Team Anderson - Clubhouse News - January 98'

Happy New Year from our clubhouse to yours,

There is so much to catch you up on!

Individual Stats

Matthew sets the pace as our lead off hitter. A nine year veteran, he loves school and has 3^rd grade well in hand. A marvel to his teachers, his mind carries him over mental hurdles set for 5^th graders.

Playing 1^st base for the Little League Rockies, Matthew hit more than his share of home runs. Soccer called for him to split his time between Flanker and Goalie. It was a rough season for the team. Following a crushing defeat in the final game Matt quipped to his disgruntled Dad, "We didn’t get beat as bad as our first game." He shares his Mother’s optimism. J Matthew also plays floor hockey and basketball at school.

Jonathan bats second and is enjoying his 7^th season. Going to school all day in 1^st grade was a big step. More social than studious, more tender than tough, he has won the hearts of his classmates and teacher. True to his maleness, he can sum up an entire day in a single word, "fine". It drives Mom crazy but makes sense to me. He loves baseball. Anchoring 1^st base for the Mariners he could always be counted on for a clutch hit. In soccer, a winless season taught Jonathan more about character than pride. He scored his team’s only goal for the entire season.

The best of friends, he and Mathew share a locker room in the basement. Working together they can now pin Dad in a wrestling match. They’re teaching Mom how to use the computer. J

Sarah bats third but leads off for the ladies. In her 5^th season, she is driven but dainty, fierce but feminine, loud but ladylike. Learning soccer from her brothers she joined her first team this season. Mixing it up with the other girls was great but she was confused by all the falling down and tears.

August marked the end of her long wait for the adventure of kindergarten. A bundle of energy wrapped in a smile Sarah leaves her teacher speechless. She however is never speechless. You better have more than a minute if you ask how her day went.

A new elementary school is underconstruction in our neighborhood and Sarah was asked to participate in the groundbreaking. This picture, taken from a local newspaper, says it well. It was a "WOW" experience.

Leah bats cleanup and is a standout on the Anderson cheerleading squad. Barbies are her favorite sport. In her 4^th season, she still holds all the records for giggles and cuddles. Happy to watch her siblings play, all she needs is a soft lap to sit on. Leah reigns however as the Olympic champion of "Father Manipulation". Dad opens his mouth to say "no" and the word "yes" comes out. Hmm… K It is hard to believe that she will head off to school next fall.

Mary is number five but rarely settles for the end of the line. Still in her 2^nd season, she may be the smallest but she can still pack an acoustic wallop. Cute, confident, determined, she surpasses the Anderson standard for verbosity. Contemplating potty training, Mary holds out to us the light at the end of a 9-year diaper tunnel.

Home Field Highlights

Our neighbors have become a source of great joy and grand adventure. The rather somber pose pictured here followed one of several "front-yard" summer barbecues.

Our kids attend the same school and play in the same sports leagues. Thirty-five of us attended a summer ball game for the minor league Sky Sox. Cheering erupted when "Sanchez Neighbors" was announced over the loudspeakers as one of the "groups".

We genuinely enjoy and watch out for each other. A record October snowstorm now dubbed "The Blizzard of 97’" had everyone helping dig each other out. We finished the year with a great Christmas Party. Beating the ladies at "Outburst" was a highlight for the men. Entering a team in a local recreational volleyball league will be our next great adventure. Look for the "Sanchez Slammers" in your local sports page.

Nancy and I have prayed that Sanchez Drive would be a connected community, a team, rather than a fractured collection of free agents. We are becoming that together and it is a treasured gift.

Coaches Corner

The coaching staff is harried but happy. We live inside the two-minute warning, with the clock running, and no timeouts. Though we always have plenty to do and rarely enough time to do it we frankly wouldn’t have it any other way. We are more than a little proud of our championship team. J

Nancy keeps the team in clean uniforms, serves the best meals, maintains the best clubhouse in the league, and ensures that the rest of the team knows they are loved. She also works with PTA and volunteers in the kid’s classrooms. Co-directing a home-based pre-school and coordinating the activities for our Sanchez Drive community takes what little time is left. Whew! It makes me tired just to write it down.

I am still coaching at Lewan and Associates, Inc. I once thought playing for the same team for 20 years would be a long time but my 16 years with Lewan have been fast and wonderful. I also teach business courses for a local university and serve on a number of community boards. My favorite job of all is "Dad".

A significant highlight for the coaches, we spent 7 days alone on the magnificent Spanish Costa del Sol compliments of my boss. We sat at the beach, we read, we slept in, we ate out, and most of all we finished sentences. We still talk about the friends we met and the adventures we shared. It was our first "week" alone to rest and relax since before Matthew was born. The memories will last a lifetime.

As you can see we have much to be grateful for. May the holidays find you reflecting on Jesus, the very first Christmas present.

Terry for the team