Can a sport that is intended to be fun lead to growth or even hold us back? Actually yes, for me it is softball. Softball is a sport of pure failure, so it can hold us back unless you use the failure as motivation to lead you to growth and that is what I did. I used failure as motivation and it led me to growth. It was the very beginning, the start of the season, and I was working hard to get the starting position at second base. The first game came along and I did not see my name in the line up, so I worked harder and I still fell short and did not play; I sat on the bench. It all started off with seniors playing and not the best ones who deserved to be on the field. During this time I had been working on my elbow because I recently had elbow …show more content…
They put me in, and I hit the ball well, I made good plays on the field, they saw what I saw in myself after all this time. After my coaches saw what I saw, I was now in the starting nine. Games went by, and I was still playing, doing great. Although nobody liked that I worked and worked for my position, I still continued to do what was best for me. Time came to play Bryant High School where all my friends played. I was facing my friend, she was the pitcher, it was my moment to shine. She pitched me my pitch, and I hit my first ever career home run. I still remember the feeling I got when I saw it go over the fence. My dad and I always had a bet, if I had ever hit it over he would give me $100, so I got my money for doing so well. Shortly after, we were playing Daphne High School, a ball was hit behind me and the right fielder was on the run of the ball as well, we collided. Just like that, I thought I was done. The moment the coach saw us collide, she ran over to me, she saw blood. The athletic trainer put butterfly stitches on my cut and told me I needed to go get stitches. My parents took me to the doctor immediately, I got my stitches and went on about my
I swear it’s a sickness. It’s either that or gravity has a bit of a crush on me, since I can never seem to stay upright and on my feet. Last summer during softball alone I had many semi-catastrophic occurrences involving loss of balance or coordination such as getting a cleat stuck in home plate and almost kneeing myself in the face and tripping in the indent in the batter's box while going after a bunt. These events, however, were by for not the worst that happened. The worst took place during the Presque Isle tournament, facing none other than the Presque Isle panthers.
It was the beginning of a new softball season, and I couldn't wait to get out there with my team. At our first practice I remember feeling back at home on the field. Just when I thought this was going to be our teams best season, my parents moved me to a private school. Leaving what I was familiar with was not an easy task, and deciding if I would continue my passion of softball with a different team was even more difficult.
I have played softball for four years, Softball has always come to me naturally. It was my third year playing when I moved to Friendswood, I was new to everything. During this year I met a girl named Shaye Brockwell. She was really nice to me and we hung out many times. Then her dad started coaching and I got on their team the next year and everything changed.
A year later, I was again chosen for the team. This time, I worked my way from being a back-up catcher to the starting 3rd baseman in two weeks. But after going 0-2 in my first two at-bats, my coach took me out of the starting line-up. Again, I pinch-hit, and was very successful at it. I even hit what turned out to be a game-winning homerun. We later reached the championship game again, but we lost it for the second time. This time I was more frustrated than I could ever remember being. I was slamming my hand into walls and almost crying. I was really acting very childish.
As a kid, I was born and raised to love the great game of baseball. Many young kids have had dreams to become professional athletes, and achieve prestigious awards/ titles. Like many kids I’ve always dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. As a younger kid with my head in the clouds, I never really knew what it was like to put my actual blood, sweat, and tears into something I loved, until my worst season I had ever played. This whole story starts in the beginning of my ninth grade baseball season. It started out different from every other year because, of course I was a freshman. This was the first year I had ever practiced with the varsity squad, it was much more difficult, but I still figured I was going to do great. After weeks
All throughout high school I played on the softball team. Proceeding the season before where we went undefeated with a district championship, my senior year we were supposed to be unstoppable. We received a few new players to add on to our army and the entire school was counting on our run to state. I was so excited to have an amazing end to my high school softball career, but unfortunately my dream was cut short when we lost in the first round of districts. I did not know that loss would change me the way it did.
For the past eight years of my life I have been playing softball. It all started when I was eight years old and my dad took me to my first softball practice. I was thrilled to be playing a sport. My dad grew up playing baseball and his sisters played softball so he was ecstatic when I was finally old enough to play. I loved softball for the first 4 years of playing when it was all fun and games. In middle school softball became harder and more competitive and I slowly started to lose interest in it. I thought high school softball would be different; I would love my teammates, make varsity, and all along have a great first season of highschool softball… I was wrong.
I have been playing softball since the age of six. From the time I could walk, my dad had me out in our yard teaching me how to swing a bat and throw a ball. Growing up, softball is all I have known. Both of my parents played softball and baseball growing up and in college. They both have taught me everything they know about the sport. Softball has taught me more than the physical aspect of the game. In softball a player can strike out seven out of ten times and still be considered a good hitter. Everyone has rough days, but I have realized that I just need to come back the next day and work harder. My parents have showed me that working hard at it will help me succeed. Whenever I have a bad game, instead of getting down, I take it as motivation to try harder the next time.
First I would be only be accepted as a member of the baseball team if could prove my worth on the practice field and demonstrate my skills as a fielder and hitter. The first opportunity to prove that came at tryouts. Tryouts are the time to showcase everything you’ve got, from making the simple plays to laying out and making a diving catch in the outfield. When it was my turn to make that play I felt all eyes on me, silently judging me. Everyone was doing it, the coaches to determine rank among the hopeful newcomers and among the veterans, the veterans watching me, trying to see if I was a threat to their starting role, and even the other players trying out, hoping I would fail so I wouldn’t
Meeting new friends, finding my second family, learning the definition of hard work, discovering something to dedicate my life to: softball. Growing up in this constantly changing world softball is the one thing that has always been constant. Softball helps me to escape from the worries and struggles of everyday life. It has taught me coordination, been my escape, fueled my passion, inspired my competitiveness, and given me strength.
When I first started playing softball, I never thought I would be where I am today, which is finishing up my senior year of college and still playing softball. I started playing softball at the age of nine, with no skills and only knowledge from watching baseball on television, learning to play a new sport was challenging, but learning to play a sport with teammates was rewarding and tested my willpower and determination for the game. However, through tenacity, patience, hard work, and constantly practicing, my playing ability developed rapidly. Depending on what level of softball I was playing, we practiced anywhere from four to ten hours a week as a team, and individually I would put in two to three hours a day. Although practice didn’t make me perfect, it taught me to never give up and that if I wanted to live my dream as a college softball player, I was going to have to develop the work ethic to get there.
Softball was my main sport, but I did everything else until it was time to play softball. I fell in love with softball at an early age. I would play every summer or I was asked to play which helped me travel all over the place and meet new friends. Each year I played my love for the sport grew more and more. I played on multiple teams throughout the summer. Playing with one of my teams I gained the advantage to visit Santé Fe, New Mexico two years in a row to play softball. When I reached 8th grade I was excited about playing for the high school softball team until I figured out how it really was. Although I was not happy about having to sit on the bench, but I understood that I had to earn the privilege to play, and that the upperclassman were more seasoned.
Growing up, I have always had a passion for baseball. To me, it is much more than just a sport. There have been times when it has acted as an escape from many problems in my life, as I feel that when I am on the diamond, nothing can hurt me. I am aware that many people feel this way about the sport they love, but sadly their careers often come to an abrupt end due to injury. I have a personal connection to this experience. The summer before my fourth grade year I was attending a basketball camp at Davidson College, when in the final seconds of a scrimmage game, my ankle was kicked out from under me. I immediately fell to the ground in pain as my ankle rolled over on itself. Coaches aided me in limping off of the court and to the training room
With seconds to spare I arrived at batting practice and began to prepare for my game. I hear coach call out my name and as I he acknowledged that I was there he told me I was pitching. My brain shifted and went into a whole new mode, I was more focused and more determined than I have ever been. This was the biggest baseball game of my career and I 'm starting on the mound. Honestly it couldn 't have turned out any better, the fate of the pin and my team lied in my hands and I loved the pressure. The pressure made me thrive and before I knew it our team was marching onto the field for the national anthem. During the singing of the national anthem I peeked into the crowd and first row down the first base side was the little boy I met on the cart and his dad sitting right next to him. This game was for that little boy, I needed to impress him. I pitched six strong innings and my team ended up winning the game. It was the most exciting game of my career and the best part was being greeted with the best pin in the tournament after such a spectacular win. The little boy ran out into the middle of the field where we shook our opponents hands and in front of everyone in the stadium handed me the only thing I cared about besides winning. I was in the best mood for the rest of the day and I rewarded myself with a nice long sleep. I could only image what the next day had to
Fifth grade was the worst year of my life; I moved schools, got harassed, and started softball. But, the last part was better than the others. At first, softball started out bad, but the decision to join led to more emotional and mental growth. When I began softball, I was very indifferent. My parents were figuring out what sport I should do, they asked my opinion, but I didn’t tune in.