Dear Leah and Logan,
I'm writing this entry on May 24, 2024--officially the last day of school for Logan's 6th grade and Leah's 7th grade. Leah, for reference- you had Day 1 of volleyball tryouts today.
I wish I could explain in words how insanely chaotic the last few months have been and exactly how proud I am of both you. So let's go through the Spring semester 2024...
Logan, once fall soccer ended (Pool 2 under Coach Tommy), they introduced a mandatory 'Winter League' for Kings Hammer. The time commitment wasn't huge, but you were also doing wrestling. Per all the wrestling coaches, your improvement from Year 1 to Year 2 was incredible. You were aggressive in all your meets and had a new set of skills that led to several medals. Grandpa was super proud of you as he came to several of your meets.
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| Logan's 1st Middle School Goal via Direct Kick |
Once soccer came around, not only did you get the bump up to Pool 1 (Coach Brian Grogan), but you also made the Rockvale Middle School team. That meant you had practice all 5 nights a week and 2 practices on Tuesday and Fridays. It was a lot to juggle, but you did it with almost zero complaints, and your grades never suffered, so ultimately you got your first real test of Time Management in school. For 4 months, you were a Rockvale Raven and a Kings Hammer P1 Centerback.
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| 13-Silver, 1st Place Boro Bash |
Leah, right after RMS tryouts, you tried out for Middle TN Volleyball club and were selected to the 13-Silver team. Those practices started in January 2024, and the travel schedule had you going from Birmingham, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia. Honestly, I had no idea that travel volleyball was so intense. We showed up to tournaments that had 500+ Teams in giant auditoriums, that had elements of carnivals (food vendors, etc) and crazy parents. You had a lot of fun traveling with Kalea and Eden, and I enjoyed mingling with all the parents.
Leah, your team won 3 of your Spring tournaments, and in April '24, your team beat '13-Blue' in one of the tournaments which was a huge upset. Like always, I made a video for you, but, per you....the video was 'fire', but not good enough to pass along to your friends. Um, skibidi??
Logan, when Coach Brian invited you to Pool 1, that invite included a position change--full time Centerback. You basically learned a brand-new position on-the-fly in a few weeks against the best competition. And with every game, you gained a little bit more confidence to a point where all the other dads were noticing your improvement. It was special to watch.
Leah, your confidence was growing with every match and practice as well. I'll always remember when the moment you were excited to do a jump serve in a game. You also became a solid passer and a blocker this spring. 13-Silver led to you being a more all-around volleyball player, and it was fun to watch.
There's an X-factor here. Let's not forget that in the middle of all these crazy sports, little Brother Brecken was yelling Ba-ba-ba-da-da-da-ma-ma-ma in the background. A new baby in any house, brings a lot of emotions and a lot of situations that require patience. And you 2 handled it was a lot of grace, and I wish I could thank you a million times over for always being such a great older sibling to Brecken....he is soooooooooooo lucky to have you both. I know there have been times where you both want peace and quiet...or maybe just wanted to mind your business. And there's a baby there just messing everything up. But you 2 fed him, and held him, and played with him, and even changed a couple of diapers. It was amazing to watch!
So after all that...after all the practices...and all the homework...and all the scheduling....then came the moment that Mary and I were most proud of: On May 18, both of you walked across the RMS stage and received your plaque for Principal's List...all A's in year of complete chaos.
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| Leah's 7th Grade Awards Day Principal's List |
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| Logan's 6th Grade Awards Day, Principal's List |
I'll never get tired of telling you how proud I am of both of you. You each have your own style and your own personality on how you deal with just about everything. And, and guess what? Both of you continue to find your individual path to success. I love that!
Keep doing great things!
Love,
Dad
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| Grandpa Onsite for 13-Silver 1st Place |
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| Orion Cup Champions 05.24 |
