In Sports, Performers Set The Stage
Right now, there is no shortage of fantastic sports to watch. Whether it’s Simone Biles at the Olympics (watch her documentary on Netflix if you have not!) or our own Jefferson Parish children playing baseball and softball all over the country, there’s a reason that watching athletes on the “big stage” is so much fun.
Recently, I had a revelation about sports, though.
The stage isn’t set for the performer. The performer sets the stage. And that stage is – quite simply – as big as you make it!
Last year, as mere 12 year olds trying to make it to Williamsport, it seemed that the boys of Eastbank Little League had just one chance on the Little League World Series stage. We didn’t really think the 13’s age bracket would be worth the shot. People even made comments to us like, “isn’t it just about the 12’s … do boys still play for 13’s?” It had us second guessing ourselves on the decision to give this whole thing another go.
But thank God we went through with it despite the doubts and questions. I can’t tell you what Williamsport was like, as we didn’t get the same stage that the boys of 2019 did, but I can tell you that being in Livermore, California is simply AMAZING!
Many have heard, but last year our boys’ baseball season ended with over half of our team with their faces in the dugout garbage cans throwing up. Some boys couldn’t even make it to the fields to play. Some were in their cars hoping to feel better, and some were on the field playing through the sick feeling. It was truly devastating for the boys and even more for Scott Frazier, our beloved coach, because he saw so much potential in the team. No one wanted to end the season that way with an illness outside of your control. Scott mentioned playing 13’s but many years no one actually goes through with it, kids move on and get busy and assume it’s not worth the time and effort.
But we are ALL so grateful that we had a crew that we wanted to play summer baseball with again. We had our 12 game season back home in Louisiana. We didn’t have to face anyone in district because our team was the only one in the district, so we went straight to Regionals in New Braunfels, Texas. We played four games where we outplayed our opponents 59-2. As soon as we won the 10:00am championship game, families had to get
their son to Houston where the team stayed and flew out Friday morning for San Francisco. My own family got home on Thursday at 10:30pm and caught a flight the very next morning for 9:45am to California! Here we are, and we’ve been on cloud 9 ever since!
The team opened up against Central, which is represented by Indiana (winning with a score of 8-2). Louisiana beat California last night 4-2. The team plays tomorrow at 9:00pm CST against the West, which can be watched on ESPN+ from the comfort of your home.
As a mom, I can’t imagine anything better than what I am living right now. Of course, there are a million reasons why our family plays Eastbank Little League to begin with! But outside of my own family, I feel like every post on social media at the moment is a mom posting about her son or daughter traveling to play in a big tournament. That’s when I realized that – for us moms – it is all AMAZING and nerve wracking, no matter what. When our own babies are performing, whether it is at a dance recital or a rec soccer game, there’s no bigger performance going on in the world. Not even the Olympics, unless of course you are Suni Lee’s mom and then of course, that is your child’s actual stage. The bottom line is, I want to give all sports parents a big congrats and hug. Congratulations to every momma/parent, family member, cheerleader and friend that is out there supporting a young athlete. The work that these kids put in to be their best and chase their dreams is incredible, but it takes a village of support to get to that stage.
As a mom watching her own son play in California while other moms are watching their babies in Paris, I am confident that no matter where the kids are playing and no matter what level they are playing … as a parent it feels like the highest level because it’s all amazing.
So no matter what the venue or stage, remember that the stage is not set for our athletes. Our athletes set the stage. And as moms, we will always be in the audience cheering them on with our hearts in our throats.
Natalie Johnson
Natalie is a mother of 2 boys. Her naturally outgoing and hard-working persona has helped turn her passion for real estate into a success. She knows how important it is to not only find someone’s dream home, but to also provide advice and support throughout the home buying and selling process. Natalie loves her role with Authentic Title as she is passionate about real estate and also being present for her family; this role allows her to do both! She and her family are also working on a brand new business venture as well.
