Prep Note 8/31/23

I dreamed of my senior night on the softball team since I was in the seventh grade. I had watched the seniors during my first year on the team get flowers, gifts, and recognition for all of their hard work and dedication to the team and to the school. When my senior night finally rolled around last May, our team was in unfortunate standing. In order to make it to the State tournament, every team needs at least ten wins and ten losses. On my senior night, we had nine wins and ten losses. This game would make or break our chances. I remember our coach sitting us down and attempting to give us a pep talk, but honestly, it didn’t help. It was her first year coaching us and while she did a good job, I didn’t find myself particularly motivated by her speech. However, two of my best friends were the team captains, and I am still convinced they were the only two who actually cared if we won this game. As we got closer to the start of the game, fans started crowding the bleachers at our local city field. I have never seen so many people genuinely excited to watch a softball game after all of my years of playing. The game was a nail-biter. Our defense was stronger than ever, but so was theirs. We played five and a half innings and the score was still zero-zero. I was about to go up to bat when my best friend/captain approached me and said “This could be your last time ever hitting.” Somehow, that really resonated with me. I approached the plate and prepared myself for whatever would happen. The crowd was silent as I swung the bat and launched the ball into center field, driving in three runs. Finally, the score was three to zero, and everyone was so excited about what had happened, that our team gained this unreal energy that fueled us to a win. But if we hadn’t worked as a group and supported each other in that game, or even during the season, I cannot say that that game would have had the same outcome.