We all know that softball players are usually daddy’s girls. This is because softball dads have been helping us through it all since our tee ball days. From every strike out, home run and diving catch to broken bone -- we know we can always count on them being there for us, while also asking us why we didn’t catch that ball or why we didn’t swing either way. They always got us.
They introduced us to the sport we love.
They signed us up for tee ball and all the years that followed it. Even though at our young age of four, they still encouraged us to try out the sport as if we were one of the guys. Since then, it’s been a true love story.
The only want what's best for us -- no matter the cost.
They started out by buying us our first pink glove for our tee ball debut. Of course, they didn’t want us to have a pink glove because really -- pink and baseball don’t go together (they thought). But they still bought it and let us play our hearts out. When we moved up to the big high school leagues and travel ball they bought us bats, cleats, clothes, etc. Anything Nike or Mizuno that we could get our hands on, they would buy it for us because, of course, softball girls get spoiled.
Also, let's not forget t shirts from every tournament because if you didn't get a shirt did you really even at the tournament?
They spent countless hours with us.
No one in our lives have ever put this much time into us. The amount of times they have taken us to the field is really not even countable. They sat in the back yard and put balls on the tee or passed with us. Also, pitchers -- who could forget all the times our dads have taken a ball to the shin for us. They have driven us to camps, games, and lessons. All those hours really add up. They wanted us to get better, and to learn from them. But, hey, we make good company so they also just really like hanging out with us.
They are always reliable.
No matter how far away our games may be your know they got the car packed with the cooler, snacks, and luggage. Even if they are always yelling at us telling us we are going to be late. They wouldn’t take back those times in a heartbeat. Fifteen minutes, or five hours away, you know they are going to be there. Hey, it’s a social event for them as well. They get to hang out with all the other super hero softball dads.
If it just so happens we get a flat tire on the way home from practice or left our lights on all day, you know they are already on their way to save the day.
They always know what to say (even if we don’t want to hear it).
Win or lose, you know they have something to say on the way home. If it’s a win you spend the trip home talking about the awesome plays you made and all the hits you had. However, they still always have to make the “well you could’ve done this…” comment that we never want to hear. But we listen to it because we know they have put up with grumpiness every time. Or we just put in our headphones and casually nob in agreement.
If it’s a loss, you know for a fact you're looking for your mom to take you home because you know the ride home with dad will be super silent, or filled with the comments that we don’t want to hear at the time, but in long run will make us better.
They are our biggest support system.
We, sometimes, like to think that they will be mad us for a bad game or an error, but at the end of the day there is no one who loves us more than these dads. They do it all for us. They let us cry about our problems, even though they make fun of us or call us babies. They let us, and eventually say something funny to bring our spirits up.
They take care of us even in our worst day -- from every cut, bruise, to blister they help us fix them all. Because their baby girl can’t have anything stopping her from being great. They never let us down because they only want the best for us. Whether it’s an on the field issue or off the field you know that they are there for us.
They are our biggest role model.
There is no one who we truly look up to more. They have raised us to be the people we are today. They taught us how to act in all situations.
They have shown us how to be successful and how to be humble but proud. The taught us how to achieve goals and to have confidence because no one has more confidence in us than they do. They taught us many life lessons. If we could be half the person they are, we will have lived a successful life. They especially taught us that complaining gets you no where, you have to work hard for what you want.
Even while learning to become a lady, they always bring out the tomboy side in us.
They love us more than any guy ever could.
They love more than we could ever know. We do love them more than they could ever know as well. They hate to see us cry and only want pure happiness for us. They want us to play hard and not get our hearts played with. They even tell us that no guys will ever be good enough only to scare us a little inside because they don’t want us to grow up. Because they remember little girl with the pink glove pouting in the backyard not wanting to practice. Now we are the teen age girls leaving home and going to school, practicing with out them. They are so so proud. They are proud because they love us.
Softball dads are true heroes. We would be lost without you, and I know for a fact they would be lost with out us.
As our softball days continue, or have come to an end, there is no one we need to thank more than our softball dads.
