Everyone spends their summers differently. I spent mine on a softball field, in the middle of nowhere, covered in dirt, sweat, and occasionally blood, cheering until I was hoarse and playing so many games that I would barely be able to move on Monday morning. While all of my other friends were sleeping and shopping, I was arriving at the field by 6:45 a.m. for an 8 a.m. game, to be at the field until 8 p.m. Travel softball changed my life and I couldn’t be more thankful for it.

It made me confident in myself.

When I started travel softball, I was a small, skinny, 12 year old kid who hoped I wouldn’t drop every fly ball at practice. By the time that my last season rolled around, I was in the outfield hoping girls would try to take an extra base on me. Throughout the years, I had coaches and teammates who were supportive, cheering for me on and off of the field. They did so much more than improve my performance on the field. My coaches taught me that “you throw like a girl” is a compliment. I knew that no matter what my teammates and coaches would support and encourage me. That, in turn, gave me the confidence to believe in myself.

It taught me how to let go of mistakes.

I’m a perfectionist. I’m very hard on myself when I make mistakes and don’t perform well. It was pretty easy to tell what mood I was in when I was playing. I let my emotions dictate my ability to play my best. However, when you have three more games that day or you’re facing elimination, you can’t focus on your past mistakes. You just have to say your favorite four letter word and get ready for the next play. Softball won’t slow down because you’re upset. There’s no use dwelling on what’s already happened. I’m still not happy with myself when I make a mistake, but I no longer let it consume me and it’s made me a better player and person.

It gave me a support system.

Like most people, I struggled with the issues that appear during your teenage years -- grades, boys, friends, etc. But I knew that I had a group of girls that had my back and would always be there if I needed to talk. Since we all went to separate schools, you never had to worry that they would tell anyone what you said. I had coaches I could talk to when I didn’t want to talk to my parents. For the first time, I had a group of people who cared about me and wanted to see that I was successful.

I gave up a lot of summers and weekends to play travel softball. I got a lot of cuts and bruises and took a few pitches off of the thigh and knee. My tan lines were terrible, the eye black made me break out, and I broke countless pairs of sunglasses. Yet, I wouldn’t trade a second of it. Travel softball was competitive, grueling, and most importantly, my favorite place to be. Now all I have is a bunch of T-shirts, jerseys, socks, and hair bows. I may not be able to go play countless games every weekend anymore, but I couldn’t be more thankful for travel softball and all that it did for me.