Now as this summer is quickly coming to a close and I enter my freshman year of college, I have come to realize how fast time really flies. It was just yesterday we were in the backyard hitting, or it was our first day playing in the recreational town leagues. Now, we are preparing for the beginning of college softball. This bond we have has become unbreakable, and it has been worth every second. Parents, you do not go unnoticed. I wouldn't trade these memories you have given me for the world. Here are five solid reasons to thank your softball parent on a daily basis.

1. Thank you for giving me the gift of the sport I love.

Thank you for first handing me a bat, a ball, and everything I needed to know to help me take off in a sport that I love. Softball is the special bond that we share together.

2. Thank you for the endless support on the sidelines.

Thank you for being my #1 supporters and enduring the craziness that comes with every new season; for sitting in endless hours of traffic to take me to every game, practice, camp or clinic that I just HAD to be at, and for sitting in all extremes of weather. Furthermore, thank you for always believing in me even in times I failed to believe in myself. You have always been there, pushing me through. Thank you for being the loudest ones on the field, and thank you especially for the unenjoyable lectures on Sunday's ride home. Though at the time it was hard to put my own feelings aside to take in, you taught me how to take criticism and therefore molded me into the player and person I am today.

3. Thank you for being my guide.

You are my greatest role models. Thank you for providing me with the tools needed to succeed, not only throughout the stressful recruiting process but also teaching me what commitment, responsibility, and the qualities of a leader truly are. I would not be the person I am today without your guidance.

4. Thank you for putting your own lives on hold every weekend.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be at a tournament every weekend, at every practice and every game. I need you to know that I appreciate every cent and second spent on the diamond. It was not waisted. I will look back and cherish every day that we have spent together on the field.

5. Thank you for putting up with my post-game attitude.

Nothing goes right all of the time, and boy do you know it. It is either a dead silent, awkward car ride home or an emotion filled, debrief of everything that went wrong. Thank you for enduring every second, and even talking it over with me to help me understand why things went so downhill or letting me know what I could improve on. Thank you for also trying to lighten up the mood after that game, and not being afraid to be the first one to tell me that I was off that day.

Dear Mom and Dad, thank you.