Some of our favorite HC Baseball traditions have very little to do with winning games. Tippy Tuesdays have been part of our baseball family for years, and on May 20, 2025, we gathered for our first one of the summer. It was a beautiful day for baseball, fellowship, and fun, and it felt good to have the Angels together again.
This particular Tippy Tuesday was special for another reason, too. It was our first one without Coach Clay, the man who started the tradition and made these informal summer gatherings part of HC Baseball. Continuing something he loved and created meant a great deal to our family.
How Tippy Tuesdays Began
When HC Baseball got its home field, Coach Clay started a little summer tradition he called Tippy Tuesdays, named for the field we affectionately call Tippy. The idea was simple: get the boys together during the summer for a little baseball, some fellowship, and a chance to enjoy one another’s company. Nothing formal, nothing complicated, and certainly nothing that required a carefully planned schedule.
Most of the time, the weather helped decide when we would get together. If it was a pretty day and everyone could make it, we might have a Tippy Tuesday. Sometimes we even made use of the batting cages when the rain kept us off the field. The point was never to create another obligation for our families. It was simply to give the boys an opportunity to play a little baseball, spend time together, and have fun.
That was one of the things Coach Clay understood so well. Baseball takes a lot of work, and he believed in working hard, but he also knew how important it was for his players to enjoy the game and enjoy being together. Tippy Tuesdays gave them another opportunity to do both.
Keeping Coach Clay’s Tradition Going
The summer of 2025 brought a lot of firsts without Coach Clay, and this was one of them. So many of our HC memories are tied to that field, to the boys, and to the countless hours he spent teaching and encouraging them. There is no way to continue those traditions without feeling his absence, but there is also something incredibly meaningful about seeing them live on.
Tippy Tuesdays were something he gave our baseball family, and I am grateful that the Angels still wanted to get together and enjoy them. We could not bring Coach Clay back to the field, but we could continue making memories in a place he loved, doing something he loved, with young men who meant so much to him.
That made this first Tippy Tuesday of 2025 especially meaningful.
A Little Baseball and a Lot of Fun
We started the afternoon with some baseball. The boys had an opportunity to get out on the field, work on their skills, and enjoy playing together without the pressure of a game or the expectations of a formal practice. It was exactly the kind of relaxed summer baseball gathering Tippy Tuesdays were always intended to be.
There is something special about watching these young men enjoy the game simply because they love it. No scoreboard, no tournament bracket, and no need to worry about the final result. Just teammates spending time together, getting in a little work, and having a good time.
Cooling Off at Our Favorite Sno Shack!
After spending the afternoon on the baseball field, we headed to one of our favorite places to cool off: Gardendale Sno Shack! But this little stop has a history with our family that goes back much further than HC Baseball.
Our children grew up going to Gardendale Sno Shack. We have been taking them there since they were so little they could barely see over the counter to order their snow cones. Over the years, it became one of those familiar places woven into our family memories. As the children grew and our HC Baseball family grew along with them, it was only natural that we would start sharing one of our favorite places with our Angels, too.
Somewhere along the way, our family’s favorite snow cone stop became an HC Baseball favorite as well. And we wouldn’t have it any other way! There is something especially sweet about watching the young men who have become such an important part of our lives enjoy a place that has been special to our family for so many years.
We also want to give a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful folks at Gardendale Sno Shack. They have always taken such good care of us, from those early visits with our little ones to our outings with a whole group of HC Angels. Their kindness and hospitality mean so much to our family, and we genuinely appreciate them.
So yes, we are happy to declare Gardendale Sno Shack the official favorite snow cone stop of the HC Angels! If you’re in the Gardendale area, stop by and treat yourself. We think you’ll understand why we’ve loved them for so long!
And Then We Went to the Movies!
The fun did not end with baseball and snow cones. We finished our outing with a trip to the movies together, making an already enjoyable afternoon even better. It was a full day of baseball, treats, laughter, and time spent with some of our favorite people.
That is one of the things I have always loved about our HC Baseball family. The memories do not have to be made during a championship game or a big tournament. Sometimes they are made while sharing a snow cone, sitting together at the movies, or simply spending an afternoon doing something fun with your teammates.
More Than a Summer Practice
Looking back, I think that is what made Tippy Tuesdays such a wonderful idea from the beginning. Coach Clay created an opportunity for our players to enjoy baseball and one another without needing a particular reason to gather. The fellowship was just as important as the baseball, and the friendships mattered just as much as the practice.
Our first Tippy Tuesday of 2025 was a reminder that those things still matter. The tradition may have started with Coach Clay, but its continuation belongs to the young men and families who keep showing up, spending time together, and making HC Baseball something special.
Until the Next Tippy Tuesday!
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first Tippy Tuesday of 2025! We had a wonderful time and could not have asked for a better way to spend a beautiful May afternoon. From the baseball field to snow cones in Gardendale and a trip to the movies, it was a day full of fun and memories.
We never know exactly when the next Tippy Tuesday will happen. That has always been part of the fun. When the weather is nice, the boys are available, and the opportunity comes along, we will get together and enjoy another one.
Coach Clay started something good all those years ago, and I am so thankful we get to keep it going. Here’s to many more Tippy Tuesdays with our HC Angels!
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