsport because other parents are letting their kids play multiple sports, and play some of them year-round, despite the admonitions of pediatricians and youth sports experts that it's bad for young children to repeatedly play a single, organized sport.

Case in point: My 8-year-old son Jonah loves soccer. But, sadly, he's not likely to be the next David Beckham. And that's fine with me; I don't expect him to be a super-jock. He's simply playing the sport because he likes it and because teamwork and physical activity are good for him.

However, the second grader and I butted heads this past winter when he wanted to sign up for baseball AND soccer in the spring. I said no. After conferring with my husband, we told Jonah that he could play one spring sport. "You're going to take a break from soccer," I told him, noting that he'd played soccer throughout the fall, as well as for several sessions in an indoor league (that was my husband's idea).

However Jonah knew that many of his peers were going to be playing both sports and worried aloud that he'd fall behind his schoolmates skill-wise, and that, come September, Jonah would pay a price for not playing in the spring or in the summer, as I'm planning on putting the kibosh on summer soccer as well.

Did I mention that Jonah's in the second grade? And he's already fretting over his athletic future. Sadly, it's not unreasonable for Jonah to worry that some people might think he's not dedicated to soccer or think less of his skills if he, at his tender age, takes two seasons off. I've heard coaches and parents question the commitment and/or skill set of children who "skip" a season of a sport. I've heard parents whose own children are involved in sports, question why, for example, a 9-year-old would want to take up a new team
sport given that the other kids have been playing it since they were barely out of their Pull-Ups.

I feel as though I've fallen through the rabbit hole. Aren't these "athletes" still children? Shouldn't their parents strive to help them lead well-rounded lives, with time for school, sports, religious worship, recreational reading, pointless games, goofing around with friends and, oh yeah, maybe some unhurried moments for that oft-overlooked thing called family time? (Time spent in vehicles furiously dashing around - parents fueled by quadruple-espresso-shot lattes – while dropping off and picking kids up at various practices and games doesn't count.)

Why is there societal pressure to specialize in a sport at age 8? From where did this notion arise, a notion that would prompt a second grader to fear falling behind his peers if he doesn't play three consecutive seasons of soccer?

I know that the folks who enroll their kids in year-round sports, the ones who commit family time and money to trek to tournaments, sports camps and leagues galore, are well intentioned. They want their children to be happy, to thrive and succeed. And if there are all these opportunities and leagues out there designed to sharpen children's skills in a sport, well then, there must be a reason why they're available, I imagine them thinking.

When I'm in the middle of all of this, it's sometimes hard for me not to recognize that I'm developing tunnel vision and that I need to see the larger picture. It's alarmingly easy to get sucked into the vortex of youth sports.

I have three children, all of whom currently play a sport. Between having three kids playing one sport per season (the exception being my daughter who also takes gymnastics classes which run the length of the school year, in addition to soccer), coaching, volunteering to teach at our church's Sunday school and work, my husband and I find that our free time is very limited.

Even with the one-sport-per-season-per-kid restriction, I'm frequently overwhelmed with trying to manage three sets of practices and games. But, because my husband and I haven't allowed our kids to play a single sport year-round, we're the odd parents out.
So imagine my delight (and smug sense of satisfaction) when I happened upon
Brooke de Lench's book, “Home Team Advantage: The Critical Role of Mothers in
Youth Sports” and read her admonitions that "early specialization reflects an
adult-, not a child-centered youth sports system."

"The enthusiasm and passion a child may show for a particular sport is not enough to justify excessive training or participation on a select team," de Lench, the founder of MomsTeam.com, wrote. "After all, you don't hesitate to limit the amount of time your children spend on other activities they enjoy, e.g. television and video games. Why shouldn't you also place appropriate limits on the amount of time they spend playing ultra competitive, super organized sports? Such excessive parental control promotes a youth sports structure reflective of the values and expectations of adults, not of
children."

So I'll clutch my copy of Home Team Advantage and let my son blame me for thwarting his budding soccer career by saying, "No" to spring soccer. I'll take my lumps. And try to be a good sport about it. And I'll tell him, "There's always next year."

The original article appears HERE.

Why I don't work Weekends

People always ask me at the Hot Dog Truck if I am open on weekends. I am not.

The reason: 5 kids aged 14, 12, 10, 10 & 2.

Today (Saturday) we had a 9AM away soccer game, an 11:45 AM away soccer game, a 2PM baseball game and a 2PM dance recital practice! All this while toting around a 2 year old and my wife is away coaching a swim meet all weekend! AAAAARRRGH!

Thank goodness the games were rained out!

Which leaves tomorrow: 9AM church choir for the 12 and one of the ten year olds, 11AM church choir for the 14 year old, a 2PM dance recital for the 14 year old, a 2PM School picnic for one of the ten year olds and a 4PM baseball game for dad and the 12 year old; and my wife is gone all day coaching a swim meet! AAAAARGH!

Thank goodness "Snapperhead" can watch the 2 year old for a few hours! Everyone will be where they need to be on time.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. In our case it takes a village just to drive everyone around!

Sometimes I can't wait for Monday mornings!