I played softball as a kid, loooong ago. Do you remember your first Little League game? Summer pick-up games? Jr. and Sr. High tryouts? Who still has these mementos stashed away?
Softball is a team sport. You can’t play by yourself. You need fielders, a pitcher, a catcher, and umpires (for those competitive games, you know, when it really counts . . . and not the pick-ups who always unfairly call strikes on you!)
Even when you’re at bat, you are not alone. Someone pitches to you. There’s a roster, a player before and after you. There’s a team responsibility to get a hit, advance the runner(s), produce RBI’s, and score more runs than the other team.
My Top 5 Reasons to Play Softball:
5. Fun – We like playing! Every game and every opponent is different.
4. Exercise – Obvious! You run, bend, throw, twist, squat, and run some more.
3. Teamwork – It’s not an individual sport. Outs depend on someone in every position catching the ball. A 6-4-3 is a “double play” and all three players do their part to make it happen. (I really like putting that in the book!) Even bench time is for cheering on the others as they play.
2. Humility – Yes, there are times when you drop a ball, hit into a ground out or even that 6-4-3 double play, leave your teammates on bases without scoring that winning run because you couldn’t get that much-needed hit. It’s disappointing. And who’s your worse critic? You! Right? You feel bad that you let your team down. Humility is powerful, too, when you catch that long, over-your-head fly ball, or turn that double play like a pro, or get that hit that scores the winning run. That’s the real test – being a good winner is just as important as being a good loser.
1. Friends – We have the opportunity to play softball and have fun with some very talented, hard working, humble people who enjoy this game. As we played in our younger years and continue in our 40s, 50s – and, yes, even our 60s and 70s – each team, each year, brings us together. We welcome newcomers and tell stories of games past. We remember those no longer with us. We celebrate the friends returning.
As Senior Softball players, it takes longer to warm up the muscles. It definitely takes longer for the muscles to recover. Win or lose, our softball friends (family) are grateful for these opportunities to play and enjoy this sport that brings us together each season. The games may end not always in our favor, but friendships will always be a victory and the adventures will be cherished far beyond “the diamond” and dugouts.