In the name of all that is good, how did we get to December so fast? It’s definitely noticeable that the higher your age number goes, the more quickly time sneaks past you.

As I look at the calendar of all the things going on during the holidays—a quick weekend travel to see grandsons, holiday training camps, the holidays themselves, another New Year’s Day—we are four weeks away from being in 2023. It’s just odd and brutal that time passes us so quickly, and we don’t have the time to just sit, admire, reflect, and breathe a sigh of relief for our blessings.

The alternative is just always being in chaos, looking back and regretting that I was so busy I couldn’t enjoy life’s beauty!

Before I start to slip into a Hallmark Channel mindset—and for all the moms who have that channel on 24/7, which includes my own wife—I think you might know what I mean. I must remind you of all the good that is coming your way; and more specifically, how baseball will bring you all the emotions of life: pleasure, pain, elation, and sadness.  

Baseball is a sport that breaks your heart. It reminds me of my first girlfriend, who I flew home from college to visit. On the plane ride there, I was excited—on the plane ride back, I no longer had a girlfriend. Baseball treats you to the happiness your son may encounter while succeeding in a game. But four innings later, your joy has turned to sorrow as your son’s infield commits three errors and the next batter hits a bases-clearing triple. Such is life . . .

My main point is that sometimes you have to really catch yourself and appreciate all the hard work your son puts in, knowing that baseball is a natural game of failure. There will be moments when the game can be so cruel, but it’s part of life.

It’s like the holiday season, at least for me, in that we so look forward to the season we forget to appreciate what the season can mean for us.

My younger son’s senior season was not exactly what we hoped it to be. His coach gave him a raw deal, but it drove him to prove his high school coach wrong, and he’s a better person for it. His adversity helped him become a great husband and an even better father. After dealing with those defeats, he came out on the other side with a great attitude.

My older son had it easy in high school as far as academics go. Ryan was just one of those students who barely studied and got A’s. However, when he went to college to study structural engineering, he was challenged big time because his study skills were so poor. But he got better each year as he worked on that aspect of his life. Now he’s a structural engineer, married to a wonderful woman, and they have two beautiful boys. This is not to brag about my sons, but I’ve come to realize that “failure” is almost always a springboard to greater things in life. 

With regard to baseball, the students that work hard, grind in here at Throwzone, practice, and are good teammates are those that thrive. And it’s just the opposite for those who don’t work as hard as they can, which includes coming here and just going through the motions. My job is to push them, but their current results always have them sulking and blaming everyone else. As I tell all my own children, suck it up and be better. Now that’s definitely the dad in me talking, but they understand my point, even if they think I’m from Mars. (Hopefully, someone gets that reference, so I don’t sound dated.)

Players might think it’s nagging, but it’s pushing their buttons to move them toward becoming better, just like you do at home with your own children. Our kids are the love and joy in our lives, and we want what’s best for them. But guidance is what they need, and we’re there to show them the way.

That’s what life is about, and though they grow old and move out, you’re really setting them up for being good human beings in life. These are the moments we need to appreciate because it does wonders for ourselves and for mankind.

Before I wrap up this little “present,” I want to remind you about the Holiday Training Camp for our players aged 13 and older and our Youth Holiday Training Camp for our players aged 9–12. Training begins Monday, December 19, and lasts until the end of the month.  Go to throwzone.com for more information on signing up.  

Our holiday training camps offer an amazing transition into the new year, where high school, travel, and rec leagues begin games that first full weekend of January. It will help condition your son’s body and arm, plus allow him to maintain the strength he amassed during the summer and fall seasons.

Have a blessed and merry Christmas and a very happy holiday season to everyone. You can always feel free to reach out to me with any and all questions regarding whatever need you might have. My door and phone are always open!

Until next time—and next year . . .

Jim