Parents and Players Love MSM!
With it's unique format, it's really hard to beat a fun MSM weekend. Check out what parents and players have sent us. We have 100s and 100s of these. Just hit refresh to see more!
Son had a great time. Thanks MSM
Our team and their parents team can't wait to do it again next year! Most of the boys have been hanging out on their free time ever since. I think that was the point. Well done MSM!
Most fun my son has had playing baseball since starting!
A great experience and I would definitely recommend it.
MSM was great for us for a few reasons. It allowed boys who grew up together but have very different levels of baseball skill to compete in a real tournament. MSM also introduced boys to one another early who will likely end up on a highschool team together. Highly recommend MSM to any up and coming 6th, 7th, 8th grade players and families.
This was the 2nd year my son has played MSM, and my 2nd year to coach a team. This year was as much fun if not more fun than the last. All of the boys on our team smiled the entire time we were there. I am not sure which they enjoyed more, playing with their buddies from school or playing against the boys on the other school team that are normally their teammates. We plan to form an 8th-grade team to finish out our 3rd and final year with MSM. It is an event both you and your child will look forward to each season, trust me on that. Mathew Long - Keller ISD - Trinity Springs Middle School 7th
Many of the boys on my son’s middle school team are kids that he had played against in rec ball. It was nice to finally meet some of them and their parents that we had sat across from for many years.
This was our second year playing in MSM and me coaching our MSM teams. Last year was great as it was a new experience. This year was even better as we kind of knew what to expect which allowed us to focus more on just having fun. We had great competition, fantastic fields and awesome umpires the entire weekend. Can't wait for MSM next year, although it will be our last I am sure it will be our best year of all.
Great job Middle School match up staff. I had my ninth player show up Saturday morning with a broken hand from the night prior. Was very impressed with the onsite tourney directors response to finding a last min sub player @ Bachus in Frisco. He even followed up to ensure we had no issues halfway through our first game!
My son loved this weekend. We play in tournaments all the time, but this one had such a fun atmosphere and he loved playing with his friends from school. Thank you!
I would like to extend a Thank you to MSM staff for putting a great, fun tournament for the kids. We did not have many practices but the boys enjoyed every bit of playing together. When my son tells me I'm proud to play with my school friends for his middle school (GISD-Hudson) it speaks volumes about what the tournament is about. Its about having fun, team building, competing and proudly representing your middle school. Id like to Thank MSM for allowing me to coach a combined metro team, not only did our kids bond with other teammates I also had the opportunity to meet some great parents that enjoy the game of baseball. Thank you Meno
Our kids had such a great time playing together! We noticed the same with other teams, and had other coaches commenting to us how much fun our kids were having with each other. It didn't matter if we were winning or losing at the time - they just had an amazing time together!
Great concept and lots of fun!
Would definitely recommend! Our son had never expressed an interest or played baseball until MSM. Coach Price worked with him and he and an awesome time and experience to the point where he will now play in the spring. Thanks to the staff and coach for making our son a success story.
I have twin 6th grade boys and they had a blast!!!!! This was such a great opportunity to get friends together to play as they usually are spread out on all different teams. So much fun!!!
First time this year playing MSM and my son had a blast ! He got to play with friends and other players he wouldn’t normally had played or played with and it was a huge confidence booster for my son as he had a challenging Spring 2021 Season. Looking forward to the fall MSM!
My son and our family look forward to this tournament. It is so fun for him to get to play with his classmates. The atmosphere is fun for the whole family! The memories made are priceless!
Middle School Matchup was a wonderful experience for my 6th grader. I am so thankful he got the opportunity to participate in this event. He got the opportunity to play with other kids from his middle school that he has not played with before and he loved it. MSM does an outstanding job making this event fun, competitive, and memorable! #happybaseball
Went in as a free agent and put with a team. The kids were so open and nice to a new kid. The coaches were motivating and fun and the parents were so nice as well. It made baseball even more fun.
Great weekend of baseball, made some new friends too!
One of the best tourneys
My player bonded with other baseball players from school he may not have otherwise!
Great event!! My son had a great time playing baseball with his school friends. A couple suggestions......it would be great if each complex hosting the event had T-shirts for sale, the board with all the kids playing and food collection boxes as outlined in the email. Thanks!!
Our Harwood JH boys were the first HEB kids to compete in MSM and they made the finals. We loved the format, the organization and the opportunity! Need more schools in the west side to join the fun!
MSM puts on great events that allow for awesome school pride and relationship building among players!
This event was phenomenal. It was well organized and well executed, and most of all, it's such a fun concept to be playing with kids from your neighborhood. Isaac told me "this is the most fun I have had playing baseball in a long time." As a parent, one cannot ask any more than that. Kudos, MSM.
My son played MSM all three years of middle school. Great experience every year and wonderful memories made with classmates!
My son 100% loved this tournament. He was only able to participate in it 2x because he had an injury in 7th grade and wasn't able to participate. But being around all these different players from different schools in a relaxed atmosphere helped him play really well in the tournament. I saw smiles on all the kids faces and the most memorable thing i saw was when the pitcher on the opposing team was warming up, ALL the boys gathered and were laughing and talking to each other because they all knew each other. Wonderful tournament
A way for young men to play with new and old friends. Such a great community event!
Rylan had so much fun. Playing against class mates in a fun setting was relaxing. Coach Pitts was excellent with his relationship to the team. Helped them enjoy the game even more.
My son had such a great time and made some new friends along the way! The coaches we had were great, they were very professional and positive. They made the experience fun and exciting for the kids and parents too!
What a fun weekend orf bonding amongst classmates. Memories that will last a lifetime
We had a great time playing MSM matchup. It was great to see my son and school mates gather to play the sport they love and represent their school.
What a fantastic weekend! This was such a great way to meet new players and try new positions! Thank you for all that you do!!
The middle school matchup is a great idea. The boys have a great time getting to play with all the kids from there school. It’s great for all skill levels to just come out and have a good time with their friends. I wish at the end of it all the would take all the champions from each grade and division. Let them battle it out and see who is the top school. Thank you for putting on the tournament.
Our kids had a blast. We had a combined team so they got to know other kids as well as play with their friends. It’s too bad this is just once a year! Will do again!
Our kiddos had the best time. They played against friends so of course that was the best! Our 6th graders that represented EMS-Creekview School took the Championship! Can’t wait for next year..
My son had a blast during middle school matchup. Baseball was fun again, with no pressure and playing with buddies from school.
My son is not very outgoing and has only played on 2 different teams in 5 years, he does not come out of his bubble very often so I didn’t know how this would go! He opened right up to his Combo team and had a blast…
I had a 6th & 7th grader for the first time playing MSM, and they loved it! Great coaches, fun with friends, and great attitudes all around! Would highly recommend it to others!!
This was an amazing experience
We really enjoyed a fun weekend playing with our school district!!!
We had such an amazing experience all around!! The boys had great chemistry and they enjoyed playing with their friends from school! MSM kudos to y’all for pulling off such a challenging and fantastic event!! Looking forward to the next one!!
Phenomenal event. What a great idea.
My son was excited to meet new friends and play in a friendly atmosphere. The bantering back and forth with an opposing team was polite and refreshing to witness.
Middle School Matchup was an amazing event. Seeing the boys bond was fantastic. Although they are all so competitive, it was a great time for them to relax and just enjoy playing the game they all love with friends. The officiating was truly the best we have had and we have seen a lot of officials. Thank you MSM for a terrific weekend.
What an amazing day playing in Middle School Matchup. These boys played hard, had fun and took home the championship in their bracket. Aside from playing well as a team there were some pretty spectacular moments. Sunday Game 1 a perfect game was pitched and the team scored 17 runs. Game 2 a shut out was pitched and the team scored 11 runs. Game 3 pitchers held the opponent to 4 runs the hit a walk-off three-run in side the park home run for a 5-4 victory. To say the day was exciting is an understatement. Classmates from various teams came together as one and memories were made. Had an absolute blast.
Kyle enjoyed getting to know some of the other baseball players at his middle school. As the parents commented, that is the core of our future high school team developing!!
The boys had so much fun! What an amazing experience
Boys had a blast!!
We really enjoyed the MSM! It was a relaxing and fun change from our regular tournament play .
What a great experience! Our junior high was the first ever from our district to participate in MSM. It was worth it! The boys bonded quickly like they'd played with each other for years. As the tourney went along they grew closer together. What great lasting memories for the boys and the parents!!!
This is my son's second year to participate in MSM! Once again it was an absolute blast. Logan said to me after the second game, "There is nothing more fun than looking up and seeing all my best friends playing our favorite sport all together". We can't wait til next year. Go Gators!
it is great for the kids that don't play on the same team but go to the same school to play together !! the only thing that is disappointing is stacking teams with all great talent !!
What a great weekend!! Our team had so much fun playing on the field and making memories at the hotel. Every part of the tournament went so smoothly. Our boys won the championship and received championship T-shirts and they were so excited to wear them the next day to school to show all of their friends that they were MSM Champs!!
My son loved getting the opportunity to play positions he doesn’t normally play on his usual team. It was a fun laid back chance to experiment!
My son had so much fun even as a “free agent.” He said he learned so much from our coach and the other boys.
What an amazing experience! MSM is run so well; so organized but with a great personal touch. The boys loved every minute of it! Thank you for a great weekend full of memories.
I saw my son be able to just play ball with his buddies as opposed to the unnecessary pressures and stress of select ball. It was refreshing and exciting!
What an incredibly fun weekend of baseball!!! Now I see where #happybaseball came from because it’s the perfect way to describe it. Getting an opportunity to play with all of your school mates was the absolute best!!! So much joy coming from the dugout. The organization and communication was top notch and made the whole experience such fun. Thanks to all who put in all the hard work to make the tournament a huge success.
Great experience, My son Noah had a terrific time. First time we were able to play as a unit with kids we've known for years and made some new friends. Great event Great people couldn't be happier. Thanks MSM
I heard my player say, “I wish this was the team I got to play with all the time.” My son loved the opportunity to get to play with his school classmates. Such a great bonding activity for the boys. It’s such a bummer middle schools don’t offer baseball when there are this many boys who want to play!
My son enjoyed being able to play with his classmates! He even made a few new friends. The facilities were great and very family friendly! Thanks for the opportunity to participate!
This was our 2nd MSM and we loved it just as much as the 1st! We love that it gives our boys who grew up together the opportunity to play together! The program is well organized, teaches team work and to be competitive while still having fun. Middle School Match-up fans for life!
I wish I could be on two baseball teams, Dalllas Patriots and MSM Davis.
Just wanted to share with you what an awesome experience we had this weekend. The time spent getting to know the boys that are new friends to my son In middle school was amazing! Although our Downing Diamondbacks came up short today, the memories that were made will last a lifetime. What a great way for us as parents to get to know one another as well! Kudos to everyone who put this tournament together. It’s a great concept and a well run event. Thanks again for a great time. We will be back for our 7th grade year for sure!
My son had so much fun playing baseball and running into old friends/teammates. Will definitely sign up again and help spread the word!
We enjoyed watching our team play...we sustained an injury during practice so weren't able to compete but we enjoyed cheering our team on nonetheless. Great time...I'd recommend it to any middle schoolers wishing they could play baseball next year in middle school.
Our son has played in 2 tourney's now and has a great time! We enjoy seeing old friends from old teams! The MSM group is really great, and it's awesome to know some of this benefits others! The local schools need to do a better job of promoting though, we only learned about it from our regular team coach and had to scramble some at the school by word of mouth through the kids- This is a GREAT opportunity for the kids to make school friends for years to come that they otherwise wouldn't be able too! looking forward to continuing!
My sons team of 7th graders did not place in tourney, but EVERY one of those boys came off the last game with smiles on their faces!! Who wants to loose, but this shows what the coaches main message was.....meet new boys, do your best, but have fun!!!! Great experience!!!
Son had a great time playing in this tournament. Well Organized.
Great experience for everyone involved.
Awesome experience!
I heard my player said he loved playing with kids from his school and from different teams. Over the past two years he has made more friends and has started to look forward to playing in the tournement every year.
I heard my son say it was so fun to play with his friends from school. I saw more smiles from him over the 2 days than I have in a while on the field, playing with school friends and against regular teammates.
Middle School Matchup was able to put together great talents for my son's team. My son was able to contribute his baseball skills to the team and won it all by getting the championship ring...His very first such accomplishments.. He was so proud of himself. He has participated with Middle School Matchup the last 3 years.(6th 7th and 8th grade.). I hope this fun experience he will treasure for the rest of his life...Thank You
It was great experience to represent your area and school. The boys really enjoyed it and I wish every kid gets a opportunity to play the best game for there favorite school. I can’t wait for the next tournament.
Everyone was all about fun. The kids just had fun. There was no pressure from anyone, and it was fun to have the school pride aspect. We need more things like this for both the parents and the kids.
I am far from a “baseball mom”, but this tournament has been so much fun for both my son and myself! We would definitely recommend Middle School Matchup!!
What a great tournament and a great time for the boys! Our MSM team was made up of players from about five different teams; so, for some of the boys this was their first chance to play together since they were much younger - if ever. I had more than one boy tell me how much fun it was playing with ALL of their friends together. Even better... they beat their cross-town rival, so they have some BRAGGING RIGHTS! I know they are all already talking about NEXT year! p.s. The rings are AWESOME! They all wore them to school the next day, and they are so proud. Great job to the entire team at MSM for making this such a memorable experience for players, coaches AND fans!
What a wonderful experience for both my boys! Can’t wait to do it again next year!
Everybody says that youth sports are supposed to be about fun…but we all know that the pressure to perform gets higher and higher the older these kids get. Especially playing on travel teams. This was an awesome experience where these kids just got to be kids and have fun without the pressure! We WILL be back for the next one for sure!!
Coached the Frisco Wester Wildcats for the past few seasons. This years tournament was extremely well organized, directed and officiated. Our boys had a blast playing with their classmates and against their fellow team members and opposing schools. Not sure who had more fun the boys or the coaches. Pictures with fellow classmates and league team members before and after games is priceless. Great job MSM!
My son absolutely loved playing with all his school friends! He wishes middle school had baseball! Thank you for a fantastic weekend!!
It was great getting the boys at our school together to play. They aren't always on the same teams, but they could play together, form new bonds and represent their school!
On the drive home I asked my son if he enjoyed playing with his future classmates. He responded “This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing in a tournament.” He also told his grandmother the same thing later. He had six of his select baseball teammates playing for their respective middle schools and it was a fun and wonderful experience to cheer on our current teammates and get to know our future classmates/teammates.
I loved coaching the kids and them getting to represent their school. My son had a blast and can't wait until next year and I hope to get the opportunity to coach the boys again. The boys had a lot of fun playing together.
Great event. Kid had a great time playing with class mates he would normally play against. Can’t wait for next year
Best youth baseball experience we’ve had in years.
My boy had fun the two days of the tournament. It was fantastic.
So much laughing and excitement!
I loved how my son had fun with his team. I heard so much laughing and excitement from the duggout
Great way to get the boys together to build chemistry before they get to highschool.
This was our first year with MSM and it was SO MUCH FUN! My son had a blast playing with had classmates who are normally all dispersed over several teams. And I loved meeting other parents who we I’ll cross paths with at school events going forward. The little
Touches were great - like the #happybaseball banner with all the kids last name!! Thank you for a great event.
My son had a blast, the fields were nice. Only suggestion I have is to have working scoreboards.
Well organized fun tournament! Thank you!
The boys had a blast playing together with their school mates. I watched the boys bond closer together as each game went on. They all wore their jerseys to school on Monday and were high-fiveing each other in the hallway. Great experience for the players, coaches, and parents throughout the weekend. We can't wait to do it again next year!
Great opportunity for schoolmates to interact and play together.
Great idea and well run tournament!
Been playing MSM all through middle school. You guy’s always put on a great tournament and our son loves playing baseball with all his friends. Thanks again for another great season.
What a great platform for all of the young baseball players to come together and play with and against each other. We had a great time, my son had a great time! Looking forward to the next one!
What a great weekend of baseball. Very fun tournament that brought kids together that don’t play together. Camaraderie was great
The 8th grade players on the Rogers Middle school in Prosper said they had a lot of fun but wish they had one more shot at a championship in the spring. Hopefully MSM can work it out and give all the 8th graders in the metroplex one more tournament. Personally I am thankful for allowing the kids an opportunity to play with their classmates before high school. They had a blast!
What a wonderful experience for both my boys! Can’t wait to do it again next year!
Son had a great time playing in this tournament. Well Organized.
This was my son's first year playing for MSM. He is a 6th grader in McKinney. The boys had a great time getting together with other students from their school that they may not normally play with. The coaches were also great and it was FUN FUN FUN.
I've coached youth baseball for 10 years. The MSM tournament was unlike any other tournament I've been a part of. My team was full of school pride playing for their middle school! I strongly recommend MSM!
What a fun weekend! Very well organized and boys got to play ball with classmates they might not normally get to play with. We had great parent and student support too! Wish we would have done this in 6th and 7th grade as well.
Very fun event for the kids.
The boys were huddled up before the first game I heard one say to the other" imagine our school having two teams if everyone signed up and what that would look like"
Our team and their parents team can't wait to do it again next year! Most of the boys have been hanging out on their free time ever since. I think that was the point. Well done MSM!
My son enjoyed being able to play with his classmates! He even made a few new friends. The facilities were great and very family friendly! Thanks for the opportunity to participate!
Would definitely recommend! Our son had never expressed an interest or played baseball until MSM. Coach Price worked with him and he and an awesome time and experience to the point where he will now play in the spring. Thanks to the staff and coach for making our son a success story.
It was a memorable weekend with new friends. Kids has the great experience representing their school playing baseball.
No better way in the DFW area for middle school boys to play together than at the MSM tournament.
My son, Dylan, had a great time playing high level baseball with his friends from Willow Springs Middle School. We are new to the North Texas area so it gave us a good glimpse that there is life outside of football in Texas sports! The talent level was amazing and the games were fun to watch. We are happy that we were part of the MSM experience.
This was the second year that we participated in Middle School Matchup. It was a great way for the boys to bond before they go into high school and play with their classmates. It was laid back and most importantly the boys had a great time playing without pressure. The whole environment was fantastic.
This is my fifth year with boys in the MSM program and I have to say it’s been a blast for both of them. They each play baseball at a high level with their select teams but there’s nothing like playing with your classmates and friends at school, no matter the level of the team’s success on the ball diamond. Everyone has a great time and the anticipation of the tournament every year has been like a second Christmas for them.
This was a fun a well organized tournament. I loved my son being able to play with his classmates. All these boys play in different clubs so it was fun to see them play with their future high school teammates.
My son had a great time and got to show his classmates what he was all about. We had several coaches come try to recruit my son after the games. It was a lot of fun and also competitive.
I would like to extend a Thank you to MSM staff for putting a great, fun tournament for the kids. We did not have many practices but the boys enjoyed every bit of playing together. When my son tells me I'm proud to play with my school friends for his middle school (GISD-Hudson) it speaks volumes about what the tournament is about. Its about having fun, team building, competing and proudly representing your middle school. Id like to Thank MSM for allowing me to coach a combined metro team, not only did our kids bond with other teammates I also had the opportunity to meet some great parents that enjoy the game of baseball. Thank you Meno
This was our second year playing in MSM and me coaching our MSM teams. Last year was great as it was a new experience. This year was even better as we kind of knew what to expect which allowed us to focus more on just having fun. We had great competition, fantastic fields and awesome umpires the entire weekend. Can't wait for MSM next year, although it will be our last I am sure it will be our best year of all.
My son had a blast playing baseball with his school mates which doesn't happen in middle school. Wish we could do it next year, unfortunately the kids have to pick one sport in High School
Great time awesome venue for the kids
My son plays on a nationally ranked select team. It was fun to see him play with the kids he goes to school with and friends with. I haven't seen him smile so much on the field. Plus he was able to show his friends his baseball skills which was nice for him....
"PLAYING WITH MY FRIENDS FEELS LIKE WE ARE WINNERS ALREADY "
Great job Middle School match up staff. I had my ninth player show up Saturday morning with a broken hand from the night prior. Was very impressed with the onsite tourney directors response to finding a last min sub player @ Bachus in Frisco. He even followed up to ensure we had no issues halfway through our first game!
This was our first experience with the MSM. My son had a great time. He got to meet so many players from other areas and the one common theme was baseball. I saw him between games talking and laughing with kids he had never met before. What a way to build fellowship between schools. Thanks to everyone who puts this tourney together!!!
"That was fun!"
Most fun my son has had playing baseball since starting!
This was the an outstanding weekend of family fun and some great baseball. My son plays AA and played for Staley Middle School and absolutely had the best time playing and representing the school. We talked for hours about he wonderful weekend and all of the talented teams. this is an event that should happen more often. Maybe a Spring Match Up. We would even be interested in a middle school mini season. The event was very well organized and well done. SUPER EXPERIENCE. THANK you so much. Please consider a Spring Match and a Mini Season.
My sons team of 7th graders did not place in tourney, but EVERY one of those boys came off the last game with smiles on their faces!! Who wants to loose, but this shows what the coaches main message was.....meet new boys, do your best, but have fun!!!! Great experience!!!
It was a great opportunity to play more baseball once the regular season it's over plus a positive way to interact with classmates from his middle schoo,..gran evento
My player bonded with other baseball players from school he may not have otherwise!
My son had so much fun playing with his friends. It was a great time by all. Looking forward to next year.
Great opportunity for schoolmates to interact and play together.
Great experience for my son. He made new friends and played alot of quality baseball. We're certainly all in for next year.
it is great for the kids that don't play on the same team but go to the same school to play together !! the only thing that is disappointing is stacking teams with all great talent !!
It was a blast! The kids had an amazing time.great experience for the middle school kids.
It was a blast! The kids had an amazing time.great experience for the middle school kids.
What an awesome weekend of baseball. My son had the time of his life. The coaches were fantastic and the boys had a blast. Can't wait to do it again next year.
My son and teammates got to play in 6th, 7th & 8th grade, going to miss this tournament being a part of his middle school baseball journey! Thank you MSM for hosting and volunteering on having this great tournament! Class of 2001
What a great weekend!! Our team had so much fun playing on the field and making memories at the hotel. Every part of the tournament went so smoothly. Our boys won the championship and received championship T-shirts and they were so excited to wear them the next day to school to show all of their friends that they were MSM Champs!!
What a great opportunity for kids to play with friends from school who they don't normally get to play with. My kids got the chance to play with kids they started playing baseball with years ago. Many kids take different paths in baseball but what a fun way to bring them back together for one weekend. Great memories for them.
This was AWESOME!! Thanks so much! We wish it was next weekend too! Everyone had a blast! 🙂 Thank you!!!
It's so much fun to see school buddies get the chance to play together! One of my favorite tourneys of the year.
Great event!! My son had a great time playing baseball with his school friends. A couple suggestions......it would be great if each complex hosting the event had T-shirts for sale, the board with all the kids playing and food collection boxes as outlined in the email. Thanks!!
I had the opportunity to coach a team this year. Not quite sure what we were getting into but ecstatic by the end of the weekend. This event is very well run. For the kids to have an opportunity to play with their classmates turned out to be very positive for all. We lost our 1st bracket game Sunday (3 extra innings) but the kids played hard and had a great time. The biggest thing they were fired up about was their Mannequin Challenge video that MSM put on the FB page. In 24 hours it had over 1000 views. The kids thought they were famous. Thank you again, we will see you next year!
Kyle enjoyed getting to know some of the other baseball players at his middle school. As the parents commented, that is the core of our future high school team developing!!
MSM was a great experience for both our 6th & 8th grade sons to play in. They both play select baseball and have played against their classmates in many tournaments but haven't had the opportunity to play on the same team. This gives them the chance to know how great it will be if they play high school baseball with the kids they see and talk to everyday and help build that bond on and off the field. We highly recommend giving your player the opportunity to play MSM whether they are playing travel or Little League Baseball, it's an experience they will never forget.
The boys had a blast playing on a team with all their middle school friends. We are looking forward to next year!
The boys really enjoy playing with their school friends and just going out and having fun. MSM is a great concept and seems to be enjoyed by all.
My son had a GREAT time at the MSM this weekend! It was fun to see the boys come together and play as a team representing their school for the first time. The event was very organized and a good time was had by all!
Fun event!
Great event and saw some wonderful softball this weekend. Would love to see it expand even more next year.
Great event! Lots of fun.
This was a great experience for my 8th grader. He has not played baseball for 2 years and he loved that he could play in a tournament with all his friends. He had a blast!
Son had a great time. Thanks MSM
This is my son's second year to participate in MSM! Once again it was an absolute blast. Logan said to me after the second game, "There is nothing more fun than looking up and seeing all my best friends playing our favorite sport all together". We can't wait til next year. Go Gators!
I loved coaching the kids and them getting to represent their school. My son had a blast and can't wait until next year and I hope to get the opportunity to coach the boys again. The boys had a lot of fun playing together.