Determination

I would like to revisit my last entry for a moment...

Saturday softball took on a whole new dimension for my friend Erin. I'd like to recap the past several years of her softball life. She took up the game of softball I think in part to have a hobby that she and her husband could enjoy together and also because she always felt that there was an athlete somewhere inside of her. Her position on the team was normally catcher but she played a good second base, as well. Her recreation team knew of her capabilities as a player yet when it came to her alumni team it seemed as if they begrudgingly took Erin on the team and only played her sparingly during the tournament.

But Erin was determined.

She set out on a personal quest to make her alumni team take notice. She lost weight, worked on her swing, her position and even took up some pitching (without her alumni team knowing). She also gave up her position on the rec. team to join her alumni team during this past season.

Her team still played her at catcher but had more confidence in her swing and played her more this tournament than ever before!

Now that would be a great ending, wouldn't it? But the story continues...

Her team made it to Sunday play and found themselves facing the despised class of 1986. The ladies from 1986 have either won the tournament or placed second over the past 10 plus years. So, Erin is catching and it is the bottom of the first inning. Bases are (walked) loaded when Erin's husband informs the team that they need to put Erin in as pitcher...that they have no other choice. They listened and my friend Erin got the team out of the inning with no runs scored! She continued the rest of the game only giving up 3 runs. The outcome of the Big game still favored the team from '86. The final score? 6 to 3.

Yet, my friend was determined! She persevered even though she often felt like she was the outcast on the block, the little kid that was always chosen last, taken out of pity. She knew that there was a part of her that was capable of playing with the "big girls!"

I am so proud of my friend.