Personal Narrative: My Softball Tournament

So it took about a million years, but the season finally started. I waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for it to start, and then it did. I was immediately used to going all these places with the team. I never put on a uniform, but I went everywhere. Whenever there would be a game, it was always a fun night. I would go to our backyard to watch us play another team on our home turf. I can remember the first game of the season very vividly. I was sitting on the floor in P.E. We were being lectured on good behavior in the locker room because some of the kids were being mean to the other kids. Then, we were saved by the bell. Consequently, we weren’t let out of P.E. We had to finish the lecture in order to leave. After an eternity, they finished the lecture. Then we all got ready to go back to the field. We all warmed up and the starters took the field. It was about 90 degrees out so it was a little hot,but with all the tension in the dugout, the field was heavy with nerves. That day, and for the rest of the season, I

As soon as I step on that red dirt all my worries, problems, and thoughts leave for the 2 hours that I am on the field. Softball has meant so much to me because I struggle with school, I’m not artistic, and I can’t really play any instruments, so without softball I wouldn’t have anything. Softball is the one thing I’m good at and I love playing it. When I step on the red dirt with the other eight girls we work together and we put aside our differences for 2 hours. Those two hours with the other girls make softball so much more enjoyable because they love the game as much as I do and it is truly amazing how sports brings people together. People think sports are just sports, but in reality to athletes it’s an escape from life, it’s our second family, and most important we feel like we belong there. Sports make you feel like your apart of something bigger than a team. Softball has been my second family and I have made so many amazing friendships that might last for the rest of life and even if they don’t, I will never forget all my friends or the memories that I have playing ball with

I flew out of bed and put on my uniform. We were at the field around 8 a.m. the reason why we had to be there so early was because I had 3 games! We won both the first and second game. I didn’t get out once. It was time for the third game. I was pretty scared because they were pretty big and scary. They also had a winning streak. The 1 to 3 innings were pretty intense. But when it came to the 4th inning and that’s where things got very intense. The score was 8-9 we were losing by 1. And I was up to bat. Two outs, one person on base, and the last inning. I stepped into the batter's box, she winned up for her pitch and throw ball. I step out of the batter's box and look over to my 3rd base line coach. As I did so, out the corner of my eye I saw a familiar face in the crowd. It was my….

It was a scorching 100 degree summer day. It was the start of the 11 year state championship baseball game against Albert Lea, I still remember that game like it was yesterday. It was miserable out we played three games that day before reaching the state championship. When the game started I kind of forgot about how hot it was out. We started fast scoring 2 runs in the top of the 1st inning Dylan and Reno each crossed the plate that inning. Derek took the hill to pitch, he started with 2 strikeouts and a lazy fly ball to left field. Then I was up to start the top of the second inning and I watched the first two pitches pass for balls and then on the third pitch of the at bat I hit a line drive to left field for a single but the next three batters all got out. Tanner got up and said

It was the change of an inning. I went into the dugout, got my drink of my water and rested my arm for the next inning of pitching. First batter was up for our team, he got a hit. The second batter, strikes out. Then next thing I know is there is two people in front of me before I am up to bat. So I get in my bag to get my batting gloves, helmet, and everything else I needed to go hit. I stand towards the front of the dugout till it is my turn to take some practice swings in the on-deck circle. The batter that was up got walked and now it was my time to do my pre-hit routine in the batters box. I took three swings, then stretch, then talked to people in the crowd to not sike myself out before

A field shaped like a diamond followed by a meadow of grass. Sixty foot base paths that surrounds the infield in a counterclockwise direction. A batting count of three balls and two strikes. Three outs total in all seven innings of pure determined, back and forth softball between two teams. This place has been my home for years. I play softball because of the love I have for the game, and because of the feeling that takes my breath away every time I step onto the field. The softball field at Glendale Community College is now my new home for the next two years.

I take one foot out of the box and let out a breathe I didn’t know I was holding in. I once again looked to my coach Mike for direction and go to take a practice swing. Little did I know the catcher was getting up to pressure Maddy back to first base from her lead. As I was taking my swing I heard a thud, my bat had hit something solid. I immediately filled with remorse and tensed up. My bat suddenly got heavy with guilt. The catcher dropped the ball and fell to her knees clutching her back. I went limp and looked around confused and shocked. I didn’t know what to do so I started walking towards the dugout. Timmy met me halfway and put his hand on my shoulder I looked up at him and that’s when I realized tears were streaming down my face. I felt weak like a helpless child. Timmy reassured me that it wasn’t my fault. “You have the right to have one foot in the box and take practice swings, it’s going to be ok,” he said, but I wasn’t really paying attention to him. I looked around at my team and the crowd they were all shocked like me. I could hear the girl’s muffled sobs from where I was standing. “Do I really hit that hard?” I thought to myself. The other team’s coaches walked the catcher back to the dugout and a new girl came in. I reassured Timmy I would be fine then walked back the box. The game resumed and I got

Baseball has given me a wide range of outstanding memories. The day I was first asked to play travel baseball changed who I am as a person. While playing for a fall league team, a coach from a travel team took notice in me, and he asked me to join his team. Little did I know, my acceptance of the offer shaped who I am now by giving me all kinds of character traits such as teamwork and responsibility. Another memorable event was my first home run. I remember that day as if it were yesterday, and my first home run will always be one of my happiest memories. When I spend time at

The day was June 13, 2015. This day is a day that will always teach me something new and life mending every time that I bring it up. The score was set 3-5 top third of the 4th inning, our 3 hole up to bat and the count being 3-1 next pitch determined if he was on base or in a full count jam. The next pitch was a ball, meaning he was walked and then took his base and this loaded the bases for me to step to the plate and bat, this was the nerve racking part of sports when your team needs you and you can or cannot deliver on the gift. I had one pitch and the ball was flying further and further until it hit the ground right at the foot of the fence and I was running and the ball was being relayed back into first and then to third where I was running to. The ball meets my leg a second after my foot hit the bag so I was safe, but I look up at the ump and he expresses his call in out, meaning the third run does not count

The tying run was up to bat. The first pitch he had hit the ball far into right field. Dane Kutnik had turned on the jets, but he couldn’t even catch up to the ball. The ball had rolled all the way to the fence. May I remind you that we played on a 300 foot fence. I still cannot believe that he had thrown the ball all the way to the cut without the ball bouncing once. Tanner had been lined up perfect with me and the second he felt the ball in his glove he had rifled it to me. I had turned 180 degrees and reached in the general area that I thought he would

We got into our dugout and started to get ready by putting our cleats and stuff on. On our way out to the outfield I said to my coach, “who’s pitching today?” He said, “Carter”. So I went out and told Carter he was pitching so we warmed up together. We played some catch and did some stretches. Carter said to me on the way back into the dugout, “I’m as nervous as a fireman on his first call.” I said, “Don’t be. We are going to win, then advance, and the win state.” The game finally started. We were the home team, so we started in the field first. Their first guy came up to the plate and you could see the nervousness in Carters eyes. I put down the sign and he threw a strike. The guy swung and missed.

My team began to rally back it was bases loaded and I was up with one out. The other team had changed pitchers to try to get them out of this crucial situation. I stepped up to the plate and took a strike the count 0-1, the next pitch came it looked like a small white snowball, and I swung my bat and managed to hit the ball. I began to start praying that I hadn't lost the game by hitting it to one of the fielders that would make the out. The ball kept going and going until it had finally went over the fence to be a grand slam. After it went over, it filled me with so much relief and I made me so relaxed that I thought I was floating on a cloud. It was my first home run ever, and now we were winning 5-4. The crowd began to scream and my dad started running to recieve the ball. We were able to hold them off and win the game 5-4 to advance to the next round. I walked out of the dug out and everyone began to cheer my name, my face was filled with a smile bigger than the sun and earth combined. I was happy but now it was time to see who we would be playing in

One fateful, mildly chilly, and cloudy April afternoon commenced where my stomach grumbled with cries of hunger and with the luck of the Irish, my coach was making me run extra since I was elected to play right field by the coach (poor decision on his part since I am not the fleetest of foot). As the outfield practice continued my chest was pounding harder and eventually

It was an early Saturday morning in October, when the Panther girls softball team were playing for a third straight win. The two games before that flew by easily, we won both and were playing to be seeded first in the tournaments the next day. The crowd was full of excitement, parents yelling, and the coach yelling at the umpires, because of bad calls. We were nervous because it was a really good team that had 3 of the best players in the state. We had played them in two previous tournaments, and lost on the second day, so this time we were determined to beat them.

Nobel Prize winning economist, F.A. Hayek, in his book The Road to Serfdom, published in 1944 addresses the topic of the rise of socialism in the West, and argues that it must be stopped to keep the United States, United Kingdom, and other Western democracies from ending up like Nazi Germany. Hayek argues that many of the same developments and thought processes that opened the door for totalitarian socialism, be it “Right” National Socialism or fascism in Germany and Italy, or “Left” Stalinist communism in the Soviet Union can be seen in the West, but they are developing much slower and can still be reversed. He says that desire for economic collectivism, has risen in the West but its effects can be seen in these centralized totalitarian