I will never forget the moment Ryan’s name popped up on the draft in 2015. I was so extremely excited for him I couldn’t breathe. After the initial excitement, reality set in. I was going to have to send him off to Tampa in less than 24 hours.

Ryan had played college ball for the past four years so I was by no means “new” to the long distance lifestyle but this time it felt a little different. This was a whole new “baseball life” to me and the unknown was a little scary. 

Ryan played short season ball his first year in Staten Island, NY. I went to visit a few times and quickly learned the intense grind these boys do every single day of the season. I remember the first time I visited I spent so much time by myself in the hotel. I was so bummed that I didn’t really have a lot of quality time with Ryan.

There were a few other girlfriends visiting at the time, so Ryan gave me their numbers to catch a ride with them to the game. Immediately I thought, “This is going to be so awkward. I don’t want to do this, what if they're weird? What if they don’t like me?” I went to the game and quickly regretted my nervous thoughts. These girls were amazing. My first trip I made some great friends that I still stay in touch with now.

3 Seasons in the MiLB later and I can tell you that the “random" girlfriends and wives I have met on my monthly trips to visit Ryan make my visits so much better. It has made me come out of my shell more and meet tons of great people that I never would have met otherwise!

DON'T be shy. Meet new people, sit in the stands with other girls, or go grab some lunch while the boys are at the field! 

I have learned a lot from the past 3 years and am still learning. I look back and wish I had a “Everything a MiLB Girlfriend Needs to Know” guide or the WAGS blog but I didn’t have that then! So I’m so happy to have this platform to share some advice to all my fellow WAGS! 

Here are my top six tips for a great season:

1. Don’t feel guilty for feeling guilty...Every year I feel bad for being sad that Ryan has to leave. It’s ok to be sad. It would be weird if you weren’t a little sad watching your man leave. Just make sure you’re still showing them you’re their biggest supporter.

2. (For WAGS that don’t travel with your guy) keep yourself BUSY during the season. The busier you are, the less time you spend thinking about how much you miss them!

3. Plan your trips to visit so you have something to look forward to! I wouldn’t get by without this. As long as I have a date to count down to I am good to go!

4. Utilize FaceTime! I’m a huge FaceTime lover. You can actually see them and have a little face-to-face time instead of texting all day. I generally try not to text very much. One, because usually he is so busy he can’t. And two, if you text all day there isn’t much to talk about on the phone or FaceTime. A fellow wag asked me the other day, “Do you ever feel distant with Ryan, even with FaceTime?” And to be honest, I do from time to time. Ryan’s life is very repetitive during the season, I always ask him silly questions about his day so he’s not always saying the daily “speech” of what he has done that day. I also go throughout my day making daily notes of things I want to share with Ryan later. It keeps the conversation a little more fresh and intriguing!

5. Don’t stress about the unknown. There are a lot of unknowns in this life. Some can be exciting, some can be stressful. I used to be so anxious not knowing where Ryan would be each season or where we would live in the off season but recently someone gave me this advice, “Once you pick a set path in life you are shutting the doors on all the other paths, so enjoy the unknown and live in the excitement of spontaneity.” Living by this has changed my life so much.

6. Most importantly, wrap your arms around your WAG family. We may have nothing else in common but this amazing-crazy life we live brings us together. Lean on US!

I hope this advice helps and comforts at least one of you. I am always looking for more advice and tips so please reach out and share. I look so forward to meeting more of you ladies this coming season!