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Making Family a Priority: Spaghetti & Meatballs
The Newsletter of the Washington Family Council

Family is a priority for Dan and Annie Wilson. Even when spending time together may take away from personal hobbies, they make family time a priority. Dan and Annie have been married for nine years and have three children: two daughters who are six and four, and a son who is two. As a catcher for the Seattle Mariners, Dan often returns home late from games, but every morning he gets up and takes the kids to school. Sometimes this means only getting a few hours of sleep, but spending time with his kids in the morning is important to him. Evenings, for the Wilson’s, are also important for family time. Like many parents, they read books to their children in the evening before bed. But, unlike many families, they have made the decision to stay off the phone between the hours of five and nine in the evening.
Family traditions often involve food and the Wilson family has their food traditions too. One of those traditions is that every year spaghetti and meatballs are served for dinner on Christmas Eve. The family also makes a tradition of going to Burgermaster once a week throughout the year, and they always eat it in the car. Because time together is important, they try to have as many meals together as possible. Another family tradition is to meet Dan at the airport whenever he returns home from an away game. The kids look forward to going to “daddy’s airport,” as they call it, to meet their dad. Annie also makes sure the kids get to watch their dad play his games, another event they look forward too and begin to miss in the off-season.
Dan and Annie admit that making family a priority takes careful planning. They try to do lots of activities as a family, whether it's swimming lessons or gymnastics, everyone goes together, even if only one child is involved in the activity. When driving in the car with her children, Annie takes the time to pray with them about things going on in their lives and in the lives of others. Dan and Annie take advantage of opportunities to spend time with, play with, eat with, and pray with their children. And, they don’t wait for opportunities, but they put family time on the calendar the way they do a meeting or appointment. They recognize the priority of family and live their lives accordingly.

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Interview: Dan Wilson Montlake Elementary School
Sam Sullivan, Sean Leonard, and Matt Winter wrote questions for Dan Wilson while he was at spring training this year in Peoria. These were then hand-delivered by our parent advisor, Winky Hussey. Here are his replies:

Q. What do you think about John Olerud? A. Oley is a great hitter and 1st Baseman, but he's even a nicer person. We're lucky to have him.
Q.Do you like the rules of baseball? What rules would you change? A.. I think baseball is one of the most perfect games ever invented.
Q. Did you like playing for the Reds more than the Mariners? A.. I never really played much for the Reds so I wasn't there long enough to feel like "home." Seattle, on the other hand, feels like home and we love it here.
Q. What are some of your favorite hobbies outside of baseball? A.. Family time, reading, golf
Q. Who was the most important person that helped you become a major league player? A.. It would probably be all the coaches I've had since high school.
Q. If you could pick another line of work, what would it be? A.. Mechanical Engineering
Q.What do you see yourself doing in ten years? A.. Helping coach or teach youth in Seattle.
Q. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? A.. Cookies 'n Cream
Q. Where do you see the future of baseball going? A.. Baseball is seeing incredible popularity right now. I don't see that changing in the near future.
Q. Where did you grow up? A..Chicago, Illinois
Q. What is your favorite book and why? A.. The Bible. It's filled with the spiritual tools and principles that help you to a fulfilled life.
Q. What is the highlight of your career? A.. Winning the AL west in1995.

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