Monday, March 18, 2024

Celebrating a 12th Birthday


Monday, March 18, 2024
Today we celebrated Jacob's 12th Birthday quietly. We'll do it up right next weekend when there is more time for the proper, joyous festivities.

Newborn Jacob with Michael and
with each other again at his recent
CYBA Championship Game

Laurie/Gigi with Jacob in the
hospital soon after his birth

I was coaching in Switzerland when
Jacob was born, this was my first
visit with him three months later

It would not be our last visit by any stretch.

Jacob loves going to Disneyland and
pondering the universe's mysteries

Being a bat boy for his Dad's
1880s rules baseball games . . .

. . . led to the signing of a contract with
the Cincinnati Reds Little League affiliate
based in Camarillo

He can grow a mustache almost as quickly as his father.

For a time, he dabbled at
becoming a superhero

He has enjoyed playing soccer
and is currently playing for his
Las Colinas Middle School team

During Covid, he continued to be a
good, protective big brother to Mary

Even with all of his sports, Jacob
has continued to shine in the classroom

This is much more important to all of us than his success on the athletic fields and gyms.

Track has become a real passion
for our budding young athlete

We are super happy that he still
finds the time to simply enjoy
being a kid

Of course, American football is big
with him for some unknown reason

We have fun visiting colleges . . .

. . . like West Point for the
Army-Boston College game last Fall

Standing together at attention
during the National Anthem outside
the gates of an El Camino Real H.S.
State Playoff Game in 2021

Good times at UCLA

Happy Birthday, Jacob!

During a typically busy day, we picked Jacob up at 4:30 p.m. after his Las Colinas Middle School soccer practice to take him to his 5:30 Camarillo Cosmos track practice at Camarillo H.S.

We had enough time to spoil him in between the two practices with a usually strictly VERBOTEN treat, a special birthday ice cream at Mr. Softee in Old Town Camarillo.

I think he enjoyed it.

Up The Irish!


Sunday, March 17, 2024
Wishing a happy St. Patrick's Day to all of you on this splendid Sunday!

We headed to the home of Debi Murphy and 
grandson, Dylan for a traditional Irish meal

A wee leprechaun lass even
showed up for dinner

She was called Quinn and enjoyed the gathering as much as the rest of us.

Thank you Murphy Clan for another excellent meal combined with the usual fun fellowship.

Meanwhile, on the Continent . . .

One more Spanish Serie A result

In the Eastern Conference, Badalona (6-0)
had a tad closer call vs. Barcelona (0-7)
than most expected

The current Serie A standings
with each team having either one or
two games left in the regular season
 
This weekend's Serie B Results

Of our two favorite Serie B clubs, the Guadalajara Stings (4-1) enjoyed an easy 41-6 win over the Fuenlabrada Wolverines (1-3) in Grupo Centro play.

In Grupo Este action, our beloved Murcia Cobras (1-4) long season slide continued with a 27-0 loss to the Valencia Firebats (3-2).

The updated Serie B standings

There was one Italian League Football
DI game on Sunday

No surprise here as the Firenze Guelfi (2-1)
outlasted the Lazio Marines (0-3)

IFL Standings
1T. Ancona Dolphins 2-0
Varese Skorpion 2-0
3T. Firenze Guelphi 2-1
Torino Giaguari 2-1
5. Milano Rhinos 2-2
6T. Legnano Frogs 1-1
Parma Panthers 1-1
8T. Bologna Warriors 0-3
Lazio Marines 0-3

IFL Schedule
Sat. & Sun., March 23-14, 2024
Parma Panthers (1-1) at Bologna Warriors (0-3)
Milano Rhinos (2-2) at Legnano Frogs (1-1)
Varese Skorpions (2-0) at Torino Giaguari (2-1)

BYES: Ancona Dolphins (2-0), Firenze Guelphi (2-1),
and Lazio Marines (0-3)

Here's wishing you all a great week with lots of adventure, fun and friendship with the ones you love!

Sunday, March 17, 2024

A Camarillo Cosmos Track Meet at Fillmore H.S.


Saturday, March 16, 2024
The 2024 Camarillo Cosmos track season began today for Mary and Jacob.

It was actually the Cosmos second meet of the year but last Saturday's event was in direct conflict with Jacob's two CYBA Grade 6 Basketball Championship games, thus the kids delayed start on the track.

We were off to Fillmore H.S. for competition
against the Heritage Valley Blazers

The Blazers club is made up of athletes from the neighboring and historically rival communities of Fillmore and Santa Paula.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day for a track
meet at the Home of the Flashes

I'm a big fan of the Fillmore football helmets

The great weather made for a fine
sports three ring circus in Fillmore

Fillmore Little League baseball
had two games going all day on
he fields just across the street

The Fillmore Little League Seniors
were also playing right behind us

We like to think that each and every one of these athletic events that Mary and Jacob are a part of teach them valuable lessons.

Today's major lesson for Mary was that if you have four waffles piled high with whip cream for breakfast, it will have a negative event on your performance, especially in the 400 meters.

Mary's first event was . . .

. . . the Long Jump

As I write this, all Long Jump results have yet to be posted on the Cosmos website.

This Heritage Valley sprinter
is one cool looking dude!

Jacob ran the Lead Leg of the
4 x 100 Meters Relay

He is experimenting with a new start position

HE'S OFF!

Now, THAT'S a game face!

Making up the stagger . . .

. . . quickly

Whoosh!

We all thought that Jacob ran a good leg but his team finished third overall in the event.

Their time of 1:01.75 was 1.52 seconds faster than last season's best time on the 4 x 100 teams of which Jacob was a member.

Mary running her 400 Meters race

She looked good at the start . . .

. . . but eventually those pesky
pancakes bubbled to the surface

The start of Jacob's 400 Meters race

In the lead coming off the turn

Driving it home from way in front

He was happy with his 400 Meters today

He was first in his heat and first overall in this event. His time of 1:08.56 was a Personal Record (PR), a 16.14 seconds faster than last year.

The Long Jump is Jacob's favorite event

Where are his legs?

Another attempt

Sticking the landing

Falling forward is a good thing in this event

Airborne

Again, no results from the Long Jump have been posted yet as I write.

Mary's 100 Meters Dash was . . .

. . . a MUCH better effort . . .

. . . as was her 200 Meters run now
that the pancake crisis had subsided

The start of Jacob's 200 Meters race

He made up these two staggers quickly

He won his heat easily

His time of 32.23 was good for second in this event overall in his age group. It was another PR, 0.56 seconds better than his 2023 best time at this distance.

At this point both Mary and Jacob had competed in their allowable four events.

There is one proviso in the four event cap on the athletes, any runner who sticks around to compete in the day's final event, the 4 x 400 Meters Relay, is allowed a fifth event.

Jacob loves this event too, so we were there for the full five hours of the track meet today.

Jacob ran the Anchor Leg of the 4 x 400

Coming off of the final turn strongly

Cosmos Coaches cheering Jacob home

His team won the event with a time of 5:09.32, that was 29.70 seconds faster than any time his teams ran in this event last season.

Overall, a great day for Jacob and, hopefully, a good learning experience for Mary.

In EuroBall action today . . .

The Spanish Serie A eight game
regular season is quickly winding down

L'Hospitalet (4-3) earned a key win
over Mallorca (3-3) in an Eastern
Conference game o move into second place

Rivas (5-1) cruised in beating Gijón (2-5)
and remain solidly in second place in
the Western Conference

Las Rozas (6-0) won as expected
against Alcobendas (0-7) and remain
atop the Western Conference standings

The still young Italian Football League
DI season continued today

The Milano Rhinos were sharp
against the Bologna Warriors

The Ancona Dolphins shocked the
defending IFL Champion Parma Panthers

Meanwhile in Italian DII play today . . .

Coach Bart Iaccarino's Cecina Trappers had
a good game against the Ravenna Chiefs

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day. Stay thirsty my Irish friends.