It's 9AM
Fall ball begins again this weekend.
For some teams, it picked up three weeks ago, but for us, thanks to other obligations and some changes in the coaching staff, it starts Sunday.
Which gave us a few weeks off.
Which is weird, because it threw off our normal routine.
We still had practice and our old team has a new name, and some new players and a new second coach.
But we are removed from Dad ball and Buddy Ball and now firmly settled into what we hope is prep.
Prep for moving up to a showcase team in two years.
Our next seven weekends are full of busy.
Travel to ballgames, packed coolers and hints of cooler weather.
Though last year, it stayed into the low 90’s through October, before winter decided to show up and show out.
Still 90 is not 110, so we will bright side it.
There is some excitement for two big tournaments.
We’re in Kansas City in two weeks, playing for a team that’s our own age, which means we get to see if playing up for so many years worked.
We think it has, and have seen some signs of it in tournaments here.
BUT
Competition outside of AR is a level better.
Sometimes more than one.
That’s the problem with Dad and Buddy Ball organizations.
Everyone thinks they’re pretty good in their own little pocket of the world, but as soon as they cross the border, they learn even Rec ball teams could crush their dreams.
I try to teach it as a life lesson, but it is often lost.
I know this because I see it in every level of who we are and what we do in this tiny little state.
Dads and Buddy’s extend to jobs and networks and opportunities, and if you ain’t in, you’re out.
I didn’t get involved in other states, so I don’t know if it’s like that in every pocket of cities.
In FL, I joined a group of runners who were pretty open about anyone being welcome.
They were.
And I was.
And in CA, I was trying to get in the door to an exclusive club of people, which did have a good old boy network, but it didn’t work for me.
In hindsight, I did not play that game as well as I could have.
I blame it on pride.
Which is the same thing fueling Dad Ball, and the same thing I hope we uncover and discover and disavow in KC in two weeks and Houston in two months.
How other kids in our age group outside the state are just plain good.
Real good.
Maybe better.
My hope is it stokes the fires of competition and desire and makes us work just a little bit harder.
That’s what happens to me.
I see someone doing what I want to do, and wonder how they’re doing it, and it makes me want to try.
Harder. Better.
Trying to do is learning how to do.
And playing up means learning how to compete with the big boys.
So that when we have to play against our age group, we might be just a little bit better.
An edge.
And we all can use as many of those as we can get.
Today, I’m trying something new-ish.
I’ve had people email me and let me know they don’t want It’s 9AM, they just want to know when books are out and free books.
So starting today, if you don’t want to read these musings/posts, you can subscribe to get Genre specific links for books/audiobooks etc.
Today is Thriller Thursday, and it should go out right around the same time. (if you find yourself getting 2 emails today, self select which one you want to be on. Or stay on both)
There should be a SCI FI Friday, a Magic Monday, and Saturday Special.
These will only be a tiny text, links and just bare bones.
An experiment based on feedback.
If you like 9AM, you can stick around, because it’s going to keep coming daily.
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A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO PLUTO
Grab
UnAss - a military sci fi action adventure
Rules for Fighting Demons - the Marshal of Magic
Guns and Magic - the Marshal of Magic
PLUS
Catch up on Battlefield Z today
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