Giants Flag Football

Fall is all about football at our house - and that includes flag football! This is Tanner's 2nd year to play flag and he loves it! He loves to run, and at this age, they run the ball pretty much every down. Since Tanner already had a year of play under his belt, he was more confident and a real leader on his team. He is so much fun to watch, especially when he breaks free for a long run. Tanner also loved that his team was the Giants (our favorite NFL team!). His team had a pretty good season. They didn't win the league championship, but they won the fun and learned a lot along the way. We're already looking forward to next season.

Tanner was a captain one game and helped with the coin toss.

Playing defense

Rushing the ball

Run Tanner!

Avoiding a tackle

Tanner's friend, Jamal, running the ball. He's fast!!

Go Tanner!

Ready to play

He's so fast, he's a blurrrrr!

In the huddle getting the next play

Gran, Mama Jane, Terry, Anna and Avery cheering Tanner on!

A rare pass play

This picture was taken by a photographer for the Daily Journal and was put in the newspaper.
Love it!!

Lady Wave Softball

Right before Avery started school entering the 7th grade, she decided she wanted to try out for the Tupelo High School Lady Wave Softball Team. Terry and I had been trying to talk her into trying out - with no luck - so we were very surprised when she came to us and said she wanted to! It was a victory in itself that Avery decided this on her own, so we were excited! She, and three other 7th graders, were at the tryouts. The 'main' tryout had been in the spring and we had missed it, but the coach always has another one right before school starts for girls who missed the first one, or for girls that had moved into the Tupelo School District during the summer. Sydney Lewis and Ali Watts - two of the four who had tried out - had played with Avery all summer. Blakely Lollar was coming in to Tupelo from Okolona. All four girls made the team. This would be our first time to have a child on a high school sports team! 

 Seventh grade is a hard academic year - a LOT of studying and homework. Avery was also taking four Pre AP classes, which were harder and more work! That, along with softball, meant there were many nights when she didn't get in the bed until after midnight.  Keeping it all balanced was something Avery did very well! Her grades remained high and even though she was sleep deprived, she was able to figure it all out without anything suffering. 

 In the fall, the girls play their slow-pitch season. Avery played first base for the Junior Varsity team and got to play the entire game of all the JV games. She learned a lot about what it means to play sports in high school - the dedication needed, the time it takes, playing and practicing as a team, getting along with each other, etc.  Avery seemed a little bit shy with all the older softball girls at times. She didn't like the drama some of them seemed to bring to the team, but she hung in there. She learned a lot about the game and the true dynamics of a competitive team. She played hard and improved throughout the course of the slow-pitch season. Coach Michael Gable was her head coach with Will Stafford being the Assistant. It was a learning season and a fun one.  We're always proud of Avery but were very proud of her for taking the initiative to go for something that she wanted. She always amazes us with her hard working spirit and her abilities. 

Go Lady Wave!! 

These were all the softball players from the Middle School. We all carpooled every day from the Middle School to the High School since the team practiced the last period of the school day.
Back: Sydney Lewis, Blakely Lollar, Ali Watts, Avery Goggans
Front: Kelby Cobb, Paige Cox

Avery at bat!

Swiiiinnggg!

Got a hit!!

Scored!!

At first base 

Tupelo Express Softball

At the end of the summer, Anna tried out for the Tupelo Express U12 Fast Pitch Softball team and made it. Some of the girls on the team were the same ones she had played with over the summer, but most of them were new. Everyone on the team was 11 or 12 years old and even though Anna is only 10, we decided to play up on the U12 team. We did this mainly because we knew the coach, Tony Knight, and with Anna being the youngest on the team, we thought if she had a conflict with soccer one weekend (and we knew she would pick soccer over softball), if she missed softball, it wouldn't matter too much. We thought she probably wouldn't play a major position, being the youngest, so they wouldn't miss her too much. Well, we were wrong. Anna started out playing mainly 2nd base. She had played shortstop all summer, but she's versatile and had played 2nd a little bit, so this made sense. It really depended on who was pitching as to whether Anna played 2nd or shortstop, since the girl that started the season at shortstop was also a pitcher. By the end of the fall season Anna had become the starting shortstop - a major position - technically the "leader" of the infield. A position where they would definitely miss her if she wasn't there for a tournament. Ugh! 

Backing up a little bit, before Anna tried out for the Express, Terry and I sat her down and had a talk with her about all these sports. We told her how it was going to be if she did both travel softball AND travel soccer. Most every weekend would be filled, as well as many weeknights for practice. She assured us she wanted to try to do both. Avery was playing her first year of high school softball, Tanner was playing his first year of travel baseball - WHAT ARE WE DOING??? :) Well, we hit the ground running. Sundays and Mondays - softball practice. Tuesdays and Thursdays - soccer practice. Wednesdays - church. Most Saturdays and Sundays, some Fridays - a tournament somewhere. Crazy! 

Coach Tony is fairly obsessed with softball. He would have the girls out there every day if he could, but he reigned himself in a little bit and they only practiced 3 days a week (Anna missed the Thursday practices for soccer - she also missed Sunday soccer practices to go to softball). For many of the girls, this was their first time to play fast pitch softball - which is very different from slow pitch. Very different. The team did well! One of their first fall tournaments they came in second place.  The girls got medals and were excited. As with all sports, it's a learning experience - both of the game and life lessons. I love watching my kids play anything so it was fun for us to watch Anna compete in this competitive form of softball. She was having fun - which is the best part! 

On base

Going to bat

At Shortstop

A hard hit ball

WOW!

One of Anna's biggest fans! 

#22

Her Daddy is also one of her biggest fans!

Lining up for the trophy ceremony

Receiving a plaque for second place

Anna getting her medal

Go Express!!

Tanner On Stage!

Every year at Parkway Elementary, Bridget Hawkins, the music teacher, leads each grade in a school play. She does a great job with the kids - teaching them songs, motions to the songs, speaking parts for the kids, dance moves, solos, and even more! It's amazing how she gets it all together for the final show! The kids really get into it, and learn a lot too. The 2nd grade play is called My Town, My World.  The kids learn about lots of things in the process of practicing for this play, so it is definitely a learning experience! 

Tanner did great! He seemed to have a lot of fun. He had a speaking part and did great with all the songs and the motions. I love that Mrs. Hawkins spends the time working with all the kids at Parkway to "perform". It's such a great experience for all of them. 

Tanner's class all stood together on some risers to the left of the stage. The 2nd grade is so big they couldn't all fit on stage!

Look at that sweet boy!!

Tanner doing his speaking part. He did really good!

This was a cool part! The kids held up these signs, then they turned off the lights and the signs glowed in a black light. It was really neat!

Not a good picture, but here are the signs glowing!

Taaadaaa!!! The kids did GREAT!!