News and Announcements
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind; he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand marbles.' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say
'Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. ;'Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'thousand marbles.'
'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.
'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.
It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.'
'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.
There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.'
'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.'
'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!'
You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.
Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast.' 'What brought this on?' she asked with a smile. 'Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.
Author unknown
Coin Flip determines Home Team
UPDATED TODAY
NOTE the changes highlighted in YELLOW
MICKEY MANTLE * GOPHER STATE BB
ELIGIBILITY:• Prospective players must attend Coon Rapids Senior High OR live within the attendance
boundaries of Coon Rapids High School. (Must provide proof of residency upon request)
• Players Age as of April 30, 2007, must be between 16 and 18. ( exception: Legion )
• Players MUST be willing and able to make the commitment to attend ALL Games and Practices.
TEAM INFORMATION:
Players are selected for these teams via a tryout and evaluation process conducted by the C.R.B.A. and the respective coaches/managers of the teams. Players are invited to participate with a particular team based on the level of skill demonstrated at the tryouts and/or previously demonstrated abilities. The leagues these teams complete in are highly competitive, and therefore require that players have the necessary skills for this level of competition.
The American Legion, Senior Babe Ruth and Gopher State BB teams are three year programs (players are eligible from 16 - 18 years of age) and will always have players returning from the previous year. These teams therefore, are limited in the number of players they can add each year.
The Mickey Mantle teams are one year programs for 16 year old players only and those rosters change every season.
Every effort is made to place as many players as possible on one of these teams. However, due to the limited number of roster spots available, this is not always possible. Additional teams can only be formed after league Directors have identified an appropriate coaching staff to work with the team.
CONTACT THE REPRESENTATIVE LISTED BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
American Legion Tom Yelle 763-757-1047 Senior Babe Ruth Rick Johnson 763-427-9660
Mickey Mantle Rick Johnson 763-427-9660 Gopher State BB Rick Johnson 763-427-9660
TRYOUT INFORMATION:Who Should Attend:ALL Players who are not currently on a roster of any of the above listed teams and also any players that wish to move up should attend these tryouts. Players that do not attend this tryout MAY NOT be placed on a team.
DATES: Monday, April 28 AND Tuesday, April 29 (MUST attend both nights)
(Make-up date is Wednesday, April 30 (only if Monday or Tuesday are cancelled) RESCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 29 & WEDNESDAY, APRIL30
Time; 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm each night.
Location: Wintercrest Fields Baseball Complex
