As most of you know-I grew up playing softball.
I ate, drank, slept, and breathed that game. It was my passion. It was what drove me.
I worked really hard for many years to become the best player I could be. I spent hours at the batting cages, days in the dirt with my mitt, and summers in the hot hot sun running miles around the fields so I could build my endurance for summer ball games. Then high school came-I played catch till I couldn't feel my shoulder, and batted until my thumbs had blisters the size of quarters on them. I put on a uniform a couple of times a week to put on a show for the audience-to show them how hard I had worked and how good I was.
Senior year hit-and with that came a new coach, new rules, and my butt finding the dugout bench much more than I was used to with a bruised pride and wet cheeks.
I was so hurt and so discouraged. What about my thousands of hours of practice and my blistered hands? Couldn't coach see how hard I worked and how much I wanted it?
My team made their way down to St. George during that year to play in a weekend tournament. Tournament time mean't game time, and game time mean't time to show anyone who was watching that I was worthy to make a difference.
Due to a mix up of rooms, however, I was "stuck" in a room with the underclassmen, and kicked out of my fellow senior "captains" room. I was so bummed and so hurt. How could they just kick me out of their room and stick me with the underclassmen? I didn't have time for this. I was there to win and show everyone else that I could win.
What I least expected was to learn the real reason I was there to play. The sole purpose of my practice, my example, and my hard work. It wasn't for my on base glory, or my catches out in the field. It was something I never focused on before.
It was my team.
Silly me. I wasn't here to prove to anyone anything-I was here to learn what it felt like to have a team back me up and team love and support me, no matter what position I played on the field.
The season went and ended, and needless to say I spent a lot of time on the bench and a lot of time with wet cheeks-but want to know what I remember most? Dinner after the games with my beloved underclassmen. Talking about how screwed up the politics were, how bloated egos were, and most importantly;
listening to one another build each other up.
Like a team is supposed to.
I remembered this feeling again until this summer when I started up a summer league with a group of friends. I began again with the same mindset I had had all growing up.
Practice hard, play hard, win.
It didn't take long for me to realize that the winning part wasn't gonna happen, and that it was time to determine whether I was gonna be the upper classmen that "got stuck", or if I was going to find the real reason I wanted to play again.
And then I remembered.
For the team.
In baseball and softball you have what you call a "Starting lineup". These are the players you put out in the field first and longest. The players you keep at the top and bottom of the batting order to finish and end your innings strong, and to win games for you.
These players are the cream of the crop-and the MVP's all in one.
In these past few weeks, life has thrown it's curve balls at me once again to ruin my batting average.
I have had to once again stop and listen. Listen to my team yelling encouragement and patting me on the back even when I struck out.
I have had my own MVP's step up to the plate and bat my runs in, because I am constantly reminded that you can't win by yourself.
That no matter how many hours you spend in the dirt fielding grounders, or how many times you run in the sun to prepare for those long games of life-you're still going to need your team to make outs and score runs, too.
I was taken back this week to high school me. A hard headed rookie ready to take on the world by herself.
And then I remembered that I don't have to pitch, catch AND play 3rd all at the same time.
I can look back into my dugout and see my starting line up eager and ready to go in wherever I need them, for however long I need them.
I can see the most important part of the game in one look.
My team.
