Opening day for the all-stars featured a field decorated by Kathy and Marian and the Star-Spangled Banner sung by our own Nicole Cashel.

Nicole had been practicing all week. The original plan was for her to sing along to the music blaring over loud speakers. When we arrived at the field, though, we found out the speakers had blown. The commissioner offered a bull horn if Nicole was willing to sing sans music.

Our brave and confident Nicole, with a full year of drama training fresh under her belt, did the carpe diem thing and said “sure.” The commissioner took her behind the backstop to practice towards the woods.

A combination of nerves, of having to sing one of the most difficult songs in the world, of having to set her own pitch and beat without music, and of having a lack of backup from a bunch of t-ball boys, led to a rough start for Nicole. She started too high, making it impossible to reach the early high notes. Standing at home plate behind the bull horn, t-ballers up both base lines, I was helpless to help her. Her eyebrows went up in desperation. But she had gotten the crowd singing, so she paused through a line or two, and found her proper notes. She finished well, and held back the tears until she cleared the field.

It was a tough moment, but Kathy and I told her we were proud of her for doing it, and I told her I was proud of her for not quitting and having the guts to finish.

Nicole and Danny both have a lot of character. You don’t always get that by getting the most points.