if your daughter comes home and is considering giving up softball, it could be the best thing that ever happens to her. In talking with pitching students who are uncertain, we give them these guidelines: 1-Never quit because you don’t feel “good enough”. Some of my best pitchers were told by others that they weren’t good enough, but they knew they had to look themselves in the mirror every day and they wanted to feel good about the person they saw. 2-Never quit because of a boy. 3-If you can be just as happy anywhere else on the field or doing anything else, go and do it. Life is too short. If you love softball, you will return. 4-Don’t continue to play or pitch just because mom or dad want you to do so. Enjoy it while it lasts, because the day will come for every player when she has to make the transition out of softball. If she quits, was the time wasted? Absolutely not. I always told my daughters that the lessons learned in softball will serve you well throughout your life. You will forget most of the games you played, but you will always remember the lessons learned. Two years after giving up softball, Abby Rose Photography has become very successful. Abby had also enjoyed playing and singing on stage several times. She enjoyed being free to pursue other dreams. Then came the real surprise. This past fall, Abby asked if I could help her get ready to pitch in college. Being away from the game helped her realize how much she loved it, and this time she is not playing because big sister did, because others expect her to play, or because she thinks it would make us happy. Abby is playing for Abby, and we see a work ethic and enthusiasm that never existed before. Just a couple of weeks ago, as a junior, she led her high school team to the state semi-finals, and she has secured a spot on a high profile 18-U Gold/Premiere team. Let them make choices. If you push them to play, they probably won’t enjoy it very much. Give them the freedom to leave softball. If they love the game, they will return. If not, we learned that it is just as exciting to admire the photography, cheer when she is on stage, and watch her find her own way in new areas. Are we happier now that she is playing again? Not really. We are happy that she has the courage to make her own choices and put in the effort to make them work.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:55:44 +0000
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