2013 Syracuse Stealers Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

You'll love Shutterflys award-winning photo books. Try it today.

2013 Syracuse Stealers

It was quite the day.

Not necessarily a long day, but a different day that was in the works for months.

It was hot, windy, and humid.  Like, really windy.  Everyone needed that constant fan throughout the day to help make it manageable.

The emotions were high and the emotions were low.  All day.

And then, it was all over. 

As I wiped off all the dirt and sweat thinking that my sunglasses tan, farmers tan, and sock tan might just get wiped away because I was covered in dirt, I thought of every aspect of the season and our team.  We really were a team.  We worked together like a well oiled machine.  We learned to play together.  We cheered together.  We managed to become a great team because nobody could tell us differently.  And after today, only to never be able to have all of these girls together on the same team again.

Everyone works so hard all season long.  These girls learn so much from you and you from them, good and bad.  Practices start months before the first game and you keep teaching and they keep learning.  Then you play and see where you really are.  Sometimes you come out on top and sometimes not.  Throughout the process you try to teach them sportsmanship while that inner self really wanted another mark in the win column.

Game day proves to be different for each player.  Before each game I fix my daughters hair in a French braid and a bow.  Her uniform of the shirt, shorts, sliding shorts, black socks, slider, and shoes are neatly stacked and ready to go.  Simply put.  Then there is the player that never once put her hair up to play ball all season long (not because we didn’t try), but she was dressed and ready to play every game day by noon.  They all had a different routine that worked for them, to get the job done when they came together as a team. 

As the season progresses, you work on so many different aspects of the game.  You work on what you lacked in that last game and build on what you have.  You wonder if your players will ever pick up what you are putting down.  How many times have you told them the same thing?  Fingers up.  Throw it to their numbers.  Down and ready.  Glove on the ground.  Hands at the ball.  Power thru.  Round it and look.  If there is a pop fly, tag up.  Steal.  Go!

And then there are the questions they ask you… numerous times.  Am I up coach?  Should I put my helmet on now?  Which helmet should I use?  Which position am I playing?  Where’s that?  Can I pitch?  Is the game over?  Did we win?

The actual game wasn’t the only thing on the players’ minds.  They had cheers to do.  At one point in my coaching career, I wasn’t very fond of the cheers and didn’t allow them much.  The following year, I let them cheer as much as they wanted.  My own daughter had a “cheer book” that she took to most games early on for those players that didn’t know them yet.  She browsed the Internet to find as many as she could.  My cheering teams were much more into the game than my non cheering teams.  They knew immediately when a ball was pitched, who was up, who was on base, if a batter got hit; everything had a cheer for it.  Catchy cheers that I often get stuck in my head for hours.

Then tourney time.  Everyone is a black horse in the tournament.  You never know when these young players will finally peak.  After a rough season and then two wins into the tournament, I felt my team was peaking at the right time and I told them so.  Then I asked them if they knew what “peaking” was.  Not a clue.  As a coach, you sometimes get the feeling like they are looking at you with no idea of what you are talking about.  Explanations are needed more often than not and as a coach, it’s your job to do the explaining.

I explained to my team how a double elimination tournament worked and they still asked how many more games we had to play while we were playing in the championship game.  And sometimes, they are just worried about the medals. If they lose this game, they’ll still get a medal, right?

Then it was my daughters turn to wipe off all the dirt and sweat.  She took her medal off.  She started unwinding her braid.  The only thing on her mind now was wishing that her hair was always wavy like that.

How simple the day was to her.

The joys of being a parent and coach.

Thanks for sharing your daughter with me this summer!

1660 Midland, Syracuse, NEW LISTING!

1660 Midland, Syracuse

$189,000.  Take a look at this one! Not only is the home completely brick, but the 720 sq ft shed is too!! Shed is set up with a tall garage door for camper (includes dump station), wood working benches, and heated. Home is 1416 sq ft with 3 bedrooms (2 up, 1 down) and 3 baths (2 up, 1 down). Master bedroom has a master bath with shower. Dining area off the kitchen with built in china hutch. Many built in shelves and cabinets upstairs and down for those interested in showcasing their collections! Large laundry room on the main floor. Basement is partially finished with kitchenette area and bar. Walk out basement to the east. Large corner lot. 

Date Built: 1982
Style: Ranch
# of Levels: 2
Total Sq. Ft.: 1416
Lot Size: 13710 sq ft
Zoning: Residential
School District: Syracuse
Heat Type: Gas
A/C Type: Central

# of Baths: 3
# of Bedrooms: 3

Master BR: 12.04x14

BR #2: 13.09x10

BR #3: 12x13.02

Kitchen: 8.10x13

Dishwasher

Disposal

Laundry: Main
Living Rm: 24.06x13.06
Dining Rm: 11.02x13
Basement

% of house: 100+

Additional Rooms: Storm cellar under front stoop. Reinforced with rebar.
Ceiling Fans
Water Softener
W/D Hookup
Attic Fan
Exhaust Fan

Construction: Brick
Foundation: Concrete Block
Roof Type: Asphalt Shingle

Garage

# Stalls: 2

Type: Attached

Walkout
Deck: Back
Established Trees
Garden Area
Additional Buildings: 720 sq ft garage with 2 garage doors - 1 taller for camper. Set up with work benches and wood working. Dump station at garage.