At 8 years old I fell in love with a game. A game made up of action and strategy. A game that shaped me for 10 years of my life. Before I turned 8, I was involved in a lot of extra curricular activities, I played soccer, took karate, and like any little girl danced. Soccer was fun, but got boring fast. Karate was exciting, but it had delayed rewards. And as for dancing my body was long and uncoordinated. Then I finally found a sport that fit like a glove. When I was 8 my mom signed me up for my first recreational softball team. I remember my coach calling me asking what number I wanted to be, of course every kid wanted to be number one and if it was taken you then would settle for 2, then 3, and so on. My coach told me the lowest number they had that wasn’t taken was 6, a number that would eventually carry me throughout my softball career. For the first time ever I was on a team named the Dynamites and was number 6. At the end of my first season, it was time for the coaches to put together an all star team. All-stars were made of the best players from each team and every girl wanted to be an all-star. To my surprise I was picked and from then on I knew what sport was my calling. My love for the game only got stronger. From then on I played year round with travel ball teams, recreational, and school ball.

In my ten years of playing ball, I have many people to thank for making my time so memorable.

Thank you to my family: Thank you to my Mom and Dad for not only paying for me to play constantly, but for being there for every tournament and game I had from 8 to 18 years old. Thank you for being patient with hectic schedules and always finds a way to work around it. Thank you for traveling with me and sacrificing your time and family time to be there with me. Thank you for always listening to me after a bad game and for being the first to tell me I did great. You were always the last people I saw before stepping on the field and the first people I see when coming off. Thank you for always cheering me on and Mom for always screaming at me to keep my elbow up when batting because you knew that I would get a better hit. Thank you for your love, unconditional support, and making my dreams come true.

Thank you to the parents and grandparents of my teammates thank you for always treating me like apart of the family. Thank you for letting me squeeze in your cars on long road trips or staying in your camper for the entire weekend at the ball park. Thank you for screaming as loud as humanly possible for me while I was on the field. You may not be blood but you will always be my family.

Thank you to my coaches: The men and women who trained me and taught me not only to be a better person but a better player. I can’t thank you enough for shaping me into who I am today. When I felt defeated, you knew what to say to make me feel like apart of the team and a valid player, no matter where I was playing. Thank you for pushing me to work hard for what I want and spending long hours before and after practice if I felt like I wasn’t doing good enough. Thank you for being understanding and patient with me. I can’t describe all of the good that came into my life because you were there. Thank you!

Thank you to my team: The team that started it all at just 8 years old. Thank you for all the nights spent staying up later than we were supposed to talking about boys amongst many other things. Thank you for the time we spent off the field trying to be normal kids, knowing that the next day we had to play again. Thank you for not only being my teammates, but my best friends. I am thankful for all the memories we made throughout the years. I wouldn’t have wanted to travel the US with anyone else. From cheering, to laughter, to gossip, to anger, thank you for being there through it all. Now in college we have all gone our separate ways, but the memories will last for a lifetime. We will always be connected through our blood sweat and tears.

For ten years my life revolved around one sport. People ask me often, “Do you miss it?” My response is every second of every day, but I am thankful for all the accomplishments I made during those times. A state champion, tied a Babe Ruth World Series record, and my name on three fields in my hometown. I couldn't have done it without my family, coaches, and team. I am proud that one day I will be able to show my kids my accomplishments and tell them stories that will take me down memory lane. Hopefully, one day I will have a daughter with the same passion I had, so I can relive my favorite past time through her accomplishments and witness her making memories every step of the way.