Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Girls Softball












Our neighbor was a huge kid. She was extremely tall for her age and just big. She has two older brothers who are both extremely good athletes but both her parents agree that she is the best in the family. College scholarships are definitely in her future. She wants to go to Stanford.

She plays volleyball, basketball and soccer but her true passion is pitching softball. She is extraordinary. When she was younger, she wanted to go on a diet. NO! She would lose a lot of her pitching power. Finally, she continued to grow, matured and naturally slimmed down.

She is currently a freshman in high school and is playing in a higher-level league as well as her high school team. Her parents invited us to watch her pitch at the local school.

So, that is where I found myself on a recent late afternoon.

I dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, heavy kit jacket, raincoat and brought along a heavy poncho. Ha! It was a sunny day and there was no wind up on the campus where wind is a constant issue. For the entire game, I sat in my t-shirt, enjoying the game and the sunshine.

My neighbor’s team was at home so she pitched first. Having never seen girls softball, I thought that she was pretty good. It wasn’t until the other team’s pitcher threw her first pitch that my jaw dropped. By comparison, it looked like half speed.

It was at that moment that I realized that my neighbor was a truly extraordinary pitcher.

The final score was 6-1. They are at the top of their league and have lost only one game the entire season. It’s the pitching.

I sat in the sun, cheering on the team surrounded by friends and even made a few new ones. At one point I had to smile at the thought of me sitting there between 4-6PM enjoying once again doing something outside of my normal routine.

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