The traits I’ve passed on to my daughter…

If you look at my daughter and you look at me, you’ll notice that we look alot alike.  I often refer to her as my mini-me, as do others.

I’ve passed alot of things on to her in addition to physical features… like my personality.

She is me.

Period.

She’s manipulative.  She’s funny.  She’s outgoing.  She’s smart, oh that child is smart.  She’s stubborn.  She’s strong willed.  She’s independent.  If she’s thinking it, chances are I thought it to at some point in my life.

And yes, I apologize to my parents on an ongoing basis.

But tonight, I saw something else that I passed on to her.  (And yes, I’m going to brag on myself for just a little bit.)

I passed on to her some mad softball skillz.  (don’t ask why I put that z there… it just seemed to flow.  work with me here.)

Now, I wasn’t a phenomenal softball player, but I could hit.  I could hit because I HAD to hit.  I had to hit it far so that I could lug my rear around the bases before they could get the ball back to the infield to get me out.  I was a big kid.

If I didn’t get it into the outfield, I was out.  I didn’t even bother running.  Running was not my thing.

Come to think of it, it still isn’t.

Did I mention that I’m coaching mini-mites softball this year?  I am.

I’m the head coach, in name only.  My assistant coach and the other parent that is helping know far more than I do about how and what to teach these girls ranging from age 5 to 8.

But Samara?

Picture this… (and I’m so not making this up…)  At practice tonight, we divided the girls into 2 teams…

Bottom of the 5th and the last inning that we’ll get in before dark.

The other team is up by two.

Bases are loaded.

Samara comes up to bat.

In mini-mites there are no strikes and balls.  You get 5 pitches (pitched by the coach) and if you don’t hit it, you’re out.

So, Samara comes up to bat.

She misses the first 3 pitches.

She fouls the fouth.

I’m catching and I tell her to choke up on the bat, to get it off her shoulder, to lean back a little bit and to keep her eye on the ball the whole way in.

After I got the look of “shut up mom, I know what I’m doing” she choked up on the bad, got it off her shoulder, and leaned back a little bit.

I watched Coach B. pitch the ball.

I watched it come toward her.

I watched her swing.

I watched her brand new, purple, shiny bat strike the ball.

I watched her drop the bat and start running.  (Something she can do well.)

I watched the ball, on the ground, make it to the outfield.

I saw her round first and head to second.

I saw one teammate cross home plate.

I saw the girls running to get the ball in the outfield.

I heard Matthew screaming for them to get the ball home to stop any more runs.

I saw Samara stop on second base.

I saw another teammate cross home plate.

I couldn’t believe it!

TWO RBIs and she tied the game!

I try very hard not to cheer for Samara more than the other girls.  They all are doing so well.  But when that ball took off, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  That girl can hit!

Now I just need to teach her that playing in the dirt is not what she’s supposed to be doing when she’s on the field.

Until next time…