Update

I wasn’t able to get video or pictures of yesterday’s training sessions because Scot and I spent most of T’s training time on the phone wrapping our minds around all the new USAT rules and how important it is for T to attend or not attend US Open this year. While we are figuring it all out we went ahead and applied for his Global Licensing. Without having that in place there is no competing at US Open anyhow. More importantly though is figuring out if we can pull off actually doing this financially. It’s an expensive trip to Vegas for US Open on top of all the other tourneys T needs to attend this year. We have found out that he needs to attend as many USAT events as possible because they take his top 3 scores outside his home state to get his seeding points.  US Open is an exception. They are added in on top of the state points. The resason you attend more events is there is potential to attend an event with someone ranked higher than you and provided T beats them he potentially gets even more seeding points in strength factor points. It’s a whole new world for us now that T will be in his last year as a youth and moving to Cadet in 2020. Points really matter because they roll. He can only take 50% of the points he earns this year into his Cadet year because he is moving divisions from one age group to another so the more points he receives means he’ll have a larger 50% number that he gets to take with him next year. And this of course is all provided that they don’t go and change the rules on us again next year. So much to consider to make sure T is in the best place he can be going into his Cadet year in 2020. 

Our heads are spinning thinking about all that has to take place this year and the financing that we will be needing to put towards it all. It’s a huge investment of time and finances. Most importantly we are supporting our son and helping him towards the future he wants in this sport. He is putting forth tons of effort with all the training he’s doing. It’s hard to really think of our 10 year boy as an elite athlete but that’s what he is. He is an elite athlete.  

Pray for us as we endeavor to make the best dicisions that will be most beneficial to T as an elite athlete. Pray for T’s focus and for his really making his techniques as sharp and fast as they can be as he trains more and more. Pray for wisdom for us going forward as we work out all the financing for everything. 

T and I are now in Charlotte with his coach half the month and we are at home half the month. This has been the most time I’ve spent away from my husband since we were married in 2006. We both know it’s just a season but it doesn’t make my missing him any less. He’s my best friend and for him to not be able to see everything first hand that our son is doing down here in Charlotte is hard.  Pray for us as we are having to spend so much time apart. Scot is doing all he can to finance this journey our son is on while I’m with our son making sure his needs are met and doing schooling in the midst of it all. The great thing about homeschooling is it can go with you wherever you go. It’s also what almost every elite athlete does so they can keep a consistent training schedule and be able to attend all their events. 

Life was crazy last year but it’s going to be even more crazy this year and yet even more crazy in 2020. Mrs. Donna (one of T’s teammates moms) explained to me that what we are really working toward now is being able to attend Pan Am down the road. Pan Am is a stepping stone towards the Olympics. There’s so much our little guy will have to accomplish in the years to come in order to get the invite for the Team USA trials to earn a spot on Team USA to be able to compete in the Olympics in 2028 which is his ultimate goal in this sport. 

I’m sure that was more information than you expected when you started reading this but I want to keep everyone informed who are following our blog which I’m finding out are more than I thought were following.  Keep following and keeping up with us. Sign up to be added to an email that you will receive when I make new blog updates. Have a great day!