Reggie's football reel

"Reel" instead of "Highlights" due the big lowlight that has already been shared on the blog. That footage is included in the video. It's not graphic. But I put off putting this video together because I was avoiding the trauma of watching it.

About a month ago Reggie underwent a second surgery.  When his fractured ankle healed, the growth plate filled in, but the other three (left and right ankle) were expected to continue to grow.  This uneven growth was likely to create problems in the future, so the solution was to have surgery on both ankles to stop his growth at those growth plates.  As a result, he will be about a centimeter shorter than he would have been had he not fractured his ankle!

The surgery went well overall.  It was a more specialized procedure so it was at the children's hospital.  We are so fortunate to be only twenty minutes away from this kind of medical care!  I warned every person I talked to that Reggie comes out of anesthesia a bit crazy and with the strength of a grown man.  No one took me very seriously.  When the doctor came to update us on how surgery went, a couple of nurses came through the waiting room saying, "That was wild."  Later, we were informed that Reggie woke up "a little wild" so they sedated him again and he slept it off.  Unfortunately he remembers being pushed/held down, and then going back to sleep. Yet he had to be kept safe so I don't know how it could have been avoided.

We were told Reggie would walk out of surgery and technically he did, but the first week of having both ankles disrupted was very difficult. He is feeling almost better now.  We are hoping for good news at his post-op next week so he can return to sports. He really needs to return to sports!

Here are the highlights.  Football is what Reggie loves the most, no hesitation.  He played both linebacker and tight end, and he is dynamic to watch.  I think as he plays more, he will be driven toward being a defensive player.  But until then, it is so fun to watch him make the big catch and run into the endzone! He scored 10 touchdowns, made 4 interceptions, and so many tackles.  The team ended the season 9-2.

In the video, you will see some of my standard videography skills, and some clips Reggie wanted to include from his team footage.  Those clips are marked by the little play symbol as he screenshotted it from the app.

Lydia's freshman volleyball highlights

We are down to three tournaments left of Lydia's club volleyball season, so it's time to post highlights from her highschool season!  

It was so nerve-racking and exciting for Lydia to try out for the team back in the middle of August before she had even had her first day of highschool!  There are five teams at our highschool: 9B, 9A, B Squad, JV, and Varsity.  There were cuts in every grade, but Lydia made the 9A team!  

While Lydia had gotten very comfortable with her role as the setter during club season, there were FOUR setters on her team. (Not sure why they don't sort this out during try-outs?)  Lydia doesn't have the height to be a front row player if she's not setting, so she was put in the position of DS (defensive specialist).  Her job is the respond to the attack of the other team, getting the first hit and putting the ball into play on their side of the court.  There were definately some growing pains and a lot to learn, but she took on the challenge and made great progress over a short season.  I think it has made her a more well-rounded player and set her up for more success on future teams.

Note that Lydia is #5 as you watch the highlights.  She is a hustler honing in her skills!  While we see other members of her team struggle when they fall behind, Lydia competes to the very last game point. We love to watch her play!

SOMN softball and flag football highlights

Special Olympics softball is a fun but short season with only one competition - the Summer Classic Games.  We are so very spoiled that this event- and also the state flag football event- are hosted in our city!

Brett usually plays 3rd base, and Bryan is one of the coaches for his team. Brett is a good hitter, and he's looking forward to joining the high school's adapted softball team (Thunderbolt's) this spring!

Unified sports are one of my favorite things about Special Olympics.  It brings people who might not typically interact in daily life together and uses the shared enjoyment of athletics as a way to build relationships and uplift the movement of inclusion.

In unified flag football, three athletes and two non-disables "unified partners" play on the field at the same time.  There are many rules about who can do what on the field in an effort to keep the focus on building up and supporting the athletes.  The main and obvious rule is that a unified partner can't pass the ball to another unified partner.  As you watch the video, you can see how the unified partners from BOTH teams are working to create an experience where the athletes get to shine - while still enjoying the true spirit of competion.   

Brett loves being the quarterback but gets to play all the positions.  Lydia was a unified partner for a second year and we also recruited Bonnie's son, Matt.  He was a great addition to the team!   

Next weekend we will again be participating in the Frozen 5k and Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics Minnesota!  We have a team - the Oreo Dunkers.  It's the five of us plus Bonnie and Taylor.  We named our team the Oreo Dunkers because Brett loves oreos so much that he named his guinea pig "Oreo" and he also has aspirations to someday dunk a basketball.  Visit our page to contribute to our fundraiser!

Reggie's baseball highlights (2023)

I made it through 2023 with all the "news" but I still have a handful of highlight videos to post from summer and fall sports.

In celebration of Reggie's first baseball practice of the 2024 season, I am posting his highlights from the 2023 season!  He had his first practice last night!

Last summer was Reggie's first summer playing WAA (city league) travel baseball.  We've bounced around a lot with baseball.  This next season, he will play with basically the same teammates and coaches.

Reggie mostly played center field and also did some pitching, third base, and left field. Despite a patchy season, the team managed to advance to both state tournaments. But the big travel tournament of the season was to Wisconsin Dells.

We've had an unusually mild winter, but I have to admit that putting this video together has made me very eager for spring!  I will always love a summer evening at the ballpark, and watching my boy play makes it even better!