Piazza
Ms. Cavalani
ENC 1101-37633
January 25, 2013
Playing the Game Regardless of who we are, all of us have a fear of not succeeding. We have to learn how to overcome these obstacles at some point in our lives. It is more than just luck, it is a mindset. Once we find that mindset we will be able to succeed in everything we do as long as we believe we can. I happen to figure that out on a softball field, and have been able to apply it to every other situation in my life, and has succeed since then It is something that everyone and anyone can do, the problem most will have is changing their ways. Once thinking and doing something your whole life it becomes very hard to change the way you live. But once making this decision, your whole life will change. My coach told me one more run, and we will win the game! We can move onto finals! And that all I had to do was hit the ball, that I could do it. I believed him. I heard the crowd cheering me on, I’ve never heard so much cheering before. I took a breath, slow and deep, and took in the moment. It was the middle of summer, I was out of breath, the air was dry, and the sun beaming down on us. As I looked around, I could see the exhaustion in both teams faces. The sweat dripping down our faces; while both teams wanted to win, the look in our faces also said I can’t wait for this to be over. Both coaches chanted to their teams, pushing us through the last few minutes of the game. While you could see the exhaustion in our faces, the inspiring words our coaches were yelling to us, gave us all hope. You could see the coaches words being processed in our faces, and the second gust of energy came in. The other team took their “ready” position on the field, while our runners got into place. A calm came over the field, and the stands of fans grew quiet as everyone took one last deep breath.
I put my right foot in the batter’s box, and gripped my bat. My hands began to sweat. As I looked up to the sky four hundred thoughts ran through my mind. Can I really do this? Am I good enough? Should someone else be put in for me? My heart began to race. I stepped back out of the box, I could feel and hear my heart beating faster than ever before. My mind went blank. My coach walked back up to me, he could see the fear in my eyes. He grabbed me and said, “There is no one I would rather have in this position then you”. That’s when I realized I can do anything I want, as long as I put my mind to it and believe that I am good enough. I slowly stepped back into the batter’s box, and kept telling myself, “You are the only one that can do this”. I looked the pitcher in her eyes, and I could see how nervous she really was. She pitched the ball. It all seemed to of happen in slow motion. I gripped my bat tighter than ever before, cocked back, and swung the bat. It soared, as I started running around the bases. I looked back up and it was a homerun. I eased up to a celebratory jog. I looked to the stands and saw the fans jumping up in down. I looked toward my coach and players, and saw tears coming down their eyes. And as I looked at the other team I saw the sadness in their eyes, and tears of upset rolling down their face.
As I touched home plate, my teammates patted me on the back. We were going to the World Series. We couldn’t stop cheering, still in shock from the win. After all the years we played together, and time we put into this game. The sweat, the blood, the tears is finally paying off; we are right where we want to be the number one team in the South. As the celebrating came to a stop, I looked around. I looked as the sun was setting in the horizon, looking more elegant than ever before. I had come to a realization and it was that I could do anything I set my mind to. That it’s not about who is the best but about who has the will and the heart to push through. As everyone began to leave, I stayed back for a little. I looked around and I felt the satisfaction of accomplishing what was only a dream of mine. It was quiet. The sun was still beating down on the field. The clay all messed up from a good game played. The bases covered in an orange tent from sliding into the bases. And as I looked down at myself I saw a dirty uniform and a girl that deserved to win the game. Not just that though. I saw a girl that can now accomplish anything, a girl that just needed the right mindset. And with the new mindset I had, I realized that I have not only won a game but changed myself for the better. From that day forward I made myself a promise. Not to just try harder at everything I do but to be positive and tell myself that I can do it regardless of what it was, I was going to never give up, that I was going to succeed.
The walk to my car was a peaceful walk; it was as silent as the night. The only sound I could hear was the birds chirping in the trees and the wind blowing through the think green palm tree leaves. Everyone had left. I felt a breeze in the air. Looking back at the field, it was calm, the completely opposite from the chaos it was twenty minutes before. I began to tell myself that I was able to do anything I put my mind to. No one can stop me as long as I believe in myself. While I doubted myself stepping into the batter’s box, I quickly realized if I don’t think I can do it I won’t be able to do it. This works for all aspects of life, whatever the situation may be. One can accomplish anything they want to with the right mind set. As I realized that in the middle of my softball game, that same mindset has helped me overcome everything in my life. While it isn’t something that happens in a blink of the eye, it is something that takes time and work. The need to change the whole thought process that I’ve always know, took a lot of patients and hard work. If changing your life is a priority, this is something that you will make important in your life. It won’t only help one better them, but it will help change the way they view themselves as a person. It will build the confidence, which most of us probably never had toward ourselves.