It All Started on Field 1
It all started on Field 1 at Sandy Plains Softball Park in 2014. Our daughter was seven years old, one of four children in our newly blended family. We signed her up for 8U fastpitch with one simple thought:
“Let’s see how she likes this.”
Our oldest child, our son, played baseball, and two of our daughters were in cheer. We were completely new to fastpitch softball. In fact, we did not even know it existed until then. I bought her a T-ball bat and a pink glove, and we headed to the ballpark, having no idea how much that decision would change our lives.
The Journey Wasn’t Easy
Like many young athletes, she struggled during those early years. There were times when she was not one of the strongest players on the field, and more than once we wondered if softball was really going to be her sport.
Around eleven years old, she even talked about walking away from the game.
As parents, that is hard to hear. But we also knew that sometimes the greatest growth comes from simply refusing to quit.
Then something changed.
When she moved into 12U, everything started to click. Her confidence grew. Her love for the game grew. The player we always believed was there finally began to emerge.
From that point forward, she became one of the best players on the field.
