Lessons Learned

My knees trembled and my perspiring hands did their best to grip the bat. I was already down two strikes and I watched with sore eyes as the third one sat me back on the bench. Striking out became my regular batting status, and the dirt path back to the dugout was all too familiar. Crushed hopes and inevitable fears defined my entire Kiski Valley Pirate softball career.
Being only ten on the twelve and under team, I wasn’t a regular starter. I was substituted in every once in a great while. When I did get the chance to prove myself, I would fail miserably. Whether it was making an error at second base or striking out I was a letdown to myself and to my team. I never missed a practice or a game in the four years that I continued to play. I was dedicated but I was too childish to face the challenges that seemed impossible to overcome. I quit the Pirates and asked myself one question. What did those four years teach me? Those four years taught me to hate everything. I des...