Royals Baseball

The summer baseball season ended rather abruptly thanks to the crazy Minnesota weather. The Royals 15AAA Gold team entered the MBT State Baseball Tournament ranked 13th. Beautiful day for baseball on Friday, July 12th. The team dropped their first pool game to Eastview 3-0 in the morning but came back to win 10-0 against Oakdale in the afternoon. The final pool game was scheduled for Saturday morning. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and sent a deluge of rain storms. The game was pushed back 2 hours, then 4 hours...and finally the tournament decided to cancel the final pool game and use the first two games only to determine bracket play. Lil' TK and the Royals were done were the summer.

 

  

But before the end of the season, Ang was able to capture this shot of the team getting their "GQ"on. Take that, Mother Nature...

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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

Spring Showers Bring...Make Up Games

Kels and Lil' TK started softball and baseball in March. Or at least attempted to. The most annoying spring in MN history prevented outdoor practice and caused most of the early games to be rescheduled as double headers later in the spring in hopes that the weather would finally cooperate.

Kels made the Mankato West Scarlets JV team this year and was excited to play at a little higher level. At one point, however, they played 5 double headers in one week to make up games from the weather. It all paid off though as she was asked to suit up with the Varsity team for conference, sections and state games. The team won the Big 9 Conference Championship to start off the playoff season. Kels was put in to run in the 5th inning with the score at 12-3. She stole 2nd and 3rd and then scored on a great hit by her teammate to end the game under the 10 run rule. She was surprised by the rest of the team coming to home plate, cheering and congratulating her...thinking maybe the team mate had hit a home run. When she realized what she had been a part of it, she beamed, Ang finally exhaled and the entire Scarlet Nation went nuts!

 Lil' TK and the Mankato West Scarlets C-Squad team has won more than they lost and seem to have a really good time playing the game they love together. Lil' TK plays 2nd base and bats high in the order because he's been hitting well and can zip around the bases in a flash. Where he got that speed, Ang and Big TK have no idea but it's fun to watch.

 Next up for the Kopp Crew...The last day of school. It's obvious cabin fever is setting in. With the weather being what's it's been, everyone is hoping the start of June brings warm, summer type weather finally. Until then, it's traveling baseball with Lil' TK, league volleyball with Kels and same ol', same ol' for Big TK and Ang. And Abby...well, she'll just have to keep putting up with it all.

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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

Spring is just around the corner....

The Crew survived another MAYBA Fest the 2nd weekend in March. MAYBA stands for Mankato Area Youth Baseball Association and is the organization that both Ang and Big TK are a part of. Ang is Assistant Organization Manager and Big TK is on the Board of Directors. The organization oversees the youth community baseball program in the summer for kids in the school district. MAYBA Fest is the big registration weekend and the whole family gets involved. Ang and Big TK help with set up, tear down and taking registrations while Lil' TK and Kels help out in the Subway Snack Tent handing out small sub sandwiches and pop for those who sign up to play baseball. It's a hectic, long weekend but it's worth it when you see the excited faces of the little kids who can't wait to play ball.

Kels and Lil' TK are all signed up for spring and summer ball. Kels will be playing for West High School on the C Squad team. The whole Crew is so excited for her and this opportunity! Kels admitted she's still a little in shock that she made the team as a 7th grader but is excited to start practicing right away and get back into softball.

Lil' TK will be playing for West on the 7th grade baseball team. Baseball doesn't offer the boys the opportunity to tryout for moving up so he will get to play ball with some friends he hasn't had a chance to for awhile and is really looking forward to it. Practices start April 4th so here's hoping the snow disappears and the flooding that is predicted does not ruin the fields in town.

In addition to school baseball/softball, both kids will be playing on traveling teams again this summer.

Kels tried out last August for the Peppers again and made the 14U "B" team. She will be pitching and playing with a couple of her good friends and is anxious to get started. She won't have to wait long as the team's first tournament is May 21st in St. Peter.

Lil' TK will be trying for a Royals AAA, AA or A level team in April. He's made AA since 10yrs old and has grown so much stronger throughout this year that he is hoping to make at least AA again this year. He can't lose...A means he gets to play traveling baseball, AA has his idol/mentor for a coach - Coach Dean Bowyer - and AAA will mean playing at the highest level possible.

It's easy to see that Abby appreciates the warmer weather and sunshine. The sun again shines on "her spot" in the dining room and most afternoons you can find her laying there taking a snooze. Warmer weather means more walks, more time outside and she is always rearing to go when she hears either "Walk?" or "Outside!"
She is hoping Ang gets off her lazy butt and starts taking her on some nice long walks soon. Ang is thinking she's gonna need to spend the next week cleaning the winter's accumulation of poo out of the back yard. The more the snow melts...the more it reveals. *sigh*

*´¨)¸.• ´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

Baseball is done for 2010

Lil' TK and the Royals 12U AA Maroon ended the season with a 15-12-2 record. Lost their swagger and did not play well the first day of State in Eagan. Played for pride and for their coach today and won their last pool game 6-1. It's been an interesting season with a college hall of fame coach, big expectations, big frustrations and a record that is disappointing but deceiving. The boys grew more as players than they realize, and than they showed at the end, but will definitely benefit from this experience.

Kels and the Peppers 12U Blue girls have Nationals next weekend and then ball is done for the year. It will be weird to not have the weekends planned but nice to be done with the madness.

Big TK has been finding work with Coach Dean and his baseball clinics and with his band, Acoustic Inc. He loves performing and is looking forward to starting a loud and proud rock band with "G-Man" again.


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(¸.•´ (¸.•' Peace and Love

One Weekend Down – Seven or So to Go

May 8-9, 2010 - 1ST Weekend of Softball/Baseball went great for the Kopp kids!

Lil’ TK’s Royals 12U AA Maroon team went 3-2 and took 3rd in the Blaine Tournament. The team really pulled together to play well. Supported each other and ground out the win when needed. So fun to watch.

Kels’ Peppers 12U Blue team went 4-0 and won Tier 1 of the Moundsview Madness tournament. Despite 3 collisions going for a fly ball in the in-field due to silence (12-13 yr old girls – really?), the team played well…the bats were singing and the pitches were humming. It was a one-day tournament on the 8th which was a really crappy day weather-wise. 3 mini hail storms, freezing wind and rain did nothing to stop the girls though.

Find us on WePlay.com – all of us are on there as members and both teams have their own pages.

Easter Tidings

Lil’ TK is gearing up for baseball tryouts on 4/10 & 4/11. This year it’s AAA or AA for him. Considering the coaches they’ve selected for both levels…he’s a winner either way. Fingers crossed he makes one of the teams…

Kels had tryouts for Peppers March 28th. She had hoped to do well enough to move up and play on the A-level team with some of her best friends this summer. She worked hard during the winter and was really looking tough with the bat and better with the pitching but, unfortunately, she wasn't selected for that upper level team and was placed on the B-level team again for this summer. She is happy with the placement, however, as a couple of her other good friends are on the team and she is hoping she will get a lot of playing time. They’ve already had one practice with some of the pitchers and catchers so everyone seems to be excited to get the season going.

Big TK is enjoying learning the pawn business as a “Coach in Training” at Pawn America. He is working lots of hours and got his first full paycheck this week. Talk about motivation.

Ang will be spring cleaning this weekend in preparation for Easter. Anita is having people over for Easter dinner and since she is cooking…Ang gets to do the cleaning.

The Kopp Crew will be hosting the brother of Alyssa Sandeen the week after Easter. She had a heart transplant when she was like 7 or 8 and now needed a kidney transplant which happened in Rochester on 3/31. Her mother was the donor! Alyssa’s youngest brother and sister are twins and in Kels and Lil’ TK’s school so he will be staying with us while his mom and sister recover. So happy to be able to help this incredible family.

Abby is doing what she does best…being a dog. She is starting to shed like she does every spring and has several white spots showing up. She is loving the warmer weather and has started sleeping in her favorite place, right in front of the patio door with the afternoon sun beating down on her. Oh – the life of a mutt. Lucky Dog.

Happy Easter! Jesus is the reason for the season…well Him and Cadbury Eggs. ;o}

Starting up - Again

So Ang decided to start blogging again about what's going on with the Kopp Crew.

Kels broke her wrist in two spots - and we don't even have a good softball game story to go with it! Cast comes off 7/2 and she should be able to play again right away. Cannot wait!!! Only missed two tournaments...the Mankato one on June 12-14. That was a bummer. We were hoping to have some family come and watch that weekend. I must say she is a pretty awesome bench-warmer. She should be back and ready to go for State and Nationals. Here's hoping she comes back stronger than before.

Lil' TK has his Mankato tournament this weekend. Hoping for hardware! It's always fun to win your home tournament. The boys can do it if they believe...they are a really talented group of ball players! Go Royals Maroon! Then we gear up for State. I don't get to see too many of his games so this weekend will be nice to just hang out and be a baseball mom for a bit.


Big TK is still plugging away at a job he is way too qualified for but whatcha gonna do? I'm proud of him for sticking it out for the good of the fam.

Ang is still at TOG - knock on wood. Things are so scary. Here's hoping she is someone they need for a long time because the insurance is something we desparately need. All she can do is the best she can do and hope it's enough.