I have played many different sports; however, softball is by far my favorite now. Long story short, it took me a long time to get to the point I am at today playing.

 I got asked for weeks on end by Faith if I would play softball on her parents team. I thought about this for a long time because I liked the sports I was playing at the time. I gave in after about three months of her asking me everyday. I showed up to the practices and all the girls had played before so they were ready while I on the other hand wasn’t, I was terrified. They asked me a bunch of questions that I knew nothing about. I didn’t know what spot I wanted to play, how to play or how to even hit a ball. They told all the girls they would have to help me learn. 

I was so scared, everytime a ball would come at me I would jump out of the way and let it go by me, because of this, I got put into the outfield. They knew nothing would be able to get hit out there at our age group and if anything was able to get hit out there they knew that I had enough knowledge to at least throw a ball in. It was always so boring. 

No matter what I wouldn’t hit a ball I was so scared; that I would just strike out every time I went up to bat. The team had a new joke because of this, since my parents told me if I was to get a hit I was able to get ice cream. It became that everytime I went up to bat everyone would yell “Ice cream Ayri!” even the parents would yell this it made me feel happy and weird at the same time. I was finally able to get the bat to make contact with the ball that I got a hit and got on base. Everyone was so proud of me and shocked that I even got the hit. When they stopped yelling ice cream, I started to strike out again that everyone would start saying it again until later on down the road.

We all moved up age groups together and continued to play together to play together so that when we got into high school we would have already been together for a long time. 

As time grew some girls would leave and some would join but most of us stayed together. We all even stopped playing this team and went to another team together for one year.

About the time we left for the team I had to get surgery to get my tonsils removed. I started the season with them then went into surgery. Our coach at the time hated the fact that I had to get them removed and that I had to sit out until I got better. During my recovery time I went and watched the games when I was able to be out of the house without worrying about choking on my own blood. Our coach was glad to see me there but was mad that I couldn’t play for a while longer. 

The recovery time took a lot longer than we thought it would of taken. My coach said since I was out for so long that I wasn’t allowed to play right away; my family was fine with this. When I was able to go back all she did was yell at everyone. I went home and told my mom I was never playing softball again after this season. 

Going into high school I was still set on not going out for the high school softball team; since one coach did nothing but yell. Everyone told me to keep playing because I was a good player now and because I came a long way from where I started. I knew they were right but I was still set on not playing and told everyone “No, I already said I’m not going back to softball.” I was told that I would be upset if I didn’t try out and then see everyone else playing. 

Two days before tryouts I told my mom that I was going to try out because if I got cut and I really didn’t like softball anymore I wouldn’t care. 

At tryout time I was fine because I thought I didn’t like it anymore; until teams were being made. I was scared that I would get cut that I realized that I still do love softball. 

I made the JV team with Collins at the time; I was so excited. I knew that I was going to make this a way better season than the last.

I thought over and over again what if I did quit the team, what would I be doing right now. Everyone always asked me what made me come back and why wasn’t I going to play anymore. I told them things changed in the time being, I was glad to be playing still and that was it. 

My freshman season was definitely one of the best seasons yet, and I was glad I didn’t quit playing. I continued and even went back into off season softball, all year around. 

I realized that if I quit I would not become the main catcher and got a winning point for the team in the pouring rain. I knew after that I would never try to quit again, because that moment made me feel so good and happy about myself. At the start of the season, I would have never guessed I would of been the person to make that game point. Everyone was so happy, they just yelled and yelled. One of the girls who used to play was there and was talking a video at the moment it happened, you could see how happy everyone was, even our coach of the time. I knew that moment would never be a moment I would be able to let down and nothing would top how happy we were.

I went from being the girl who was going to stop playing softball for good to the girl who got moved up to varsity her sophomore year. I couldn’t be happier that I didn’t quit than anything else.