Another baseball season in the books!

Today's guest blogger is Cody, dad of Barrett, Head Coach of the Diamondbacks!

Nothing says springtime like baseball. For some, opening day is like a holiday where dads across the country take the day off work to take their kiddos to those grand cathedrals to see their heroes play. For me, I'm blessed to coach my son on a team with a great group of young men (and great parents too, which is a biggie!) This spring was memorable in so many ways. First we changed leagues to play at Prestonwood which is a church community. Great decision because they have their priorities right. We get to minister to the boys about our savior, Jesus Christ, and focus on emulating him while learning how to play the great game of baseball. Second, this spring was a monsoon. God decided to end our 5 year drought by having it rain all of March, April, and May. It was insane and wreaked  havoc on our practice and game schedule. Still we managed to get in an 11 game season.

Barrett is learning to play 1st base. Like his dad, he is left handed so I've been really trying to work with him since we all know lefties don't have a lot of places to play. Good news is that his dad played first base and pitched for 20 years so there is hope.

2 outs! This year was a big transition for us. Our boys are learning to pitch. Learning to pitch takes lots of body control. The catcher suddenly becomes important. Steals are allowed for the first time. There is just a lot to teach these boys and we did the best we could.

Thinking between pitches is so important. Each boy needs to think about 'What do I need to do if the ball is hit to me?' Baseball is a very cerebral game.

Barrett at the plate. Barrett is never afraid to swing which it great. The kid can hit. 

Looking good behind the plate against our rival, the Falcons.

Strutting to home. The Diamondbacks went 5-5-1 in the regular season. Considering these boys are really young I was happy with the results, Most importantly, we won while maintaining our character. Youth sports is polluted with dads that take it a bit too seriously. We encountered this but stuck to our guns. We maintained our character while playing competitively.

The boys called Annabelle their mascot

Our team. These guys hold a special place in my heart. Coach Brian, Coach John, and Coach Lane are awesome. I couldn't do it without them. The boys from back to front: Evan, Preston, Barrett, Seth, Collin, Jeremiah, Ryan, Colton, Gabriel, Matthew and Wesley (kneeling). Luke (not pictured) broke his arm at the beginning of the season. We missed him!

Typical Barrett face.