Bailey Parker

Softball Tournament

I had butterflies in my stomach all the way to North Carolina. Today was the biggest day in my little ten year-old life. It was my very first travel softball tournament. This could determine my entire softball future; if I was good enough to compete with the best or if I was meant to be a rec star. My morning started at 6:00 when my dad started banging on my door to wake me up. I rushed to get dressed so we could stop at Bojangles on the way out of town. I could never get anything productive done without sweet tea, it was like my mother’s coffee addiction.

My dad and I arrived at Pleasant Garden shortly. I hopped out of my dad’s brown Chevy to the smell of freshly cut grass and the sound of cleats on pavement. For a split second I forgot I was playing on a team full of girls I didn’t know. I only knew one person, Keara, one of my closest school friends. She smiles to me as I nervously lace my cleats. She reminded me for the millionth time, “Everything was going to be fine.”

We started to warm up by dynamic stretching and throwing. We also hit heavy balls, which are little rubber balls filled with sand, and hitting of the tee. Before I knew it, our team was walking into the dugout and the umpires were walking on the field. I looked onto the board and was surprised to see I was playing center field. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be excited I was started or worried that I might mess up and cause us the game.

All was forgotten when the ump said, “Play ball,” and I forgot about being on a different team in a strange place. I was just playing another ordinary game of the sport I loved.

We lost the first game. Then we lost the second one. Then the third. Finally, we got to the third game and if we lost we were going home. Before the game our coach huddled us up and gave us a pre-game pep talk. I don’t remember it word for word, but it made us play like we should’ve all along. He told us, “Forget about losing and get your butts up and play like an actual team not like a bunch of wimps!” There was a bit of stronger language in there, but it’s better to leave that out. His pep talk made us play better than we did all day and we won the next two games. It was time for the championship. I was playing amazing, we were unstoppable. Nothing is more powerful than a bunch of angry ten year-old girls. Throughout the day I kept making good plays and getting hits. I was eventually playing third when the championship game came rolling around.

In an hour and a half filled will sweat, dirt, and tears, we rained victorious. Nothing felt better, I couldn’t believe I had been so worried. Everybody got a trophy and as soon as we were done I was calling everyone in my family to share, mostly gloat, about my good news. As soon as I got home I made a special place for my new trophy on my shelf.

Four years later, looking back after playing in what seems to be like hundreds of tournaments two full shelves of medals and trophies, I realize if you’re doing what you love, there is no need to be worried or nervous. I have been playing travel softball for almost five years, and my love for the game hasn’t dulled. I am going to play as long as I can, because nothing gives me greater joy than softball.