Here I am, 28 years old. It’s hard for me to even believe that it has been 6 years since I have graduated college and left my cleats on the field after my last collegiate game. Of course I have played in competitive leagues since, however nothing quite compares to the endless weekends of the summers consumed with softball. That feel is gone when you’re struggling to fit in softball between long weeks of work without the training and practice you had during your younger years. Looking back I am so grateful for the outrageous amount of time that my parents sacrificed in order to help me reach my goals and provide me with memories that will last a lifetime.

I can honestly say that the love I have for the game is still as great as it was back when I was in college. I long for an opportunity to go back on the field and play as fearlessly as I had back in my younger years. I wish there were more opportunities for us to play fastpitch softball after college, but maybe that’s a part of the cycle of life.  Softball was there as a parent to teach me life lessons and teach me about who I am and what I am capable of doing. After college or high school it’s you and the real world now. Time to spread your wings and use the lessons softball has provided you with to fill your purpose in a different way.

Although softball is still a part of my life through coaching and  training athletes, nothing compares to playing. Here are a few of the things that I miss…

1. Rasberries and Bruises For Days-

Yes it’s true. I miss getting bruises and scrapes up and down my legs and arms. Remember how tough that made you look? Bragging  to friends about what happened, which teammate had the biggest one and how it burned in the shower were just a few topics of conversation that never got old. Ever try to spray antiseptic on it? That would have you running around the locker room in pain. Don’t forget wrapping up scrapes for the next game using the best colored prewrap in the med kit. That alone was motivation to get a little dirty.

2. Car Rides Home
 

Whether it was a win, a tough loss, or you played the worst or best game of your life, car rides home were a beautiful thing. For me, my dad and I would analyze every pitch, play and call made and talk about what we did well and what we could do better. It made me well with pride when my dad said even the slightest positive thing about how I played,  but he was equally brutally honest. I could be stubborn and annoyed and closed off to advice, but no matter what, he saw things much clearer than I did. I always came around to keep the conversation going. My mom and sister would roll their eyes at the dinner table. That never stopped us.

3. Six Games in One Day
 

Every girl has this story. What was your record for games that you played in one day? Did you win them all? It makes it seem like a double header in college is nothing when you play so many in a weekend for travel. My story was when our team was at nationals and immediately went into the loser’s bracket after our first game. One more loss and we would be going home after a 13 hour drive to the tournament. In order to advance we needed to win 6 games in one day. We started playing at the crack of dawn and ended at 10:30pm that evening. It was tough, it was grueling, but we did it. We won all 6 games and went on to play in the semifinals of the national tournament. Being that we had to play the next morning first thing, I was impressed with the fact that we almost won that game after being incredibly sore and under rested.

4 . Team Bonding-

Sooo…this might seem a little weird but I was watching Pitch Perfect 2 the other day. Yes, it’s true, but it left an impression on me. The bond that the girls displayed in the movie and the grief that they shared when talking about graduating and leaving their college group literally brought me to tears. I  totally remember going through those same emotions my senior year. You don’t realize just how special being a part of something bigger than yourself is. How I miss the times where we’d get ice cream after games, the long bus rides, the songs we’d sing on those rides to games, doing each other’s hair, and  knowing that whatever we would do, our team would have our back. It’s a special thing knowing that you have a group of friends your 4 years that will be there for you no  matter what. They understand you. They are accomplishing the same goal with you and overcoming barriers together.

5. I can’t, I have softball…
 

Some people hated the fact that softball ruled their schedule during the summer. Others, like me, couldn’t get enough. I loved telling people that I was missing something for a championship game. I took pride in representing my team and took my role very seriously. This makes me think about how important it is for people to support girls in their athletic endeavors. Be sure to watch them play. Don’t show favoritism towards boys sports. Most people like the game of softball better than baseball anyway…not that I’m trying to start a debate or anything.

6. Sliding and Diving
 

This was a part of the game that everyone loved.  It was an unwritten rule that unless you left the game with some dirt on your uniform, you didn’t try hard enough. Looking back, Diving and sliding represented a piece of you that took a risk and if you came up with the ball it was all the better. It was liberating and superhero-like to take a chance and execute a perfect slide by for the winning run. When is it ever ok to get a little messy in the real world? When do we continually exercise the art of taking risks? Can we test our aggression towards a goal on a regular basis? Hopefully we can work on translating these skills to implement in the real world.

7. Cheering-
 

Nowadays when I watch other girls play softball, they still are cheering. I love that, but being a spectator allows me to see how constant piercing in your ears gets annoying quickly. Let me tell you, though, there is nothing that better brings the energy of a team to a whole different level. Getting in the opponent’s team’s head, making up fun cheers for different hitters in your line up and just keeping focused as a unit to the task at hand. Many teenage players underestimate the power of cheering.

8. The first day of softball season-
 

There it is. The moment you’ve waited on for months. All week you had a little more energy. You could smell it in the air. Everything’s ready and has been checked twice. These days I’m not sure if girls experience this excitement anymore. They don’t seem to have an off season. I am reminded of the schedules of girls year round as I coach a lot of softball players. They are playing 6-7 nights a week for the entire year. Although this might seem appealing to some at first, not having that break does not allow you to experience a full appreciation of the sport. Imagine being around someone 24/7. They start to get annoying and bothersome after a while and you start to take them for granted. Protect the sport you love by giving some time to rest. Build up that excitement for softball season. Play some other sports to help you translate skills and affirm your passions towards softball.

9. Getting my uniform ready
 

Laying out your uniform the night before a game. Making sure that everything was in its place, the ribbon matched and you set your alarm clock accounting for enough time to make sure you had time to make everything just right. What a privilege it was to be able to get that uniform ready. Do you know that there are tons of people who do not have the privilege of being able to workout, let alone play the game of softball? I hope you never take that for granted. For those grandparents who didn’t have the opportunities to play women’s sports or those who are physically disabled and can’t move their bodies in a way to play the game of softball we have a huge blessing in front of us. Savor the moments.

10. You feel Invicible-
Maybe it’s just me but doing your thing on the softball field makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. Your only concern is the next pitch. The feeling of exhilaration and anticipation at the plate as you dig your feet into the dirt is indescribable as your world is delivered out of that pitcher’s hand. Anything in the world could be going on outside of softball, but between those lines, that is all that matters.