Loud Mom's Scoreboard

Loud Mom now has a GameChanger Scoreboard! GameChanger is a score keeping app for smart phones, ipads, and ipods. It's an awesome way for family or friends to keep track of your ball players games! It is also a good way to track stats! Check it out at GameChanger. Create your own scoreboard and/or add your team. If you have a team and you would like to be added to Loud Mom's Scoreboard email me the info at LoudMomintheStands@gmail.com.

Bob Dekoning Interview

Doug and family

I was lucky enough to be able to interview Doug Dekoning's father, Bob Dekoning! Thank you Bob.. It is so nice to hear from a parent of a ball player who has worked his way through youth baseball so successfully.

LoudMom:  What sacrifices have you had to make for Doug's baseball career?

Bob:  Were do I start, as a single parent my sacrifices may be different compared to a 2 parent family with 2 incomes. many missed family get together,working a part time job from late Spring through late Fall to make/ save money for the upcoming season ,and all the trips and expenses connected to it. Passing on overtime to travel. Driving all over 8-10 or 12 hour trips each way, and getting very little rest, and returning home ,usually very late Sunday nights or early Monday mornings, and going into work tired. Passing on buying personal gifts for myself as I needed to save for Doug's need for equipment and travel expenses. Aluminum bats and top quality gloves are not cheap. Bats only last one season. There is a sample of my sacrifices for Doug and I am so glad that I did all those sacrifices and more. They were well worth it and then some !! 

LoudMom:  What influence did you have in Doug's college choice?

Bob:  This is the way that went down. Doug was 11 years old and he started batting lesson's at Mike Hegan's and Scott Doffek was assigned to be his coach. Doug had great success with Scotts hitting style and approach and we just kept it up for several more years. When it came to High School and his Junior season we had made up our minds that if UWM gave Doug a Scholarship we were going there. Scotty made Doug the hitter he is and we felt it only right to give him 1st choice at reaping the rewards of all his hard work into Doug. So,the choice was easy,even though there were a few Colleges from the South that had showed some interest in Doug, UWM would be were Doug was going. Was the right thing to do then and still is the right thing to do today.

LoudMom:  What is your favorite youth baseball memory of your son? 

Bob:  When Doug was 7 years old he played on a team that was comprised of 6 kids from Menomonee Falls and 6 from Whitnal. They went to the championship game and won it all and a team trophy that was 6 feet tall. The moment that stood out was, back then, Doug was a pitcher and a good one. He pitched a lot that weekend and he was tired and sore but the coach asked him if he had one more inning in him to close the game and bring home the championship. He did a great job and we won the game,it was so awesome !! I have pictures of that game in the rec room that will be up as long as I am alive.

LoudMom:  Do you have any advice for other baseball parents? 

Bob: Make sure it is your son or daughters dream to play ball and not yours. If it is there's, then be there for them in good or bad times. It is easy to be a fan when things are going good but it shows the kids that your love and commitment to them is not conditional on winning only. Take the time to invest in them no matter what that is that they enjoy. You may not like what they like but, it is there time, not yours. Take the time to smell the roses and enjoy your kids and family. There is more to life than making money and working your way up the ladder of success. These moments in time are special and they come and go so quickly that if your not careful you just might miss them. I am so glad with all that I sacrificed and gave up for Doug that given a second chance I would do it all over again. He is a special kind of rose and I am so glad I took the time to smell it !! 

 

Check Out This Kid!

Doug Dekoning is an outfielder for the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. He ended the 2010 season with a .300 batting average, recording 66 hits, 5 triples, 3 home runs, scoring 38 runs, and 25 RBI's.. 

He has had a great start to the 2011 season as well! He leads his team in most offensive categories including having a .404 batting average.. 46 hits, 24 runs scored and 25 RBI's..

Way to go Doug!! 

“The Game and Me”

Wouldn't it be cool to have your sports related memories or anecdotes published? To be able to save that memory forever and share it with others? Well, here is your chance!

Kelly O'Neil, editor and avid sports fan, is collecting these stories to share in the book "The Game and Me".  He believes (and is right as far as I'm concerned) that there are so many of these sports stories out there just waiting to be told.

So here is the scoop:

WHO: Editor, dedicated sports fan and father of three Kelly O’Neil is looking for your most memorable sports story.

WHAT: You’re invited to submit your sports-related memories and anecdotes for consideration in “The Game and Me” (Synergy Books).

WHEN: Submissions for “The Game and Me” will be accepted on an on-going basis until a sufficient amount of material has been collected.

WHERE: To submit your short story and see submission guidelines, please visit www.thegameandme.com.

WHY: Americans have long had a love affair with sports. From baseball to football and sports in between, “The Game and Me” is a celebration of sports and those who’ve been shaped by the game. Whether you were at the game, watching from home, playing or coaching we want to hear about the unforgettable sports moments that changed your life, inspired you and touched your heart.

Keeping score

Position Chart

Do you "keep the book" at your child's baseball or softball games?  Have you ever wanted to, but didn't know how to keep score of a baseball game.  It's not that hard once you get the hang of it.  

At the beginning of most scorebooks they have instructions for keeping score.  Numbers are used for all the positions to make it easier to keep track of everything.  Familiarize yourself with the terms used at a site like Sunset Park Little League Guide to Scorekeeping.  

Some leagues for younger kids will keep a much simpler book.  They will simply record if someone got out or reached base.  Then they will darken the line around the bases as they advance.  Filling in the diamond shows that a run has scored.  This basic amount is usually the minimum required by leagues to make sure the score is right. 

If you have an IPhone, Blackberry or Android phone you can get an app to score the game with.  iScore and GameChanger are two of the apps available to do this.  Once you have a scorebook or a smartphone app, watch some games on tv and practice what you have learned.