Sometimes a loss in necessary

I hate to say it, but I think our boys needed to lose a game tonight so they could regain a little of their previous focus going into the playoffs.  Everyone came into the game without any kind of excitement.  In fact, several of them were completely angry about how practice had gone the night before.  There had been a race between two team members last night..and one tried to cut the other off which resulted in a push or an inadvertent trip and the loss of a shoe.  I think the coach thought it would promote healthy competition.  All it REALLY did was piss a bunch of exhausted 10 year-old boys off.

And several of them (my son included) had big chips on their shoulders when they got to the game tonight.  And it was hot.  And the other team was super prepared.  Had our boys not been in a funk for 2/3 of the game, I think we would've done better.  We came alive towards the end of the third inning, making some plays while we were in the field, and then FINALLY got on the scoreboard in the top of the 4th.  Final score: Marlins 8, Giants 2.

It was a hard loss, but we're the two best teams in the league.  We broke their perfect record...the one that's been running for two seasons, handing them their first loss...EVER a few weeks ago.  And they didn't forget it.  They came to play, and we didn't.  We were also down a coach, and several parents were unavailable to help coach, so the main coach of our team didn't really have any help.  He was frustrated, the boys were frustrated, and all of a sudden, they stopped functioning as a team.  It was hard to watch.

For obvious reasons.  And not-so-obvious reasons...like I wore black yoga pants, and I'm pretty sure they were wet with sweat.  Poor choice, Aubrey.  Poor choice.  N had a rough game.  He was trying his best to make plays from behind the plate, but he didn't have a lot of help from his pitcher.  They still haven't realized that it's their job to cover home when N chases a wild pitch and there's a runner headed home. 

He was angry and irritated and frustrated and sad.  And he has every right to be each one of those emotions.  He's had a lot going on in his little world lately, and I'm sure he feels like it's spinning upside down.

But a team where only a few of the players have played together in the past making it through the regular season with one loss?  Well, now...that's pretty impressive.  Post season games for seating are next week.  We'll see how that goes!

Aubs