On October 5, my countdown began: 30 days until my 30th birthday. In honor of this, on each of the 30 days leading up to my birthday I will recount one memory from the past 30 years… either one that has helped define me, one that makes me laugh, one that makes me think, one that encourages me…  or maybe a little of everything. If possible, I will post a photo to go along with the memory.

It’s my 30/30/30 Project: 30 years. 30 memories. 30 days.

Here is my memory for Day #19:

Yesterday I had an eye appointment near my dad’s business, so after I got my eyes checked (new prescription coming!) my dad I had lunch together. Then I went to his business to get a little work done on my laptop.

My softball coach from childhood was there… well, actually, both of my coaches were: my dad and Dave.

You see, years and years ago, my dad and Dave met when they coached Dave’s daughter and my sister on their softball team. A few years later, they both coached Dave’s youngest daughter and me. They didn’t know each other at all before they began coaching together, but they have been friends every since.

It all started when Dave became the coach of his daughter’s little league softball team in the mid-80’s. Audrey was on the team, too, and at the beginning of the season, my dad asked Dave if he could help out as the assistant coach. As Dave tells it, he wasn’t all that excited about having someone else coaching with him, but he agreed to it anyway.

Just yesterday, Dave was telling me the story again… how after a few practices with my dad, he (Dave) said, “I’m going to see the real side of this guy sooner or later. No one can be that nice all the time.”

Then he joked, “I’m still waiting. That side of him will come out eventually.”

The memories of those softball days will always stay with me. We had some great times… Dad and Dave were fair, fun coaches who tried to make softball a fun experience for everyone on the team.

I remember that they gave out a “game ball” after every game. Everyone on the team would sign the ball, and it was given to the person who either made a great play during the game, had great team spirit, or just had an overall good game.

Dad and Dave ended up coaching for many years together. At one point during their coaching years, Dave began selling printing for my dad’s printing company, and he has been with the company ever since. What started as a coaching venture has turned into a business relationship and, probably most importantly, a friendship.