Summer of Sports (What else would you expect)

Cubeta Stadium prior to Legion playoff game versus Stamford

So, the summer is basically over. I could have written this weeks ago, or I could wait to write this. It all depends on how you define the summer. Many people have unofficial ends of summer before the official end. 

With students back in Fairfield schools tomorrow, it sort of feels like this is the end of the summer. I was working all summer for the first time since working in the schools. Even if I hadn't been, I still would have been back to work a week and a half ago as a 10 1/2 month employee. I'm excited for the students to be back. It's too quiet around the building(s)without them all summer. 

It was a summer of work and watching baseball. A lot of baseball. 

I already wrote about the communications work I did for Fairfield American Legion baseball.

Legion bucket hat for the win. 

Towards the end of that, I wrote a feature for the Fairfield Citizen/Hearst on members of Legion and former Warde players, Phil and Edmund Hogan. 

In between Legion, I joined Rob Adams for some little league baseball at Unity Park in Trumbull. We (well, mostly Rob and I just tag along) were asked to do Fairfield National little league baseball. We called a couple of their district games before they were eliminated, including some against Fairfield American. 

How Rob tries to keep the equipment (and himself) out of the rain 

Rob also did a Babe Ruth Championship game at Unity then Rob and I watched some of Fairfield American and Trumbull little league. It was a little weird watching the game as a spectator from the outfield. I am always used to doing something during a game. I'm not going to lie, I am not good at just watching a game. 

Everyone knows my passion for Fairfield sports so it was tough when Rob and I were standing amongst the Trumbull fans. After a couple innings, I had to go over to the Fairfield side, where I also got to chat with a number of people I know. 

A week or so later, I joined Rob for the Babe Ruth baseball New England Regional tournament at Trumbull High School. Always a blast doing those tournaments even if I had to bounce in and out do to work and some other commitments, including Legion. 

Unofficially "Rob's Corner" of the Trumbull HS press box

One of the great things about these tournaments is the relationships we make with families, those working the tournament (who are often families of players) and even sometimes, getting to know the athletes a bit. I know Rob had a few interactions with a couple of them, 

There was a little more baseball I watched also. I went over to Kiwanis a couple times to watch the Fairfield Nationals 13U travel team play. In one of the times I saw them, they played the CT Rage (formerly Fairfield Rage) which has many Fairfield kids on it. I went in large part because Ludlowe baseball head coach Ken Geriak mentioned it, as he's a coach and his son Tyler is on the team. 

One of the coaches of the Nationals is Carl Pavano. Yes, Carl Pavano the former Yankees pitcher, among other teams. 

It was also another year of coaching Ludlowe's JV summer league basketball team. It's an hour a week summer league game, but the competitor in me takes it way too seriously. I have a blast doing it but I also realize the players don't get the most teaching out of it they might with others. I'm not going to be giving them plays offensively to run. I want them to play hard, play defense, move the ball offensively and work to get the best possessions possible. My biggest thing is subs, timeouts, and trying to be a positive influence. I did not expect to write this whole long paragraph about this either. 

Sure, other things went on this summer, but are they worth getting into. Probably not, for a number of reasons. It was a fun, exciting summer for some, and a tougher summer for others. Or for many others, it was an average summer. So many factors and also point of view. 

Good luck to all the 2022 high school grads who are off to college or other post-high school plans. 

Excited for another year of high school sports. Lots of fall sports, then winter and spring and I am excited for all of it. However, personally, I am always extra excited for Ludlowe basketball and Ludlowe baseball. 

Let the school year begin.