Dad of the Year

The umpire didn't show up for Val's softball game in Hilliard yesterday so Ken was volunteered (by me, mostly) to fill in so they could play.  My only requirement was that he wear a mask behind the plate - he got a baseball in the face just this weekend while playing ump during Jason's practice.

I was very impressed with Ken - as was the other volunteer umpire who actually was certified for high school softball games. Ken called a great game and was very professional about it. He had to make several calls against our team, including two at the end of the game which resulted in our loss. On one of them, he even over-ruled the other umpire who had called the girl out at 3rd. Ken had a better view from the front and saw that she was tagged too high (in the shoulder) and, after conferring, the Hilliard player got the base.  He also called that girl safe at home when the throw came in to Val too high to get the tag on in time. 

Ken was almost sick about the game and about offering to help.  On the ride home, he kept imagining Val getting treated terribly by her teammates on the bus.  He expected her to be very angry with him when she got home.  However, that's not how it happened at all.  Val came home and was fine; did her homework, ate food, got ready for bed, and she treated her father and everyone else fine (and that's saying a lot for a teenager on any day of the week).  When Val was headed to bed, I told her I was proud how she handled her father umpiring and making calls against her team. She responded by giving Ken a compliment. She said he did a good job at the game and he called the pitches better than some of their real umpires.  She was proud of him, too.  How cool is that?!?! 

I told Ken that he taught his kids many things on that day. He set a good example for volunteering. He ran a competent game with good sportsmanship and a positive attitude. And he was fair. He did not make calls that favored his own team, but called them as he saw them. Val said that the other girls thought he was a very fair as an umpire. Although it was not easy, Ken was a great example for his kids today. In return, I give him the Father of the Year award!  Great job, Ken!

Val had another game tonight. She is catcher and took a foul tip in the shoulder (above the chest pad) in the second inning. She played through the rest of the inning and even batted and made a run. No one knew she was hurt. However, her arm seized up and she couldn't throw when heading out for the third inning.  So she sat the bench with ice on her shoulder and was sad and angry that she was letting her team down.  Her team did great, though and they won with a 10 run rule in the top of the 7th.  We went out to Dairy Queen with some of her teammates afterward and she was invited to a birthday party for tomorrow night.  Yea!  All is good with the world now.