My Braves Boys

I had a sweet friend, who unfortunately lost her battle with cancer a few years ago, who would always talk about her "Red Dirt Boys." Her only son, played on a traveling baseball team called the Red Dirt Boys. At the time, when she would talk about these boys, I was entrigued with how much her life was entrenched in each of those boys' lives. She NEVER missed a game, she loved each kid and she could never say enough about how awesome her "little" Conner was. In fact, at her funeral, those boys were there, in uniform, as honorary pallbearers.

 

I listened, but never quite understood...until NOW.

 

Because let me tell you, I have my "Braves Boys" that I love with all my heart.

It's hard to explain how a love like this happens, but I think that when it does...it truly is something special!

 

Let me give you the whole story, the background to this little Braves team.

 

 I think it is safe to say that my boys LOVE baseball.  Honestly, from the time I can remember Brandon walking, I remember him swinging a bat and then running "the bases" in a counter clockwise circle saying, "run, run, run!" We even have it recorded somewhere.  As toddlers, these boys watched more than their fair share of ball games....traveling wherever our car could take us for Cole's tournaments and ball games.  I will never forget one night at the ball fields frantically looking for Brandon, whom I hadn't seen nor heard a peep from for quite a while, and finding him scrunched right up next to the chain link fence behind home plate, intently watching the ball game taking place.  He did that night after night - the rest of the kids playing tag and running around - Brandon quietly soaking up every moment of the game. I also remember the boys getting their first baseball mitts and Brock sleeping with it. (I don't think that those were the last mitts they have ever slept with, either!) Another time, I recall sitting in my living room and hearing a thudding bouncing down my roof. It continued over and over until I finally went outside to see what was going on.  I found Brock and Brandon, maybe 5 years old, throwing a ball up the vault of my house and taking turns catching it!

 

This love of baseball has continued to grow more and more the older they have grown.

Last year, after the All-Stars were over, Cole realized that they were going to need more than just Little League once a year to satisfy their thirst. He and a friend decided to start a tournament team.

 

I think it's safe to say that we were in WAY over our heads at first.  We had no clue about all the politics that exist in "big-time ball." So far, we have managed to steer clear of it all and just have fun, but wow-wee...it can get tough. We have a great group of very supportive parents who let the boys play and the coaches coach, which makes the biggest difference. The boys voted on the team name and we found our first tournament. We walked into that first tournament like kids in a candy shop, having no idea exactly what we were up against! We lost all 4 games...bad! At first, I will admit, I was afraid were in big trouble! I am not ashamed to admit, I was ready to bail! Haha! But Cole reassured me that these boys were the real deal and just needed to keep practicing together.

 

Sure enough, little by little, this team began to mold.

 

The cool facts about this little team:

1) There are 2 sets of twins! My Brock and Brandon and their friends Ian and Dylan. They are about a month apart and have known each other since they were babies! Haha! Their mom and I played softball for a little while together when they were first born!

 

2) The main 10 boys all live with a 2 mile radius! They are all in the same stake and many in the same wards! That is a lot of talent is a super small area! Most travel teams have boys come from all over to play with them!

 

3) They are all GREAT boys! Many of them are great athletes in other sports as well and are also great students. They are good and kind to each other - which I think is what makes them play so well together.

Aren't these all going to look awesome blown up on canvas in their room?! I can't wait!

 

Okay, so fast forward a few months to April.

 

 

These boys come into a tournament, facing 3 super tough teams and beat them all!

It was awesome to watch a team work together and put in the effort to be great! They have come such a long way and it is being noticed!  Each of these awesome boys has incredible talent and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for each of them and for this little Braves team! Cole and Jona had numerous people approach them asking about having their sons join our team and about having our team travel to different tournaments. It was crazy!

 

I can totally see how my sweet friend always talked about her "Red Dirt Boys."

Spending 1-2 nights per week watching them practice together, carpooling back and forth, and then spending entire weekends with their families cheering them on, sure creates a "family."

 

I have grown to know each of these boys so well.  I know their favorite songs, their crushes, their frustrations about school, their habits at bat, their strengths in the field, their insecurites and their nicknames! I love them like my own!

 

A friend and I were laughing about how we each mother the boys on our team like they are our own! I love it! I think the more people, especially mamas, that can love my boys and help me steer them in the right direction, the better!

 

I know we are just beginning, but I really like the way it's starting...I think this just might be a

 journey worth seeing to the end;)

A few of the boys that I could catch before their championship game!

"Brock-a-licious!"

B or Bino - short for the Great Branbino! (Babe's Ruth's nickname - The Great Bambino)

Xavier - the kid with an arm that can throw a guy out at home from right field without even looking like it took any effort!

 Ian and Dylan - Ian on top and Dylan on the bottom. Believe it or not, they are not identical!
They are cute like my boys and I love watching them together. There is just something special about twinners!

Easton - our little homerunner from "Hitting Heaven!"
One day at practice he was KILLING the ball and I said, "Whoa, where did this guy come from?!" He stops mid pitching sequence turns to me and says so nonchalantly, "Hitting Heaven!" Haha! I about died it was so funny!

 The post- championship game celebration! (I love all the dad's taking pictures on their phones in the top picture!) They didn't win, but they played their little hearts out. Throughout the tournament, they had saved own of our best pitchers, Jayz, so he could pitch against the team we were going to face in the championships.  As luck would have it, Jayz started throwing up just before the game! He did his best to sleep it off and even tried warming up to pitch in the championship game, but ended up puking on the mound! Poor kid! Brandon finished pitching his last 2 eligible innings and then Chase finished it up! Dylan made 3 catches in centerfield that were AMAZING! Scott was a wall playing catcher behind the plate and each of them were swinging the bat like pros! It was a great game!

 

(Funny - or not so funny side note - that stomach bug Jayz had traveled through the team like a wild fire! Within the next week, 6 of the boys had all gotten it! Including Brandon, who started throwing up on his birthday the next Monday!)

After they won, we carpooled a team of very excited boys to a very sick Jayz house to take him his trophy! It made me a little teary following this group of boys walking in to Jayz house chanting, "Jay-z!Jay-z!Jay-z!" Such a great group of boys that will be friends forever!

Brock and Brandon - they couldn't have been prouder of those trophies!

I know I've said more than enough about all of this, but trust me when I say this is not the last you'll hear of this little Braves team! Hopefully for years to come you'll hear me talking about my "Braves Boys!" I sure do love them!