Little League Champions!!

This past Thursday, my dad's Little League baseball team won their league's championship!! Winning a championship is a big deal in anything, but look at those kids and tell me you're not pumped for their accomplishment!

There's something about baseball games that relaxes this hyperactive, mind racing, talk-a-mile-a-minute girl. Even in the most intense game (championship game: bases loaded, no outs, extra innings!), that baseball diamond puts me at ease. Some people go to the spa, some people get coffee, some people go to the movies, some do yoga: when I'm stressed, I go to the ballpark.

Baseball I love, but it's always Little League I prefer. Kids are my favorite people to be around and when they play my favorite game: I think there might be a Little League in heaven. Before the egos, the money, the steroids, the 3 1/2 hour nine inning games, there is Little League: a more perfect and simplified version of a game that, let's be honest, most adults can't handle.

So.. these kids rock! They practice hard, they play hard, they work hard as a team, they HAVE FUN, they're who we forget we were. My dad is a champ: he's so passionate, compassionate, loving, knowledgeable: you just look at the way the kids listen and respond to him and know he is a man who's loved. It's been such a great experience seeing my dad respected, admired, and someone you want to win for: you should see the way those boys' faces light up when he coaches them.

These families are a part of my community. It's been so fun to create relationships with moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents with the common bond of watching their kids learn, succeed, grow, hit grand slams, and strike out a batter in a crucial inning! I can't think of a better way to get to know someone than to share memories and experiences.. and to sweat over a close game.

I think I'm a storyteller at heart: I connect to people through stories. I love to tell them.. and I love when you tell them! Jesus told parables, didn't He? So if I tell too many stories about this team, it's because I'm proud of these kids, I'm proud of my dad, I love these families, and I cherish these memories. And who doesn't like winning a championship?