I’ve always had a problem admitting I’m wrong.With that said, I must admit my reservations about letting my son, Nick, play with the Luverne Baseball Association’s 11-and-Under team this summer were way off base.The season officially came to an end with two tournament games in Brandon, S.D., July 24. Now that it’s over, my wife and I agree we made the right decision about letting our boy play ball.When we were approached by coach Don Dinger about putting our 11-year-old son’s name on the team roster, it wasn’t a decision we could make on the spot.Knowing that both of our jobs require weekend commitments, and pondering the fact that the traveling baseball teams play at weekend tournaments, this wasn’t a decision we could make in haste.But after Dinger assured us we would be covered if scheduling conflicts came up, we decided to give traveling baseball a try.We’re both very happy we did.What I didn’t realize heading into this endeavor was how much fun we would have as a family.I knew Nick would enjoy himself because he loves baseball. He had his glove, spikes and a new uniform, which was all he needed to be happy.What surprised me was how much fun my wife, Astrid, my daughter, Melanie, and I would have following the team.The best experience for me came during the Luverne Tournament in late May. As the hosts of more than 20 teams, parents were asked to work some of the many jobs of a successful tournament.For Astrid and me it meant spending two-plus hours at the concession stand.I can’t speak for her, but it may have been the most rewarding two hours of my life. I served a number of hot dogs, chicken breast sandwiches, sodas and candy, and I did it without dropping a single item on the ground.At the same time, I earned respect for every member of the food service industry. The concession stand was hopping in between games, leaving me with a better understanding of what it would be like to work at a restaurant during lunch and dinner rushes.At the risk of being reprimanded at home, I think Astrid’s best tournament experience came in Brookings in June.I describe her as being an avid shopper. When the games scheduled for the first day of the tournament were rained out, I didn’t have the luxury of skipping out of town without spending time at Wal-Mart.There also was a three-hour delay between games on the second day. We spent part of that time at — where else? — Wal-Mart.As everyone from the Luverne delegation came to know, young Melanie has an obsession with animals. Only one tournament passed without her presence. At the other four events, I’m sure every supporter of the team had at least one of her plastic or stuffed animals shoved in their faces for inspection.Melanie’s summer highlight came during the Pipestone tournament in late June.After seeing some horses in a pasture beyond a playing field at the complex, the 4-year-old and I decided to take a closer look at the animals. When we reached the fence, two curious horses came to see what we had to offer. After a 15-minute session of hand-feeding the animals some grass, our young daughter was prouder than a peacock.As for the season itself, I think our boys represented Luverne well and with class. The team displayed continued improvement throughout the summer, and it advanced to the championship games of the final two events.Now that the campaign is over, I’m experiencing something like an empty-nest feeling. And I’m not alone.As we were heading to our vehicles after the Brandon tournament, fellow parent Bert (Robert) Verhey offered a perplexing question."What are we going to do on the weekends now?" he asked.All I could do in response was shrug my shoulders.It’s true that our weekends will be less eventful now. But you can take some comfort in following, Bert. April 2006 is only nine months away. That’s when the 12-and-under team will start preparing for another season. It should be an equally satisfying experience.