Opening Day

Today is the official start to the 2011 MLB baseball season but major leaguers aren't the only ones that start throwing the ball around this week. It’s estimated that 50 million boys and girls play Little League baseball and softball in the US alone. That’s 50 million kids between the ages of 5 and 12 running around and working up an appetite on fields all over this country. 

Arden is a softball player and her brother Cole plays on multiple baseball teams. Just like many of you we spend a lot of time on baseball fields from April to November. 

One day last season I overheard a mother talking about how happy she was that her kids were out in the fresh air and getting exercise, I turned to agree with her but when I did I saw that her son was eating cheese fries and drinking a soda. That moment gave me pause and made me consider the ridiculousness of the situation. “I’ve done same thing” I thought. When Cole gets done playing he’s ravenous and he goes to the snack stand and buys some food-like product with money that I give him and when Arden visits the stand her BGs get thrown into a tizzy. I instantly felt stupid and more then a bit hypocritical, so I decided to take a shot at enacting change.

What is months ago now I spoke to the gentleman that runs our town’s little league program and said no more or less than what I have said here, then I expressed my wish that the stand could provide better options to refuel our kids. I told him that despite my best efforts it was difficult to keep up with our schedule while packing good food to eat at the games (I’m at those fields 4 and 5 times a week). He understood and said that he’d look into it.

Fast-forward to yesterday... I received an email that I am more then a little proud to tell you about - There will be yogurt and fresh fruit available at our snack stand on opening day and if they sell maybe they’ll add more! A tiny little triumph but one that I have a lot of hope for... I want our kids to have healthy options where ever they are all most as much as I want the my home town team back in the World Series...

**

The following are archived comments from this post. You can post new comments below.

Leighann of D-Mom Blog

Great work!

My kids would eat yogurt and fresh fruit at every meal and snack if I'd let them. (BOTH kids.)

Isn't it amazing how sometimes something as little as simply asking can help make change?

Now you'll have to stand by the snack bar and encourage everyone to buy the good stuff!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 - 01:36 PM

Anna F.

Wonderful!  Hope there is still good food at the snack stands when my kids get involved in something.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011 - 03:41 PM

Wonderful Support - JDRF Walk Awards

I want this post to serve as a sincere “thank you” to all of the folks that have supported Arden’s 2010 JDRF Walk. Your kind donations do so much, they help the search for a cure, develop new and innovative therapies and technology that makes Arden’s day a bit easier and gives type I diabetics a voice in Washington. 

I wanted to make sure that you all knew about a moment that occurred today at the awards luncheon.  Arden received quite a nice treat today, she got a tour of the Phillies ball park, got to stand in the dugout and have her picture taken in some pretty cool places!

The best part of today happened in a split second, the JDRF staff said some nice words about all of the people in the room, gave them credit for being part of the search for a cure and then they named the teams. This is when the moment happened. When our team was announced, “Walk for Arden”, Arden smiled but not just because she heard her name, it was more then that. Arden got to feel today as if she is an active part in helping herself... no helpless feeling today - today she got to feel in control.  So, if you are wondering where your donation goes, I think it goes to all of the things I listed above and then it warms Arden’s heart - which in turn warmed ours. 

If you made a donation, helped with a fundraiser, told someone about this site or just stop by to read what I write... you are supporting so much. So, “thank you!”.

One last quick thing. So many of you make amazing financial gifts to the JDRF through Arden’s walk. In fact we have raised north of 40k in the four years that we’ve been doing this. <applause for you>. This year we invited Alex and his parents, Steve and Maria to come with us to the awards lunch. We wish that you all could be there but this year we had extra tickets and we wanted to try and thank one of you a little extra. Hopefully we will continue to raise enough to be invited to this event and we can make this a tradition. I don’t want o share details as to not embarrass them but sufficed to say, they do way more then they should in support of Arden’s walk and we are grateful.  

Best to all of you in this new year, hope to see you next fall for our fifth walk! Let’s end this with a cool picture of Alex kicking a huge snow ball, shall we??

Covey declines deal after diabetes diagnosis

Likely Type 1, Brewers' top pick opts for University of San Diego

MILWAUKEE -- For the first time in nearly two decades, the Brewers and a first-round Draft did not strike a deal. A stunning medical diagnosis got in the way.

Right-hander Dylan Covey, the 14th overall selection in June's First-Year Player Draft, woke up Friday thinking he was four days from signing his first professional baseball contract. He learned Friday afternoon that he was diabetic.

On Monday, only a few hours before the deadline for Major League teams and their picks to come to terms, came word with 95 percent certainty that it was Type 1 diabetes. Facing a lifetime of treatment and a major adjustment to his promising baseball career, Covey declined the Brewers' contract offer and said he would instead attend the University of San Diego.

The rest of the story is at the LINK

**

The following are archived comments from this post. You can post new comments below.

Scott

If the type I is really the reason that he didn't sign, I think that he made a mistake - it's a mistake I understand but a mistake none-the-less.  I hope someone can show Dylan that he can play baseball just fine with type I.  My heart goes out to Dylan and his family, I know what is about to happen to them...

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 - 12:15 AM