a new Motley Crue

Out with the old and in with the new. And in the case of the 2011 Ancaster Cardinals it will be lots of new. With only two returning players we will be a different team with a different identity. Wednesday night was our second workout of hopefuls for next year.

Sitting there watching the kids play in an intrasquad game, I was reminded of last year when we began this exact same process in very similar weather conditions (re: COLD). We alternated between trying to keep warm and biting our nails wondering how things would evolve for the (then) coming Canadian Championships. Needless to say that version of the Cardinals did their coaches, their parents, and their community proud with a berth in the finals.

Last week, for a brief moment, I was taken back to that week in August when one of the boys hit a homerun in practice. I've said before that nothing tops the experience of a homerun in Little League. Of course there wasn't the people on the surrounding hill applauding or the crowd of teammates waiting for him at home plate, but it was still drew "oohs," "aahs," and smiles all around. That is what separates Little League baseball from all other levels of baseball - the way every achievement is lauded by onlookers.

What 2011 holds remains to be seen, but I'm confident that next summer will be filled with its own collection of unforgettable moments just as this summer was.

living a memory

Throughout history there are moments in time when people ask "where were you when..." and you can recall most everything about that time.There have been but a handful of such moments in my lifetime. Sadly, many of these moments are those of great human tragedy. My participation in the Canadian Little League Championships last week, while not tragic, was one such unforgettable moment.

Well aware of the fact that I may never be back to this tournament again, I did my best to take it all in - the sights, the sounds, and the smells. It is an experience I cannot begin to possibly describe in a few short paragraphs. I was there in every way possible as a coach, as a fan, and as a little kid trapped in a much older body. From the opening day parade to the thousands that turned out to watch the Championship Game, it was something I had never before been a part of. I was awed by the entire experience.

There were moments in every game where I looked out from my perch beside the dugout and the only thing I could think was "how cool is this?!" Take, for instance, a home run. Nothing trumps the jubilation of home run in a little league game. There is no "business as usual" look on the kid's faces as they circle the bases like we have grown accustomed to in professional baseball. The smile is always ear to ear. And often times the mob of teammates that await them at home plate are even happier.

Each day brought with it new memories. There were nervous parents who couldn't watch as their son calmly went about their business, kids asking other kids for autographs, and friendships forged that will last well beyond this one week. There were moments of sportsmanship that left us smiling. I think of one particular boy from the Quebec team, who became a folk hero of sorts as the tournament wore on. He cheered and chatted whether his team was behind or ahead. If they gave out awards for Most Inspirational, Isaac Harris would have been a unanimous decision.

Little League baseball is an event like no other. I truly feel fortunate to have been part of this event - a "where were you when" moment in my life.