9th Inning Of Senior Year

Over many years I have praised, complimented and saluted hundreds if not thousands of student-athletes for their accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and in the community. This morning I pay tribute to the parents,
who are more often than not directly responsible for the success of their children. Sure there are many cases in which children and young adults succeed despite less than ideal circumstances at home but it’s more likely
that they are products of strong and supportive families.

As I watched the Ocean County Baseball Tournament semifinal game between Toms River South and Toms River North last night at FirstEnergy Park I noticed how hard it is for parents with a son playing in a high-pressure game. Actually the pressure doesn’t get to the players nearly as much as Mom and Dad who often pace back-and-forth during the course of a game. This is often magnified if their son is a senior because they know for many that years of playing sports is about to come to an end. All those trips to practice and games from the time they were just about old enough to hold a bat and throw a ball. Standing out there in the rain and cold as well as the heat and humidity. How many visits to the sports store for equipment and uniforms and countless stops at the convenience store for water and Gatorade. Family trips were often long weekends at a tournament of some kind…all the while dealing with failure and success, tears of joy and sorrow
because after all this is your child so it really hits home.

By the way South beat North 3-1 in an exciting and tense 8-inning game and when it was over players shook hands on the field while some parents did the same in the stands. The South contingent will be back at the home of the BlueClaws to face surprising Brick Memorial in the Ocean County Tournament Final on May 24th. It will be another big moment for the players as well as their families.