My First Love
Softball is my life. Well, it was my life. Leaving the game was one of the hardest things I had to do. It’s almost like losing a loved one. But at the end of the day, life must go on. I will always treasure the thirteen years that I played. The great friends I made, skills I acquired, and pure love of the game all contribute to my passion for fastpitch softball.
I made lifelong relationships through the game. I had the same coach, Lisa, for five years. During those five years, our team had the same central group of girls, with a few new ones that filtered through every year. There were eight of us. We became sisters through the years. At first, we all knew of each other, but weren’t really friends. But spending time together obligated us to really get to know those we barely knew. It wasn’t long before we became a close-knit family. We were there for each other through breakups, family issues, and all the other drama that high school brings. There were countless hysterical phone calls that I received from one of the girls regarding relationship issues. After playing counselor for an hour or two, we would have the issue straightened out. We may not have been the most talented team, but our love for one another and the genuine attitude towards playing made us a great team. Although we all graduated and started the beginning of the rest of our lives, we continue to be a support group for each other.
I can barely recall my first days playing softball. As a five year-old, the rules of the game weren’t imprinted in my mind yet. I remember, tears streaming down my face, explaining to my Dad after I got out for the first time. “I throwed the bat Daddy!” Though the rules and the skill level have changed a bit through the different age levels, it has always been a physical activity. It got me motivated and active. Of course, there were days when I was lying on the couch and dreaded getting up and actually putting a smidge of effort into something. But once I got to practice, I would start playing catch with one of my teammates, and a natural smile would spread across my face. We would goof around while repeating numerous drills and laugh at things that were usually not the least bit funny. But at the time, it was. I was comfortable and finally able to be myself around the girls. I also found something within softball that changed my life: pitching. I developed so much as a pitcher. Whether I was pitching in the last inning of the game, looking for the final strikeout, or in my backyard practicing with my dad, I was at peace when I was pitching. Being on the pitcher’s mound is like being center stage before a big production. My whole body is in tune with the task at hand. The noise of the obnoxious parents screaming in the background fades away, and the only object in site is the catcher’s mitt. The thought of striking the cocky batter out puts a smile across my focused face. I wind up and release the pitch. WHOOOMP! Strike three, batters out! Making the final strikeout of a game is like hearing your favorite song on the radio; as soon as you realize it, you can’t help but smile, regardless of how you were feeling before. Let me tell you, it doesn’t get much better than that.
Softball helped me become the person I am today. I was always a fan of the Olympics and especially of one player in particular: Jennie Finch. She is the star pitcher of Team USA. She helped the team win three gold medals throughout the four Olympic Games that have featured softball as an event. She is my role model, and helped me “dream big” as a child. She is skilled and classy. She has held many skill clinics and other events to spread the knowledge of softball throughout America. In interviews, she is always poised and holds herself high. Although she is a young, beautiful woman, she doesn’t participate in the promiscuous lifestyle that many young women do these days. I truly believe that because of her success, a girl can do anything she puts her mind to. After my thirteen years of playing, I respect her with all my heart. It took hard work and dedication to get me where I am today, and I cannot imagine all the practice that Jennie Finch and the rest of Team USA have done to win their three gold medals. I believe I am a better person for having softball in my life, and it upsets me that more girls cannot experience that. The sport is slowly fading. In the 2012 Olympics, softball will not be one of the events. But, we can all hope that it makes a comeback in 2016!
Looking back on my final game this past summer, I don’t remember how I kept it together. That last game was like taking the last bite of your favorite dessert; you wish it wasn’t gone so you could still have more. I wish I could go back and cherish the moment over and over. It is an extremely hard moment to look back on, and think how I took that time for granted so many years. Still, after the game is over, I have my true relationships with my teammates, skills, love, and appreciation to follow me through life. I know that every summer for the rest of my life, there will feel like something is missing. I may not play anymore, but the game still plays in my heart.
This is all the seniors after our last game.
This is all of us for our final year.
