1st Travel Softball Saturday

Last Saturday, we had our first experience into the world of travel sports. And what an experience it was! We left our house around 8AM and traveled about an hour away to Siler City, where the Top Gun tournament was held. There were ten teams in the 8U division, and Emmy's first game was at 10AM, immediately followed by a second game around 11AM. Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt Megan, and Maddox came to cheer our girl on, and together we all began learning the rules (and culture!) of travel softball. The girls went 1-1 in pool play, winning their first game vs. the Bandits 8-6 and then losing 14-2 to the DC Stars. We had a break until bracket play, so our crew ventured out into Siler City, where we found a McDonald's with a Play Place! With the temps almost in the 90s, we were grateful for the AC, and we took our time eating lunch and letting the kids play. Our next game was around 4PM, when we matched up with the Smithfield Smashers. Our girls beat the Smashers 16-4 and advanced to the championship in the Silver Bracket, where they faced the Bandits (again!) The Bandits came up on top of the rematch and beat us 7-3, but as runner-ups in the Silver Bracket, the girls walked away with smiles and some bling for their very first tournament. After dropping off Grammy, we pulled back into our driveway around 9:30PM. Whew, now that's a long day! All in all, it was a good experience for Emmy. She played various positions, even behind the plate as catcher for the entire second game. I was so proud of her hustle, sportsmanship, and her ability to bond with her new teammates. There are two more tournaments this fall, one in September and one in October, and we will be more prepared now that we have our first one under our belt. Go #16, go Ignite! 

Front row: Avery G., Adalee, Everly, Avery L., Maggie, Cam, Brystol
Second Row: Paisley, Cali, Emmy, Kayden, Charli
Coaches: Boomer, Kyle, Joe, Kelly

After the short 3-day week that kicked off the school year, we have had a full five days this week. Both kids love their new teachers and are making friends in their classes. They've also adjusted well to the after-school program, which was a change from previous years, when Emmy rode the bus to TBC. When we found out that TBC was no longer offering after-school care to students outside of their Academy, we had to figure out an alternative plan. Emmy wasn't too thrilled when we first told her the news, but luckily the after-school program on-site at the elementary school has been a smooth change so far. Hopefully we will continue our successful streak to the start of the school year. I have to travel to Raleigh tomorrow for the last in-person meeting of my NCDPI CDC course, but aside from that, we are glad for the weekend ahead of staying local.