my baseball love
Bill's sport was baseball. He began playing as soon as he was old enough to join little league and didn't miss a single season except for the year his dad was seriously injured.I think that was his sophomore year of college. He took time off to handle more responsibilities at the family business. But the season following his dad's recovery, Bill was back on the field at the University of Akron. He was not just a member of the team, he was good. He played. We didn't begin dating until after he graduated so I never got to see a game.
Softball. It wasn't baseball, but the church was part of a softball league and it provided an opportunity for Bill to play ball again. I tolerated the heat because I loved my husband, but did not have much interest in the game. Softball can be soooo slow and boring. It was a beautiful thing to watch my athletic husband in action. But the ball did not always come to him and he was not always the player at bat. Bill saw my struggle and taught me how to keep the book. The game became interesting. I still see players as numbers and often mentally take stats when I watch a game.
We moved to Grayson in 1988. KCC had a baseball team at that time and Bill was "over the moon" happy when he was asked to help coach. We were excited at the prospect of being able to pour into the lives of young men and build lifelong relationships with them. He would coach and our four kids and I would be the team's biggest fans. Before his first season the gentleman Bill was working with had a heart attack and coaching was no longer an option. Bill had to focus on learning and taking over a job he had not been fully trained for. The program was shut down before he got a chance to go back. It was a sad day when maintenance took down the chain link fence that had protected the field.
Our family grew. The boys got older. T Ball. Minor league. Major league. Bill was able once again to be more than a spectator. He had so much fun coaching. One of the craziest times of our life was the summer Jonathan played Majors, Andrew was in Minors, Deborah was on a softball team and Ruth played T Ball. I coached Ruth's team and Bill coached one of the boys teams, maybe he helped with both, the details are a little fuzzy now. We had 60+ games in 6 weeks. But you know what-I wouldn't change anything about that year. Sometimes I would sit between fields so I could watch two of the kids play at the same time.
I homeschooled the boys through high school so neither of the boys played High School ball. The girls attended High School, but Beth and Sarah were more interested in singing and acting than they were in participating in sports, Deborah chose basketball over softball and Ruth was finished with the heat and dust and standing waiting for a ball to come her way after two seasons of T Ball so it's been a while since I've been to anything other than a MLB game.
In February 2017 KCU announced they were bringing baseball back. I watched the progress of making a field ready to play on last spring from my chair while my kids practiced soccer. I wanted to watch a game last spring. I made plans to go. Several times. I walked in that direction, but always stopped long before I was close enough to see the game. Finishing touches were made leading up to this season while I watched from soccer practice last fall.
A few weeks ago I met one of the pitchers. His girl friend was interested in Outreach teams this summer. (Outreach teams are groups of students who are selected and trained to represent the school, serve and share Jesus at various camps and CIY events. I am part of the group that does the selecting and training.) He waited in the lobby area while she interviewed and we chatted. I wish I could say that interaction lit a fire under me to look at the baseball schedule and put at least one game on my calendar. But it didn't. It took a "chance" meeting last week that ended up being a heart to heart chat to perk my interest in attending the home game he mentioned was scheduled for that afternoon.
It was cold. I dressed warmly, took a blanket and made sure I had kleenex in my pocket. Not for tears mind you, but in case my nose started running and my eyes began leaking. I bravely headed out to the field. Putting one foot in front of the other. Literally telling myself to just keep walking. I made it past the corner of the athletic fieldhouse. Down the long gravel walkway. Along the fenceline to the bleachers. I took a seat and watched my first KCU baseball game. They won. I was excited for them. I went to my second game Tuesday after soccer practice. Today it was mid 70's and sunny. A perfect afternoon to watch my third game. I have all the games scheduled for this week on my calendar.
What has changed this year from last year?
Someone I care about is on this team.
Love changes what we are able and willing to do.
Softball. It wasn't baseball, but the church was part of a softball league and it provided an opportunity for Bill to play ball again. I tolerated the heat because I loved my husband, but did not have much interest in the game. Softball can be soooo slow and boring. It was a beautiful thing to watch my athletic husband in action. But the ball did not always come to him and he was not always the player at bat. Bill saw my struggle and taught me how to keep the book. The game became interesting. I still see players as numbers and often mentally take stats when I watch a game.
We moved to Grayson in 1988. KCC had a baseball team at that time and Bill was "over the moon" happy when he was asked to help coach. We were excited at the prospect of being able to pour into the lives of young men and build lifelong relationships with them. He would coach and our four kids and I would be the team's biggest fans. Before his first season the gentleman Bill was working with had a heart attack and coaching was no longer an option. Bill had to focus on learning and taking over a job he had not been fully trained for. The program was shut down before he got a chance to go back. It was a sad day when maintenance took down the chain link fence that had protected the field.
Our family grew. The boys got older. T Ball. Minor league. Major league. Bill was able once again to be more than a spectator. He had so much fun coaching. One of the craziest times of our life was the summer Jonathan played Majors, Andrew was in Minors, Deborah was on a softball team and Ruth played T Ball. I coached Ruth's team and Bill coached one of the boys teams, maybe he helped with both, the details are a little fuzzy now. We had 60+ games in 6 weeks. But you know what-I wouldn't change anything about that year. Sometimes I would sit between fields so I could watch two of the kids play at the same time.
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| Tim Nischan and Bill co-coached one year. |
In February 2017 KCU announced they were bringing baseball back. I watched the progress of making a field ready to play on last spring from my chair while my kids practiced soccer. I wanted to watch a game last spring. I made plans to go. Several times. I walked in that direction, but always stopped long before I was close enough to see the game. Finishing touches were made leading up to this season while I watched from soccer practice last fall.
A few weeks ago I met one of the pitchers. His girl friend was interested in Outreach teams this summer. (Outreach teams are groups of students who are selected and trained to represent the school, serve and share Jesus at various camps and CIY events. I am part of the group that does the selecting and training.) He waited in the lobby area while she interviewed and we chatted. I wish I could say that interaction lit a fire under me to look at the baseball schedule and put at least one game on my calendar. But it didn't. It took a "chance" meeting last week that ended up being a heart to heart chat to perk my interest in attending the home game he mentioned was scheduled for that afternoon.
It was cold. I dressed warmly, took a blanket and made sure I had kleenex in my pocket. Not for tears mind you, but in case my nose started running and my eyes began leaking. I bravely headed out to the field. Putting one foot in front of the other. Literally telling myself to just keep walking. I made it past the corner of the athletic fieldhouse. Down the long gravel walkway. Along the fenceline to the bleachers. I took a seat and watched my first KCU baseball game. They won. I was excited for them. I went to my second game Tuesday after soccer practice. Today it was mid 70's and sunny. A perfect afternoon to watch my third game. I have all the games scheduled for this week on my calendar.
What has changed this year from last year?
Someone I care about is on this team.
Love changes what we are able and willing to do.
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