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**JCincy** · 03-01-2012, 07:11 PM

Awesome! I wish her all the best.

**JJA** · 03-01-2012, 07:11 PM

Originally posted by Cannonball View Post

Please forgive me but I wanted to share this for those who have followed my child's career. She is off to a decent start despite some injuries. Here is an excerpt from the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

FAST START FOR UMSL FRESHMAN

Briana Butler (Triad) wasted little time adapting from high school to college softball. Butler belted two home runs and built a .467 batting average through her first six games as a freshman infielder at Missouri-St. Louis.

Butler was a four-year starter at Triad, earning first-team Class 3A all-state honors as a senior when she batted .552 and hit eight home runs. During Butler's four prep seasons, Triad posted a 90-33 overall record and a 34-6 mark in the Mississippi Valley Conference. Butler was part of three MVC and two regional championship teams in her prep career.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/high-...#ixzz1nvPBYKbD

We know that she will have peaks and valleys along the way but we are so thankful that she has an opportunity to continue playing the sport she loves.

Congratulations Cannonball to you and your daughter! You have both worked so hard over the past few years that it is really good to see such dedication rewarded. I'm really glad she has found a college where she's happy. That's just terrific! Congrats again and please keep us updated as the season goes on.

-JJA

**Jake Patterson** · 03-01-2012, 07:28 PM

Congrats CB,
This has been a hell of a journey to watch...
I don't think she'll have too many valleys. Great job!
Jake

**The Uncoach** · 03-01-2012, 07:36 PM

That's totally awesome!

**Cannonball** · 03-01-2012, 08:08 PM

Thanks everyone. I work in a great school district that was kind enough to allow me to be there for her first hit and home run. Her first home run helped her team beat a nationally ranked team. As most of you know, my wife and I support her efforts but really don't care whether she plays or not. We want her to play because she wants to play. She is playing at a school that is the top school in our area for educational majors and she wants to be a teacher. If she decides tomorrow that she does not want to play then we are fine with that. I think keeping everything in perspective and allowing her to play on her own terms has gone a long way in her developing her love of the game. I wish for all of our members that moment when you see all of the hard work pay off and you know that your child has achieved a life long goal.

**Onebigwhitevan** · 03-02-2012, 06:57 AM

That is so exciting!!! To be allowed to keep watching your child do something they are good at AND LOVE TO DO. It never gets old I am sure.

HIJACK!!!!

Ok now I am looking at website for her college. It says mr butler was her high school coach. Was that you and do you think she is better for your being the coach. For example, besides talent does she understand fielding situations better and situational hitting better? I ask because I am currently not either of my sons head coaches and I wonder if it would benefit them more if I was?

**Dawgman** · 03-02-2012, 08:11 AM

So neat to have been able to follow your journey as a father and B's as a player the last few years on the boards that you have so openly shared with!!! Congrats on a great job Cannonball and best wishes for continued health and success to B during the remainder of her career.

**Cannonball** · 03-02-2012, 09:32 AM

Originally posted by Onebigwhitevan View Post

That is so exciting!!! To be allowed to keep watching your child do something they are good at AND LOVE TO DO. It never gets old I am sure.

HIJACK!!!!

Ok now I am looking at website for her college. It says mr butler was her high school coach. Was that you and do you think she is better for your being the coach. For example, besides talent does she understand fielding situations better and situational hitting better? I ask because I am currently not either of my sons head coaches and I wonder if it would benefit them more if I was?

Yes, I was her coach but only for her senior year. She had a very good coach who resigned after her junior year and then, the school did a search but could not hire an outside candidate because of so many cutbacks. So, before the season started, I agreed to coach her that year. I resigned afterwards. If you didn't know, I have coached her and her teammates since they were all 8. So, it was not new to anyone in the program. I was the "hitting coach" for almost all of the girls anyway and I used the phrase "hitting coach" loosly because I never charged any of them. Rather, they came in and hit when my child came in to hit. She had a goal growing up of hitting 150 balls a day regardless of what other interest she had.

I don't know whether I would recommend coaching your own child in high school or not. I only did so because I had to. It is easy enough for your child to lose credit for how hard they work and be accused of benefitting from you being the coach. I didn't have that problem as much since she was well established prior to me taking over. In fact, she was "All Area" at three different positions, pitch, 1st and OF and so that eased the criticism some. However, it was still there. I had to make some very decsisions for my team and child. My daughter was 29-4 as a pitcher. Yet, I felt our team would be better if we allowed a sophomore to pitch and my daughter play OF. That made several parents, my wife and child all angry. That comes with the territory and I did what I thought was best for all involved. I think is it a personal choice and I think you need to decide what is best for your child. JMHO!

Dawgman, thanks! Since you know BB, you know first hand that she is someone that works hard and is not "gifted." However, you have seen her play and know how much she loves the game. I hope all of our kids can love the game as much as she does. I can't wait to see your child play!!!

**JJA** · 03-02-2012, 09:46 AM

Originally posted by Cannonball View Post

She had a goal growing up of hitting 150 balls a day regardless of what other interest she had.

For some of the parents of younger kids out there, this is the type of dedication that is required to succeed at the higher levels. I tell kids that they need to hit a minimum of 100 balls a day if they are to reach their potential, preferably 150. And this isn't whacking at a ball randomly in the back yard, it's what some of us call "deliberative practice", where basically every swing has a purpose. At the younger ages (8 and below) this isn't required, but by the time you're 12 or so, this is what is required, my opinion. As I also tell the kids, if you're not doing it, some kid out there is and when you eventually compete against that kid, who is going to beat out the other? Some kids simply don't have the drive, which is fine. There are lots of other things to do life than baseball. But on the flip side, don't complain when you get beat out.

-JJA

**Jake Patterson** · 03-02-2012, 10:48 AM

Note to All;
IMHO... Cannonball is one of the very few parents who have been there and done it with a very talented child. More important he did it with a great perspective on the journey. HE is the type of person parents should be talking to about BB/SB into college and beyond...
Just a thought

**Cannonball** · 03-02-2012, 12:44 PM

Jake, thanks for the compliment. As always, if any member has a question, I'd be glad to address it but from our personal perspective. I can't speak for everyone.

Many of you know that for my child, success has not come easy nor without a few tears. In fact, she is constantly injured. My wife and I worry that her love of the game will affect her later in life. I can barely walk at times due to the number of knee surgeries I have had. I don't wish that for her. Yet, she keeps going back. As a parent, I've often wondered what it would be like to watch her play a season while healthy. To this point, that hasn't happened. Of course the option for her is to play at less than full speed and so injuries are a part of experience. In softball, there is no doubt as to the purpose of sport. She is there to get a degree and then use her lessons from competition as she moves in to the real world. I can only hope that she understands the bigger picture and understands that someday, her days on the diamond will come to an end.

**Cannonball** · 04-09-2012, 11:52 AM

My daughter, Brianna, just called from school and was so excited. I'll have a post in an hour or two as a follow up. I wanted to be able to access this thread so I'll bump it now.

**Cannonball** · 04-09-2012, 12:57 PM

Again, forgive me for bragging. Brianna had a great week and so, was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference "Player of the Week." The GLVC is the largest D-II conference in the U.S. and so, they have 16 teams in the conference. This past week, Brianna's team, UMSL was on the road for all six games. Here is the story:

http://www.umsltritons.com/womens-sp...verview/9/2021

Brianna was so excited when her coach told her that she had won this award this week. She is completely ignorant of her stats with the exception of home runs and so, she had no idea that she was having this type of year. Her two homeruns were hit at the two largest park in the conference. She hit the ball out at Missouri S&T at the 224 mark and the one at Drury at the 220 mark. I'm hoping that she avoids reading too much into this award and realizes that she still has a long way to go before this year is over. Her team must do well in their remaining games to make the conference tournament. With 16 teams, the top 8 get in. Right now, they are in the 9th slot.

**azmatsfan** · 04-09-2012, 01:24 PM

That's awesome, CB! And as a freshman no less. I enjoy hearing all the success stories from parents and coaches on here, and look forward to hearing more of her exploits throughout her college years.

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