Softball moms currently donate many things for their children, as listed.
While traveling across West Virginia with my mother to watch my favorite Tarheel compete in her senior weekend in Chapel Hill, I had the following thought while I was writing this:I mean, wouldn’t it be exciting to grill you about the glory days of travel ball and whether or not it was worth every penny?
Here are some fun questions we answered while driving, reliving the good times, and some advice from mom on what she’s learned from raising three D1 athletes:
Travel ball life is chaotic, exciting, and hectic.
Which of all the memories is your favorite? Our travels together…Our favorite state was Colorado; we went whitewater rafting, hiked, and slept in a house in the mountains with the team. It was also really exciting to watch all the coaches and scouts at games. Parents prepared meals for each person.The team cleaned up after dinner. THE BEST.
“We took those vacations.”
Regarding travel ball days, what do you miss most? – Seeing you guys battle against outstanding teams and figure out how to win…Although very tiring, those were great days.
What was the mileage on our minivan? 220,000 👀…we traveled everywhere in that minivan!
How did you ensure that we had food and water at the ballpark throughout the day? – To keep the girls cool, we had a parent’s Gatorade and water cooler filled to the brim with water, gatorade, and clothes. –Over the weekend, one family would take care of it, while other families would make sure it was always stocked. Sandwiches, fruit (strawberries, oranges, and grapes), Gatorade, and sunscreen (I swear we used sunscreen constantly!) were all packed.Likely overindulged in Subway food (not an advertisement). tents that are set up so that no one has to spend the entire day in the sun. The life.
“We’d be exhausted and have to drive home the entire way afterwards.”
(I was so exhausted that I can’t recall that portion.)
Do you long for the tan lines you once had? – No. But I miss putting our shoes off, placing our feet up on the backstop, and setting up our folding seats behind home plate.
“It was hard with two of you in travel ball (I’m 5 years older than my middle sister) because dad would take one of you and I would take the other.”
If you could go back, is there anything you would have changed? Not at all.
After we went through it, do you think the other two found the travel ball easier? Absolutely, in hell.
One moment that will always stick with you is witnessing your home run versus Alabama. Dad sprang for the ball, throwing his hands up in the air. And my performance versus UCLA (lololol). –There was a family from California that went 3–4 with a home run. Witnessing my middle sister’s performance in Palm Springs and Costa Rica. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
What guidance would you offer mothers on the heart travel ball? Allow them to engage in play. Don’t micromanage them; instead, let them make their own mistakes. College coaches are watching you at these events just as much as they are, and they don’t want crazy parents.
Do you regret anything? Not at all. Without us, you couldn’t have accomplished what you did.
Talks such as these serve as a reminder that, although the journey was never simple, it was always worthwhile.
I hope you found the Q&A with my mom entertaining and that it helped you feel better about the chaotic life we led while traveling. It seems that we should put everything out there in a podcast episode that we record soon! I wish all mothers the best of luck in raising their children and assisting them in realizing their aspirations.
