It's 6:30 a.m on a Saturday morning. My Under Armour is on, my glove is packed, and the cooler is filled with sandwiches, fruit, and Gatorade. I finish my coffee and hit the road, bright and early.

I pull up to the field and the smell of softball dirt smacks me in the face. I love it. It’s a little brisk, so I throw on my sweatshirt until warm ups start. I walk into the dugout, drop my bag, and get ready to spend the next 8 hours at the field.

Warm ups start with stretching and some light jogging to wake everyone up. Next, we throw, hit, and do a little fielding.

Soon, the umpires are ready for the coin flip. Dammit, we’re away. Time to get helmets on and hit first.

Parents fill the stands, and the team cheers on the first girl as she gets ready for her at-bat. I’m standing at the edge of the fence reminding her not to drop her back shoulder. No more pop-ups. Three outs later, our team takes the field and I hang back on the bench.

But, not because I’m not a starter. I’m a coach.

I started playing tee ball when I was five, and haven’t put down my glove since. By now, I’ve been playing ball for 22 years. I’ve played in recreational leagues, for my school teams, for a travel team, all four years of college, and for a women’s semi-pro team. Now, I play slowpitch in the springtime.

As much as I’d love to continue playing fastpitch, I’ve aged out of it a bit. While there are adult women’s fastpitch leagues, they’re rare. So, what do you do when you can’t get rid of the itch? Become a coach, of course.

If you have played a sport for most of your life, you’re a wealth of inherent knowledge that can be passed on to future stars of the game.

Personally, I love the younger teams. I’m currently coaching a 10U team, and it’s my favorite age---the kids are old enough to have developed solid talent, but still young enough that they’re sponges and will generally absorb the things you teach (most of the time).

Here are a few things I’ve learned after transitioning from player to coach:

You realize the things you did wrong. Because you’re consciously teaching proper form, you may find that you quickly realize the things you could have done better yourself. But, now is your chance to make sure your “students” are doing it right, even if you didn’t.

You learn how to deal with different personalities. It's different than working with different types of people in the workplace. You may find that one athlete catches on to drills faster than others, and some athletes take things harder than others. Half of coaching, especially girls, is mental---making sure the team feels confident, gets along, and has their heads in the right place.

You will be challenged. If you see some athletes struggling in a particular area, you may think you know just what they need to improve. Sometimes, you’re completely wrong and have to think on your feet, change gears, and try something else. Or sometimes, an athlete may throw a fit because she can’t grasp the concept. You learn how to be patient and adapt.

You will miss being the one to play in the game. But that’s okay. Hone that passion and use it to fuel your coaching style. Don’t try to live vicariously through the team; rather, see the game through their eyes, and help them have the best experience they can have.

Most importantly, you will feel entirely fulfilled. Every single time I walk off that field, I feel amazing. Whether it’s because I saw a girl accomplish something she’s been struggling to achieve, shared giggles with the team, or the teamhad an amazing win, I feel valued and may even feel more fulfilled as a coach than I ever did as a player.

So, if you think your time in your sport is over because you’re “too old,” it’s not. Becoming a coach could not only fill that void, but it can make you see your sport in a whole new light and bring a new kind of joy to your game.