My Softball Girl

Julissa joined the softball team this year and she loves it!

Last year she had joined a cheer team and, although she really enjoyed cheer, I found it to be very time consuming, draining and not to mention - expensive.   At first she was really unmotivated and disappointed at the fact that I had signed her up for softball. She really, really wanted to go back to cheer and made sure to let me know about it almost on a daily basis, and she wouldn't fail to add that she didn't think she would be good at softball. I was starting to feel like I had made a mistake and she would hate softball and that this was more about me than her. But I have always been one to encourage my kiddos to try new things, especially in sports, so I asked her to keep an open mind and give it a good try before deciding that it wasn't for her. She reluctantly agreed.

So off we went the day before her first practice to buy all the softball equipment she needed; glove, cleats, socks, pants, etc., with the hopes that maybe this would get her a little more excited about playing. It did! ... check! When we got home the first thing she did was to put on her cleats. A couple of hours later, she still had them on and refused to take them off inside the house. This, without a doubt, caused some scratches on my beautiful wood floors...but who cares?...she was EXCITED! <--- check!

Cleats, cleats and more cleats! My car is an extension of this. 

On her first day of practice she hit a ball on her very first try (ha—I guess that having three baseball-playing-older brothers has paid off!) and a few others after that. She also really liked her coach and the girls on her team. On the ride home she blurted out that <she> "loved softball practice and couldn't wait for her first real game!"....check check check! 

Pink for days...

There goes the ball!!

The next day was the team's first game and Julissa played amazingly. She hit several balls - again - and made a couple of runs. At the end of the game she was given her very first ball! She was so excited *YOU GO, JULISSA*! I put the date on the ball and had her sign her name so that we can put it in a keepsakes box to display in her bedroom (wish I would have thought of this for the boys' first baseball *sigh*). 

First ball!

Did I mention how tall and beautiful Julissa looked out on the field? No? Well she looked beautiful. Ugh...she's growing up so fast! Seeing my daughter, my baby, out in the field enjoying herself made me so happy. I'm so proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone and trying something new and different. I'm also glad I pushed her to try something different. Now she's realized that she can do things she thought she couldn't do. That it is okay to try new things but that it's also okay to be afraid to make changes. 

From this day on and until the end of baseball/softball season, my time will officially consist as follows: 50% work, 48% field time and 2% free time, so if any one needs me, I will be out there, somewhere in field one, two or three, cheering my kiddos on. You're welcome to come around and cheer with me ;).

You know you're a baseball Mom when you open your purse and you find this...

It's a good life. 

~ Yamilka ~