Kane County Bronco League Tournament

"Go Geneva!" - "Geneva White! Woo-Whooo!" - "C'mon, let's go! Get it done!"

That's just a little taste of what was heard from down the 3rd base line. Parents were loud. The kids were loud. Everyone was jumping, screaming, and cheering. Everyone got excited. I for one thought we were going to have a good tournament when the game started and I noticed all the players up on the fence and cheering each other on. I have yet, throughout the entire season seen the kids so energized and loud. It was a good representation of how the kids felt. And how much they were into the game. They came ready to play. Every single one of them was ready and it showed.

In the first game vs. DC Lightning our kids started out hot. The bats were alive. It seemed like almost everyone got a hit through the first two innings. Our defense, for the most part, shut down the Lightning. While at the same time our offense was getting around the bases and racking up the runs. Heading into the 4th inning it started to look like we would have an early exit by way of the slaughter rule. But it was not meant to be. Our bats slowed a bit and the defense let the Lightning score a few runs to somewhat get back into the contest. Even though we gave the Lightning some hope that they would turn the game in their favor, the Vikings held onto their lead through to the end. Taking an 11-5 victory into the next game later that evening.

This brings us to game 2 vs. the Oswego Cobras. The Vikings started the game off a bit slow giving the Cobras a quick 1-0 lead. Heading into the 3rd and 4th inning the Vikings started showing some life. Going into the 5th inning we snuck up on the Cobras as the bottom of our order had some quality at bats that gave us some base runners. With runners in scoring position G. Bragg cleared the bases with a huge timely triple followed by another base clearing double by Z. Pronenko. We then finished strong as our defense held the Cobras to that single run they had gotten early in the game. Everybody contributed. From runners getting thrown out stealing and trying to score on "The Wall" behind the plate. To very solid closing pitching by "G-Dog" and great footwork and awareness by "Nowinski", we got the job done and finished with a final of 4-1.

This takes us into the championship game today (Sunday). If the same team shows up today, I feel sorry for our opponent. Because our kids have shown us that when their on their game, there has not been a team that has been able to beat us. However, as we have seen time and again, our kids like many kids are temperamental. We have our good games and bad. But then again - we have some of the best coaches in the league. Their work with our kids cannot go unacknowledged. They have always been a driving force in keeping our kids in the game, keeping their heads up and showing them what good sportsmanship is all about. We are the only team that I have seen anyway, that is reminded every game to shake the umpires hand after the game. This attitude and coaching of baseball knowledge translates directly into each and every kid on our team becoming solid ballplayers and taking this foundation into their future years. Whether that includes baseball or not, this team of kids will always remember this season as a season they grew as ballplayers. And no matter what happens later this afternoon, the Geneva Vikings will always be winners!

Game Summary---Oswego Panthers--Orange

8-0 for the Panthers, hopefully we got all the bad out of our system. Let's come out like gangbusters the rest of the week!!!

Ketttle-Moraine Tourney

Well, we all made it to the hotel. We had our BBQ (food was awesome!) and we all retired to our rooms for a good nights rest. Although I don't know about all of you, but all my kids are going nuts in the room. either fighting, playing, or just overall crazyness. Hopefully I will be able to get to bed sometime.

We have a 6:25am rondevous in the lobby for a quick breakfast and then its off to the field for the warm ups. More to come tomorrow.

If you gte a chance, get those cameras working overtime tomorrrow. It would be nice to use the photo opportunity this touney offers to put some good pics into our collection.

See you all at the games! GO VIKINGS!

Site Update

Hello everyone! Been a long time since I have posted an update on the site. Greg Lanphier has been doing an excellent job posting game summaries! I want to say thank you to Greg for his efforts!

I sent out an email yesterday (yes.. during the game. The ump and his low strikes had me disgruntled. I needed to take my attention away from that travesty before it sent me to another place) regarding my plans for "closing up" the web site towards the end of the season. So if anyone has any pics they wish to share with the team, please coordinate with me how to get them to me (in case the cummalitive size of the pics is rather large) so I can include them in the planned slide show DVD I will be making.

We have our big Wisconsin trip this coming weekend. As I'm sure everyone is, I am looking forward to this trip. I think it will be a great time for all. We have a tailgate planned for Friday night in the parking lot and plenty of swimming to be had at the water park. In checking the hotels web site (and from Amy Singers very informative emails) it appears all their water facilities are INDOORS! This is a good thing. Im sure the kids cannot wait for that part of the trip. I know my 3 are excited!

Speaking of pictures, this weekends trip is a great place for a few parents to take a variety of pictures for the upcoming slideshow. With the on-field and off-field fun and activities, it will make for some great moments to be captured of the team, their siblings, and yes.. even the parents! We should all have a great time.

I will soon be putting travel info on the site (in a central location most likely) to assist everyone in finding the hotel as well as possibly some surrounding local fair. So be on the lookout for that coming sometime this afternoon.

Game Summary--Oswego Panthers

A 5 run first inning by the Panthers led to a 11-4 loss on Saturday morning. The team played much better after the first and where keyed by a nice defensive play by Quintin in center field preventing a Panther double. Nikki made a great catch to tag the runner out. Thanks to Coach's Palmer, Smith and Fisher to help prep the field for play after all the rain on Friday.

Game Summary-Wheaton Blue

A solid fundamental effort helped the Vikings improve to 4-5-1 in league play with a 7-1 victory in Wheaton. The offense was keyed by a 4 run 2 out rally in the 2nd inning with a timely hit by Zach Pronenko who also threw out an attempted stealer. Our four pitchers, Will C, Gavin, Nicki and Garrett allowed only a couple of walks and the defense played a big role with only one error in the field.

Game Summary--Wasco Warriors

The Vikings dropped a tough 8-3 game against this undefeated team on Wednesday night. The Vikings outhit the Warriors 8-3 and did not allow an earned run. A great defensive play by Garrett prevented the Warriors from scoring more runs. The boys have come a long way since the start of the season and have really improved in all aspects of the game. They played very competitively against this team which has won the majority of their games via the slaughter rule. Keep up the good work!!!

Game Summary--Geneva Blue

The 10U White dropped a tense, well-played game to the Geneva Blue squad on Tuesday. Down 4-0 after the top of the 1st, the team rallied to tie the game keyed by a 2-run double by Zach Pronenko. Quentin, Nicki and Garrett held the Blue team to 4 runs over the last five innings, making the final score 8-5. Will Walker made a great play to tag a runner out on a home stealing attempt. The team got no help from the umpire as a couple of key missed calls played a role in the final score

Player Profile - Nick Black #25

1. What is your favorite food?
-Plain Cheesburger
2. Your top 3 movies of all time?
- Home Alone, Avatar, and Elf
3. Favorite Baseball Team?
- Chicago Cubs
4. Favorite Baseball player?
- Derek Lee
5. If you were not playing Baseball, what sport would you play?
- Soccer
6. Favorite video game console?
- Xbox 360
7. Favorite game?
- Call of Duty
8. What is your favorite baseball moment or favorite play you made?
- I hit a home run when I played on the Cubs.
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
- Baseball player
10. Do you have a favorite quote?
- "schnickums"
11. Pick one : Star Wars – Battlestar Galactica – Alien Vs. Predator.
- Alien vs. Predator
12. How many Chicago Blackhawks can you name?
- Toews, Kane, and Sharp
13. Playstation 3 or Xbox 360?
- Xbox 360
14. How many brothers and sister do you have?
- 1 sister and 2 brothers
15. What is your nickname?
- Tricky Nicky
16. Do you put anything strange on your food? For example, like putting ketchup on a sandwhich?
- No!! I'm very picky
17. Funniest thing that ever happened to you?
- I have walked straight into a wall that I did not see.
18. What school do you go to?
- Heartland Elementary
19. Favorite subject in school?
- Math
20. Do you have any pets?
- 4 dogs, 1 fish, and 1 turtle

Game Summary-Yorkville

The team dropped to 3-3-1 in league play with a 15-8 loss on Tuesday evening. After falling behind 3-0, the Vikings staged a strong comeback with 8 runs in the 3rd inning with some aggressive base running and a timely base clearing triple by Will C. The Foxes cam back in the next inning to take the lead for good. Nikki B pitched a 3 pitch top of the 3rd keyed by a great defensive play by Zach P playing shortstop. With some improved defense, we should give this team some trouble if we meet them again in the KCBL tourney

Game Summary-Plano

The Vikings got back into the win column with a 12-5 victory over the Reds on Saturday. Keys to the win was the solid defense as the team did not commit an error throughout the game which is outstanding. Trailing 5-3 going into the bottom of the 5th, the bats woke up as the team batted around to score 9 runs, a key hit by Cole tied the game up and he came around to score the go ahead run. Kudos are well deserved by the Plano center fielder who robbed Gavin S of extra bases in the 2nd inning. The catch was a true web-gem.

Tournament Summary-Vernon Hills

Although the team did not win a game in this tourney, it was a good learning experience for future games and tournaments. The team was exposed to playing "real baseball" with leadoffs, stealing and balks and really improved with those aspects of the game with each inning and pitch. We faced some tough competition in Palatine and Lockport and hung with them for a few innings which is a great sign for the boys going forward.

Player Profile - Zach Pronenko #14

1. What is your favorite food?
-Chinese
2. Your top 3 movies of all time?
-The Patriot, Braveheart, Titanic
3. Favorite Baseball Team?
- Chicago Cubs AND Sox
4. Favorite Baseball player?
- D. Lee
5. If you were not playing Baseball, what sport would you play?
- Hockey
6. Favorite video game console?
- Playstation 3
7. Favorite game?
- NHL 10
8. What is your favorite baseball moment or favorite play you made?
- Two years ago I cought a pop fly, tagged out the runner who forgot to tag up, then threw the ball to first to get out another runner who was running back to first. A triple play!
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
- Mlb player
10. Do you have a favorite quote?
- There was a communication from a USMC pilot somewhere over the Middle East that was overheard on a US Guard frequency. What is said (in bold) by the US Marine pilot is Zachs favorite quote:
Iranian Air Defense Radar: "Unknown aircraft you are in Iranian airspace. Identify yourself."
Aircraft: "This is a United States aircraft. I am in Iraqi airspace."
Air Defense Radar: "You are in Iranian airspace. If you do not depart our airspace we will launch interceptor aircraft!"
Aircraft: "This is a United States Marine Corps FA-18 fighter. Send 'em up, I'll wait!"
Air Defense Radar: (no response ... total silence)
11. Pick one : Star Wars – Battlestar Galactica – Alien Vs. Predator.
- Battle Star Galactica
12. How many Chicago Blackhawks can you name?
- Jonathon Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Patrick Sharp, Christabol Huet, Adam Burish, Antti Niemi, Brian Bickle, Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, Dave Bolland, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jordan Hendry, Dustin Byufglien, Ben Eager, Brett Sopel, John Madden, Kopecky
13. Playstation 3 or Xbox 360?
- PS3
14. How many brothers and sister do you have?
- Two Sisters, Katrina (12) and Alyssa (6)
15. What is your nickname?
- Pro-nerko (like Paul Konerko)
16. Do you put anything strange on your food? For example, like putting ketchup on a sandwhich?
- Ranch dressing on my pizza
17. Funniest thing that ever happened to you?
- Cant think of anything.
18. What school do you go to?
- Williamsburg Elementary
19. Favorite subject in school?
- Math
20. Do you have any pets?
- Two Cats (Rocky and Luna - they are twins). And two fish, an Oscar named Demon and an African Cichlid named Dasher

Game Summary--Wasco

The Vikings dropped to 3-2 in league play with a 13-1 loss to Wasco on Monday evening. Props go out to Gavin for driving in our lone run of the game and solid base running by Will C to beat the throw home. We can hang with this team next time with an improved defensive effort

Game Summary--St. Charles

The Vikings took a quick 7-1 1st inning lead in this non-league game and never looked back in a 16-7 victory. Defense, pitching and aggressive base running where keys to the victory. Zach P made an outstanding catch to prevent at least two runs and end the inning. The first double play of the year was turned by a great catch by Noah with a quick throw to 3rd base to finish off the play. Quinton and Garrett pitched scoreless innings and better overall defense with only two errors held St. Charles in place. The team also executed on their bunting attempts.

Attempting a Game Picnic

Amy Singer and Eva Pronenko were going to try and get a couple more parents together to have a BBQ/Picnic for an upcoming game. The thought was during one of the double headers or a weekend game that occurs around dinner time, we could all bring a small dish to pass and/or BBQ some hot dogs and burgers. This sounds like a great idea to me. And I am sure the kids would just LOVE this.

Amy Singer circulated an email today about the possibility of doing this at the upcoming tourney in Vernon Hills. However, reading through the Vernon Hills Athletic Assoc. website, it seems they do not allow outside food or outside coolers into the park. This makes sense as most if not all parks/facilities that sell food usually do not want outside food brought in because it kills their sales.

So I was going to put together a food and participant list for the site to try and organize this. But considering we cannot do this at the tourney, we will have to do this in a couple weeks. So I will speak to a couple of the parents as I am sure Amy and Eva will, and we will try to determine which game would be best for this. So please leave a comment to this post with your ideas and your wishes to participate so we can get a list going. As we get closer and get more of this figured out I will also circulate an email.

Lets get some ideas discussed here guys! This is a great idea and will be a ton of fun for the parents and the team. If you would like to bring a small BBQ grill (like a smokey joe), or have some ideas on which game would be best or what food you would like to bring, start discussing it here. Its the best place for it.

Infomation on the upcoming tournament in Vernon Hills.

All the parents should have received the email from Coach Weede this morning regarding the Vernon Hills Silver Start Tourney (Their site says it is called the Silver Start, but I have a feeling it is actually the Silver STAR Tourney. I'm thinking whoever typed it got a bit to over zealous with the keyboard and hit the letter T by mistake). . The email detailed the schedule for the weekend and it looks like our games start on Saturday and end Sunday.

I have updated the calendar to reflect the game start times as well as a map to the field. A quick note on the field locations. The addresses of the fields themselves do not register on Google maps. So I pointed the map to Corporate Woods Parkway which is only about 1 block away from the field. If your looking for directions to the field, all you need to do is click the "map" link on the calendar, take a look at the field and surrounding area, and you will be able to find a way into the field. The idea is, by pointing the map to a road that the map can find (Corporate Woods Parkway), it allows you to utilize the map and have Google give turn-by-turn directions to the fields in Vernon Hills from whatever location you designate as your "Starting" location. This way everyone can find the field.

I am also going to include a link to the Vernon Hills Athletics Assoc. website. They have information on the tourney there as well as a downloadable pdf of the fields themselves. The link can be found on the left sidebar along with our other links. Alternatively you can always go here: http://www.vhcyaa.org/
However, you CAN get this same information by using Google Maps from the calendar and choosing "satellite" view. This will give you an actual picture of the field. This is a cool feature that sometimes helps where a traditional map view does not.

This tourney seems like it will be a good time. I am assuming we do not need to be there Friday since our first game is Saturday. Mr. Bragg, can you confirm this for us and leave a comment on this post just incase others are wondering as well?

If anymore information on the tourney comes up, you can be sure that I will post it here. So keep checking the site for updates.

Game Summary--North Aurora

The Vikings improved to 3-1 in KCBL play with a rousing come from behind 20-19 victory on a warm and windy night in North Aurora. The team came back three time from large deficits to record the win, including a 7-1 1st inning deficit and 13-8 second inning deficit. Each player members to the victory in all areas of the game including hitting, fielding and pitching. Thanks to the coaches who kept the kids heads in the game and encouraged them to fight back.

Photos

Hello again everyone. I am working on two things at the moment. Getting photos (slideshow) to display how I want it to. And getting two more statistics 'sections' (batting and pitching stats) to display on the stats page.

At the moment I only have a couple (literally) pictures to play around with. If anyone has any good team pics they want to share please send thme to me via email at ssjtiamat@comcast .net

I am hoping to get these two items functional within the next couple of days. Time is really hard to come by of late, as I'm sure is the case for all of you. I just want to try and keep you all updated on what is happening on my end with the site. I wanted to get these (or at least one of) completed tonite. But with the Blackhawks game being on and my kids driving me nuts it is getting harder and harder. I will do my best to finish these in the next couple days. because once complete, adding new photos and stats should be a simple process. It's getting this all to work together that is the hard part.

I chose to use Blogger because I thought it would make things easier because some of the items that make up a web site are included in a nice package. Plus they let you use your own code to "adjust" or "add" things. However, some of their code does not play nice with some of my code. So there is a bit of a learning curve to get the two languages to jive. But rest assured I WILL get it working. And in trying not to bore you with the tech details of HTML, API, CSS, and PHP code... let's just say its like trying to get a Baseball player to play Hockey and vice versa. But they are both athelets and can LEARN to play the other sport. That's kinda how this is goin with the various languages at work here.

So keep the faith, and please be patient. And like always... if you have anything to share, please do.

Thanks!

Game Stats and Summaries added

Happy Sunday everyone! Posted a couple past game summaries that Coach Bragg wrote as well as some team stats. Mr. Lanphier has also been kind enough to write a couple and will have the upcoming summaries as well. We have decided to post the close games and winning games only. For one this saves on time which we are lacking lately. And helps keep all of this a positive experience. We all see the losses, no need to relive them :-p

To find the stats, follow the links on the left of the page. Game summaries can be found on the top left. Each story is labeled and labels are organized in that corner. At this point I am playing around with a couple different ways of doing this. So at the moment I have only added the Game Log. Jeff has also given me team pitching and batting stats. I will add these very soon. I want to decide how I will have them displayed before I code the rest in.

Also keep an eye on the text at the very top of the site page. I have been keeping the upcoming game info up there. Although I do not update it as soon as one game ends, I do usually get to it by the next day.

I also still have a couple pics to add. Mr. Black has also been taking some multi-frame snapshots that he will be getting to me soon. These will also be posted on the site in the very near future. I will try to get a few on tonite. I have a 6 year old birthday party to get through first.......

Thanks to all who have helped out. I must say, the games have been rather enjoyable. Everyone seems to be having a good time. The team has been pretty upbeat and continue to play hard until the very last out. And Opening Day was a rain free day! Lets Go Vikings!

Player Profile - Gavin Singer #21

1. What is your favorite food?
-Spaghetti
2. Your top 3 movies of all time?
-GI Joe, Gran Torino, Fast and Furious
3. Favorite Baseball Team?
-Chicago Cubs
4. Favorite Baseball player?
-Derek Lee
5. If you were not playing Baseball, what sport would you play?
-Football
6. Favorite video game console?
-Wii
7. Favorite game?
-2K8 MLB
8. What is your favorite baseball moment or favorite play you made?
-Stretch at first base to get the last out in a game sealing our win that brought my team to the championship.
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
-Major League Baseball player
10. Do you have a favorite quote?
-“I’m innocent.” – Rod Blagojevich
11. Pick one : Star Wars – Battlestar Galactica – Alien Vs. Predator
-Star Wars
12. How many Chicago Blackhawks can you name?
-Toews, Hossa, Kane, Sharpe
13. Playstation 3 or Xbox 360?
-Xbox 360
14. How many brothers and sister do you have?
-I have two brothers and no sisters!
15. What is your nickname?
-G-Unit
16. Do you put anything strange on your food? For example, like putting ketchup on a sandwhich?
-I like Ranch dressing on pizza.
17. Funniest thing that ever happened to you?
-One time my brother and I were sitting on our hammock and he passed gas and the entire hammock fell!
8. What school do you go to?
-Harrison Street School
19. Favorite subject in school?
-Math
20. Do you have any pets?
-I have a dog named Decker that we got from a shelter. We think he is a mixture of Dalmation and Pit Bull. We have a cat name Daisy, one named Jackers and another named Stella that we foster for a shelter. I also have two gold fish.

Game Summary: DC Lightning

The Vikings improved to 2-1 in league play with a 5-1 victory on Monday evening in the cornfields of DeKalb county. Four pitchers, Will C, Nicki, Garrett and Gavin combined for 16 strikeouts and only allowed one hit in six innings. Zack P provided a key hit to drive in two runs which gave the Vikings the lead for good.

Getting closer...

We are steadily getting things worked out with all of our website features. We have a couple parents who are going to be doing game summaries. And we should only be a couple days away from getting our stats on the site. We are just ironing out some details and we will be there.

Our season is off and running. We have had a few close plays, a few big innings and also our sshare of mistakes. But that is how we learn is it not? I think (from a parents'/fans point of view) some of the boys are finding their stride. While a couple are still trying to get into the groove. Regardless of where any of them are in their seasonal progression, I have yet to see any of them give up. A couple more games and these kids might begin to really gel together. When that happens, watch out! We have what looks to be a great team. When they all start playing to their full ability we will be very hard to beat.

I will have another profile up by tomorrow. A couple days late... sorry... but it will be there. For all those who have yet to submit their answers for the profile please email them to me. If you need another copy of the questions I can resend them to you. At the moment I only have enough profile answers for two more kids.

There has been some interest in submitting pics. Please do. If you have digital pics, even if they are just of your kid. That is fine. I can hold them until we have a variety. Also any video you may have of a game or portions of the game. I can format the video for the site.. so submit what you have and I can take it from there. Thanks.

Thank you to all who have offered to help. I am always open for ideas. Anything you would like to see on the site or if you have an idea for something cool to do. Or even if you have a team announcement or message...

Rally Falls Short

Down at one point by 6 runs, Geneva White rallied only to fall 10-6 to Batavia. The game featured lots of base runners for both teams. Will W. and Zach Pr. showed of their gloves with some fine defensive plays to keep the Vikings in the game. On offense the team had a season low 6 strikeouts, while drawing 9 walks.

GW Records First Win

Geneva White rebounded from its opening day loss with a 19-6 vistory against Kaneland. The Vikings scored 15 runs in the first two innings, While Will C. and Nicky limited a tough Kaneland team to 6 runs over 4 innings. Gavin and Will C. each hit a homerun while Cole drove in 4 runs.

Upcoming site additions.

Well.. we knew there was a win in there somewhere for us! Those games were great. And in the next couple days we should have all the stats up for you to enjoy! Speaking of which.. here is what you can look forward to.

We should have game recaps up soon. The plan is to do a short news story like game recap after each game. Of course we are not even going to try and get the stories up on the site right after the game. But a day or two after should be doable. We shall see. So far it is just Amy and I doing them so if anyone else would like to join the fun just shoot me an email and I can give you the specifics.

Statistics. This is a bit more time consuming. But I myself am a stats freak. I just like numbers I guess. But after game stats are recorded, we have a preliminary process in place to get the stats to me so I can input them on the site. This way everyone can see their own kids stats along with the rest of the team. Some of this seams like a big endeavor, but we will do our best!

The chatbox (shoutbox) seems to be working out pretty good. If anyone notices any issues, please let me know so I can get them corrected. Speaking of corrections... there was a snafu on the schedule down below. Picture day was inputearly in the creation of the site and as such the schedule I had was final, but certain things like picture day did not have any details as they were slated to come later. Then when the time came, I neglected to change the sites schedule. So I hope there was no confusion. But all is fixed now and I will try to double check the rest of the dates as they stand on our site calendar.

That's all I have for now. I will be doing some maintenance on the site tonite after dinner. So look for them then. Thanks for your patience.

Player Profile - Kevin Lanphier #19

1. What is your favorite food?

-Ice Cream

2. Your top 3 movies of all time?

-Indiana Jones, Jaws, Get Smart

3. Favorite Baseball Team?

-White Sox

4. Favorite Baseball player?

-Albert Pujols

5. If you were not playing Baseball, what sport would you play?

-Football

6. Favorite video game console?

-Xbox 360

7. Favorite game?

- NCAA College Basketball 2101

8. What is your favorite baseball moment or favorite play you made?

- Hitting a Home Run

9. Pick one : Star Wars – Battlestar Galactica – Alien Vs. Predator

-Star Wars

10. How many Chicago Blackhawks can you name?

-21

11. What school do you go to?

-St. Peter’s

12. Favorite subject in school?

- Math

A few little changes. New profile coming soon.

You may have noticed a few slight changes. Or maybe not.. :-p

I switched from a 2 column layout to a 3 column one. Gives  the site a bit of a cleaner look. I also added a shoutbox. Just a place for realtime messages to be posted on the front page of the site. Just put in your name and your message. That's it! If your registered on the site then when you log in it will put your name in for you. Its a good place for some quick thoughts, or for the kids to chat.

The next player profile is almost ready. A day overdue, but I wanted the layout to be clean and tested before posting anything else. But that is done now so we can continue with business as usual. I just a have a couple other small additions to add behind the scenes and we should be ready for the upcoming first couple of games. Looking forward to it. As always, stay tuned to the site for continual updates and new info!

Todays Game canceled. Possibly set for tomorrow.

Quick update everyone. Todays game in against Montgomery has been rained out! Coach Bragg has sent out a text which you should have all received. Stay tuned for any further updates.

A rainy Wednesday

Keep an eye out for either an email or text from Coach Jeff Bragg as the day wears on. We have had rain all morning and it is expected to last (albeit sporadically) throughout the early afternoon. Should this occur, Coach said that the coach of the Montgomery team we are scheduled to play does have a contingency plan. He reserved his field for today and tomorrow for just such an event!

The one good thing to come out of this is we may possibly have uniforms come in today. If that is the case, then we will have uniforms for the game tomorrow! However, just a reminder.... should the rain stop and the game be on nschedule, then make sure the boys wear their practice shirts with baseball pants and a blue hat.

If you do not have a blue hat, post a comment here on the site or shoot out an email to everyone. Between all of the All Stars we have on the team, we should be able to wrangle up a couple of hats if needed. So if your player needs a hat let the team know.

I know people are looking to Coach Jeff's emails and text for last minute game details. But I will continue to post late breaking updates onto the site. I figure the site is supposed to be a "one-stop-shop" for everything GBA 10W so why not. I can post to the site directly from my phone. So it will actually be an easy thing to do. Once I get a text or email from Coach Bragg I will post the info onto the site within minutes! We have this tool, why not use it? Fingers crossed... stay tuned for any updates.

Site news and our first game!

I know it's not an "official" game, but I for one am excited! I know this is going to be a hectic summer for all of us, so anything we can do to help eachother and the team out goes a long way. To this end I would like to include a contact page to the site. This way, if there are any parents out there who are anticipating a rough time getting to the field on time for pre-game warm ups there is a place for them to get phone numbers. Or another idea maybe is a car pool list? I'm not sure, maybe just the contact page will be enough. So, if there is a phone number or numbers you would like added to the list just shoot me an email and I will add it. If there are any aversions to this idea just let me know. Maybe we can just do a list and email it.

The site is starting to finally get some content. And once we get some games under our belt there will be more. Amy Singer and I will be doing game recaps, and we will have a team stats page once we get some stats to report that is. And as always any pics or video you capture at the games can be included on the site as well. All you need to do is email them to me. There is still room for another writer or two. If anyone would like to contribute an article please let me know and I can give you authoring access.

The player profiles are turning out great. I have gotten back about 5 or 6 so far and it seems the kids are having a good time answering the questions. Please remember to send a pic or two with the answered questions. For those of you who have already included a pic, thanks. If you have sent your sons answers back but did not include a pic please do so when you get a chance. Something baseball related would be best, but is by no means required. Again, these will be posted at an interval of one per week. Every Saturday is what I am shooting for. The current list looks like this (first come first served): Singer, Lanphier, Black, and Weede. Also, there will always be a section of the right sidebar with links to the profiles as they get posted.

I have made a couople "fixes" to the schedule. Originally the practices were scheduled for 5:30 during the week. This has been changed to reflect coach Bragg's wishes that they start at 5pm in order to ensure we have enough daylight. I also adjusted game times from 5:30pm to 5pm. This is because the coaches would like players at the field early for pre-game warm-ups. So just be aware that times that are on the schedule are the times the players need to report. NOT the games start time.

I have added a couple links as well. One for the Eteams site itself and one for that site's field locations. This will be where any other links will appear in the future as well. I have been trying to also get in touch with the webmaster from BaseballRox, but I have yet to get a response. I wanted to get permission to embedd their videos on our site as opposed to a link to the videos. I will continue my efforts on this front.

Over the next couple of weeks I will be adding a couple more items to the site to try and get the kids involved a bit more. The first thing I want to add is what is called  a shoutbox. It works sorta like a wall post on Facebook for those who are familiar with that site. Kids can write a message and others can respond, all in real time. These work really well on busy sites and should work well here too. The kids can chat about video games, baseball, and anything else they so choose.

That's all I have at the moment. But remember, anything you want to share with the team by way of pics, stories, etc.. just send me an email and I can post it on the site in it's appropriate place. If you have any questions about anything, or have any ideas of something to add to the site, just let me know. I will do my best to keep things updated within 24 hours of the event (email, game stats, stories, etc..).

Player Profile - Quinten "Q" Petit #27

1. What is your favorite food?

-Tostadas

2. Your top 3 movies of ALL TIME?

-Forrest Gump, The Sandlot, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

3. Your favorite baseball team?

- Chicago Cubs

4. Favorite baseball player?

-Hank Aaron

5. If you were not playing baseball, what sport would you be playing?

-Basketball

6. Your favorite video game console?

-Playstation 2

7. Favorite game?

-baseball

8. What is your favorite baseball moment or favorite play you made?

-Hitting a double to bring in 2 runs and take the lead!

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

-MLB Baseball player

10. Do you have a favorite quote?

No!

11. Pick one: Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Alien vs. Predator?

-Star Wars

12. How many Chicago Blackhawks can you name?

Marian Hossa - Patrick Kane - Jonathan Toews - Duncan Keith - Dustin Byfuglien - John Madden - Chris Versteeg

13. Playstation 3 or Xbox 360?

- Xbox 360

14. How many brothers or sisters do you have?

- 1 sister and 2 brothers.

15. What is your nickname?

- Q

16. Do you put anything strange on your food?

- Mustard on bacon in a bagel!

17. Funniest thing that ever happened to you?

- Being 9

18. What school do you go to?

- Harrison School

19. Favorite subject in school?

- Math

20. Do you have any pets?

- 1 Dog named Enzo and a cat named JuneJune.

"Q" (left) with his brother.

1st outdoor practice a success!

It was bound to happen sooner or later. The clouds would part, those cold chills would dissipate, and we would have baseball! Winter workouts were great. The kids got in shape at a time they would normally be avoiding the outdoor freeze. But I'll be the first to tell ya, there's a certain feeling you get when your finally on a freshly raked field, outdoors in the sun. Of course.. it's been a few months since having games at Mill Creek. So I for one need to remember it is WINDY out there! "Dress appropriately" is something I should make a mental note of.

Regardless, it was a great practice from what I saw. The kids all got into the spirit right away and before you knew it they were feeling it too. Coach did say they need to keep working on their footwork, and stay consistent with it. Overall it was a nice evening for some baseball and from some of the talk I overheard, the kids are all looking forward to their upcoming scrimmage.

Upcoming events to look forward to: We have a practice this coming Saturday at 9am (Mill Creek 2). Then the following week there is a Tuesday practice followed by a scrimmage on Wednesday in Montgomery.

Site Update: As I get more pics as days go on, Ill start a picture section. Trying to keep them organized will be the key. So if anyone does send in any pics naming them as to what they are from will be a big help. Thanks!

Tomorrow's Practice at 5pm!!

Our first outdoor practice! Starting to get exciting now..

Originally the calendar had the time for 5:30pm tomorrow (Tuesday March 30th) but Jeff's last email pointed out it is indeed at 5pm! It has now been corrected. Mill Creek 2 is the location. See every one there..

I'm hoping to try and get some pictures of the boys practicing tomorrow. It will give me something to put up on the site a bit more current. If anyone has anything let me know. Also.. hoping to get the player profile out today/tomorrow. Had a slight delay on that, sorry. I think what I will do is just send out the questions.. and then the first response I get with the answers I will do their player profile first. If possible though, when sending that answer sheet back to me, if you happen to have a pic I can include as well that would be great!

Thanks everyone..

-Tony

Opening Day Volunteers...

Geneva Baseball is looking for a few volunteers for Opening Day. We can expect the same great food and Geneva gear this year I'm sure. If you can, check your emails for the attached spreadsheet for the schedule. So far Amy Singer has joined the apparel crew in the 10:30 to 12pm time slot.

Calendar invites sent!!

Ok everyone. I sent off the invites to the team calendar. You should be getting those emails. Once you do just follow the link and sign up. If once you sign up and in your not seeing how to sync with your phone or email client, check the help section. It is pretty thorough. But if that does not help let me know.

Remember to keep checking back here on the site for any news!

Suggestions....

Here is what we could use to "round" out the site. We could use an "About the Team" article. We could also use someone to maybe cover the team... ? Just a thought.. a simple story about games, happenings, etc... Someone might also want to do a "Player" profile once a week. I don't know.

I guess whatever happens, at the very least, this will be one "central" site for all things 10W. If someone wants to donate digital files on anything the think would be good for the site, feel free.

Welcome to the GBA 10W Travel Blog!

OK. So all corny-ness aside, this seemed the easiest and most practical solution. Everyone is familiar with YouTube and should be familiar with blogs. Yes, FaceBook is technically one too. Anyway, here we can post stories (if we desire) throughout the year, coaching tips (the kids should hopefully get a benefit - they are allot more tech savvy then we sometimes give them credit for..), schedule updates, etc.. Just a central point of reference.



So.. here is what is happening here. We have videos at the top. All hosted on YouTube. Our YouTube channel is GBA10W. In case you want to search there. We have a column on the right side that we can use for updates, news, whatever. It will also store any of the "main" articles posted here.



Coaches.. I am in the process of sending you all the info you would need to post ANYTHING you should want. If there are videos you found somewhere else, and you want them showing on OUR blog (page, whatever you wanna call it). All I need is the link and I can embed the video into our site. You want to post a write-up on proper stance, power position, etc.. write it up and I will post it. Or you can log on and post it directly.

Here is where the call goes out to parents. Seriously, if ANYONE wants to get involved please email me and let me know what you would like to do. EVERYTHING is open. :) Anyone want to "cover" the team throughout the season? Photos, videos, anything!!

The cool thing is if we do this right... anyone who may want a "keepsake" of sorts can just let me know and I can package up all the pics, videos, stories, etc.. from the entire season, put them on a disc and there you go! Instant electronic scrapbook!

Also... when the coaches or anyone writes a story for this middle section, they will be scrolling down on the page as new ones are added. But they are always available.. and there is a comment section below each story. Team/Parents/Coaches, leave comments. You can further a discussion this way and that could be fun.