How Softball Is My Favorite Sport

Throughout the entire world there are many small girls looking to play softball their entire life. Starting out in T-ball, and working their way up until finally every little girls dream, playing College softball. That has been my own personal dream since the very first time I picked up a softball when I was four years old. I am a typical softball player because; my dream has always been to be able to play college softball somewhere. One way I am not a typical softball player is because everyone says all softball players are homosexuals or lesbians. In my case, and most other cases softball players are straight, there are very few lesbian girls on one specific team. Most statistics are biased, and say that men throw harder than women. In some cases, that is very true given the circumstances, that a baseball weighs less than a softball and is significantly smaller than a softball which is approximately the size of a grapefruit. I believe that a woman can outpitch a man, given the right circumstances. Typical softball players are usually said to be either really short and good, or

After walking onto the field at seven years old, I found my passion, my strength, and my world. Softball has been in my life for the past ten years, and I intend to play in college if I’m given the opportunity, nevertheless, I am going to fight to play. Playing softball has changed my life; I do not know where I would be without it. It has given me the best experiences in life, and I have made long term friends while playing. I hit my first homerun at 12 years old, and have been a power hitter ever since.

“Be remembered!” echoes through my mind every time I get up to bat. From tee ball to now, softball has made a massive impact on my life. Ever since I was five years old, I have been playing the game that I love the most.

Softball players have different ways of becoming attached to the sport. When it comes to Olympic softball players its pretty much the same. They start playing at a young age, go to college, and eventually get asked to strive with team USA. Jennie Finch and Lisa Fernandez are two Olympic gold medalists for USA in softball. Jennie has two Olympic metals and Lisa has won three gold metals. I will be comparing and contrasting these players and how this sport became a passion for them.

One of the most well know players of all time is Jennie Finch. Finch, like many great players, started playing the game very early on in her life at the age of five. Just a mere three years later she pitched her first ball. During Finch's high school career she was known for being an athletic girl. Her senior year she was Captain of her volleyball team, basketball team, and softball team. Finch lettered in softball in all of her high school years and most recently in 2016 Finch’s high school, La Mirada, retired her jersey number, the first time for a softball player.

Well, the time has come for me to finally put in my two cents and everyone has to listen. So, here we go… I vividly remember being a sophomore and Brooke Bushman telling me “Just wait. The time for you to give your senior speech will be here before you know it. You'll probably write a novel and make it rhyme or something like that”. Well, sorry to disappoint but I really have nothing proud like that to share. For me, softball was always just a game. It was just another enjoyable outlet

Jennie states,”While my dreams of playing Major League baseball were far off in the future, my present was filled with softball” (Jennie Finch 2). She had found a love for baseball by growing up with it,because of this she turned it into a love for softball. She loved doing every component of the game. According to Jennie Finch, “I loved hitting, fielding, sweating, getting dirty, working in the batting cage, being with my teammates, and most of all I loved pitching.” According to Ben Mauser, “Jennie Finch has been playing softball since she was five and her first pitching coach was her dad”

Foremost, being a pitcher made me realize how important it is to have a short-term memory. When I was on the mound, I knew that the result of the previous batter had no bearing on what the next batter would do. For example, when I gave up a big hit, before the next batter came to the plate, I had to forget about what just happened. In softball, it is important to not dwell on the negatives, but learn from them. Because of pitching, I know yesterday’s failures can turn into tomorrow’s successes. I plan to have the same attitude in the legal field when obstacles come my way.

She is the player who shows up early to practice and stays late to put in some extra batting practice. These actions have encouraged me as well as other teammates to work harder and had made us realize that one of the ways to make the team better is to individually make yourself better. Lastly, I have never met anyone who honors the game of softball more than Lauryn Banks. This year was my final season of softball. Our last game was a heartbreaking loss third round of playoffs. After the game, I was overwhelmed with emotions. The rest of my team was consumed with themselves, but not Lauryn. Lauryn came to me and embraced me while I cried. In this moment, I realized that Lauryn embodies what it means to be a teammate. She cares about her teammates more than for their batting average or how many errors they have made. She cares about them for them and the actual person they are. I feel this is a quality that will carry Lauryn far in her life. There is no better way of honoring the game than taking the lessons learned and applying them to their future

From the young age of five, through the eleven years full of learning curves and numerous injuries, I was shaped by my self motivation and peers. Softball was a profound component in my daily life. When I was younger I would have never thought softball would have such an incredible impact on my character. Today, my past experiences shape me into an individual who can be seen as not only a leader, but as someone who can work as a team to achieve goals and standards. I remember learning to pitch for the first time.

Since I was five years old softball and sports have been a huge part of my life. In softball, specifically, there are many times of failure and success. High school sports, for me, has taken a lot of my time, effort, and commitment. From the first day I stepped onto the court and field to the last, I want to be able to say I did my best. It has been tough and frustrating at times. I experienced failure many times, even when I did not want to admit it. My moments of failure within high school sports have turned me into the character and person I am today. It has taught me how to take failure and turn it into success. Failure has made me realize that the only way for you to succeed is for you to fail first.

Have you ever had so much passion for a sport you have been playing for almost your whole life? I love playing all positions of softball and I admire everything that comes with it that includes battle wounds, road trips to games, making memories to practicing out on home field getting ready to bat some love into their lives. Softball is not an easy sport at all but it’s my passion and a privilege to be able to stand on that field. So much love, effort and hard work has been put in over the years. After 12 years of truly knowing the sport these are my favorite things out on the field such as pitching with strength, sliding with passion, and batting to hear all of your support to make a home run!

I love playing softball and it is the best sport ever if you ask me. Some other athletes prefer baseball, basketball, volleyball, track, wrestling, or even golf. Some people might even prefer to watch those sports then to play them.

Ever since I was young, I knew I wanted to play college softball. I love the game and have played it ever since the age of five. Softball however, is not the only sport I played and loved growing up. I played basketball ever since I was able. “tough, can take anyone on.”

Softball has been my passion since I was first introduced at age five, and by eight, I was thrilled to advance into playing competitive travel ball. Travel ball even gave me the opportunity to play in the National ASA softball tournament in Virginia when I was fourteen. Unfortunately, there were not enough volunteers and the local travel programs dwindled.