Giving up softball was by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I was not only giving up the game, I was giving up a part of myself, an identity that I wasn't quite sure I was ready to give up. You may feel as though your limited time with the sport you play, friends you have or place you call home will never be long enough... but softball left me filled with lessons, memories and love that I know the time I had playing softball was more than enough to last an entire lifetime. Here are the six most important things softball has taught me over the years:

1. Hard Work

I worked hard to be the pitcher I was. I worked hard to hit as well as I did. I worked hard to win games. I worked so hard for softball because I saw positive results the harder I worked. I not only worked hard in softball, I worked hard to be the best friend I could be, best student I could be... the best overall person I could be. Softball was proof that hard work does pay off.

2. Confidence

Whenever I was in that pitchers circle, the only thing that repeatedly ran through my mind were the words, "You are the best." Every time a new girl came up to bat, I had the mindset that I WAS going to strike her out because I was the better player. Now this may not have been true and we all know confidence can come off as arrogant or cocky sometimes... but softball gave me the confidence that I was invincible, that I could do absolutely anything I put my mind to. In the world we live in now, everyone is average because everyone is exceptional. Everyone achieves as much as you do, is as smart as you are and experiences as much as you do. In the world we live in now, confidence is hard to come by but is also what sets you apart.

3. It's okay to make mistakes.

You may work hard, you may be confident but mistakes are inevitable and that is okay. Life is filled with trial and error. You live and you learn.

4. Accountability

When I was up to bat and would strike out, there was no denying it. Everyone there saw what I did. I was forced to be accountable for my mistake because there truly was no hiding it. It became a habit to admit when I was wrong not only in softball but in life. Yes, everyone makes mistakes but it's how you handle them that defines your character.

5. Optimism

What did optimism mean to me? It meant still believing that even though my team was down by eight points with two innings left to go, we would still win. It meant that even though I had three balls and no strikes on a batter, I was still going to strike her out. As softball came to an end, my optimism only grew. I was hopeful that even though an incredible chapter in my life was ending, something better was about to happen. I am now optimistic about school, love and anything else that would've worried me in the past. A prayer I often pray is for God to keep my optimism high and my fears low and he's done just that.

6. There is more to life than just a game.

For the first few weeks after my last softball game ever, my heart ached, my stomach was queasy and my brain was overwhelmed. The physical and mental pain of losing something that was so dear to me was unbarring. But... I coped. I learned to find joy in other things.

For the first time ever, I was able to focus on myself. I was able to find other amazing things to occupy my time like landing a radical job at the Texas State Capitol. I was able to see past labels. I was able to experience so many fascinating and unfamiliar things. For so long, I believed that softball was the only thing I was good at and it was the only thing that mattered.

But when it ended I was forced to deal with the harsh realization that it was just a game and there was so much more to life. I had to start striving for what lied ahead of me if I didn't want to miss opportunities that would give me the same happiness softball had given me for so long.

I am more thankful for softball than words will ever be able to express. The lessons and memories I have from my time with the sport will always be with me and will never fade. Me, like so many others will work hard for what lies ahead, will have confidence in my abilities, will make mistakes, will handle those mistakes with grace, will be optimistic even on the worst of days and will know there is more to life with each closing chapter. I will do all of this because of a single sport.