Dear Warrior - She Will Never Give Up On You

 

Dear Warrior,

Sometimes you will pop up to the catcher.

Sometimes you will strike out looking.

Sometimes you will make an error that isn’t representative of the player you are.

Sometimes you will fall into the trap of anxiety and fear.

Sometimes things won’t go your way and you will have those days.

Sometimes you will make the game-winning play.

Sometimes you will adjust perfectly in the next at-bat.

Sometimes you will hit that pitch you’ve been working on for weeks.

Sometimes you will jump uncontrollably with your teammates after a big win.

The game of softball gives failure, grit, and painful criticism. She will never lie to you. But she will always support you, validate the hard work you’ve done behind closed doors, and give you hope in hard times. She will give you a loving community and hold your hand when you feel like the world is crashing down on you. 

She is one of the greatest friends you’ll ever have because she will help you grow in ways other people cannot. She loves you through the strikeouts, errors, singles up the middle, and game-winning slides. She loves your teammates, your coaches, and even the umpires. 

Softball shows up every day and says that anything can happen to any player/team on any day. She promises to give you a certain amount of innings, an estimated number of pitches, and at-bats. But she doesn’t promise outcomes or performances. She leaves that up to you. You have the control in your hands, your glove, and your bat.

Always remember that you will evolve. You will change and you will grow. This will happen on and off the field as you excel in softball and in life. As you continue on your journey, many things will change but softball will always remain the same. She will never leave you. Even when the clock counting your playing time runs out, softball will be there to hold your hand. 

She will never give up on you. Even when you’re frustrated with her and want to give up, she will be there with open arms because she understands you better than anyone. She knows your grit, your passion, and your drive. She knows what you are made of. 

So work hard. Play hard. Laugh hard. Go the extra mile. Be proud of who you are today and look forward to the person and player you will grow to be tomorrow. Work hard and make yourself proud. 

Appreciate the tough losses, earth-shattering errors, and unbelievably long slumps. You will be better for them. Keep crawling, walking, jogging, sprinting, and whatever you need to do to keep moving forward. Dream big and work hard to become the woman you want to be. Softball will help you get there. Some days you may feel like the underdog, but keep working hard because the game you play is an underdog herself. She will never give up on you and will always be in your corner. 

Keep it real,

 

Kendall #3

KENDALL BURTON

Kendall is a graduate of the University of Georgia. She now lives back in her hometown, Houston, TX, and is pursuing her dream of being an author and motivational speaker. After undergoing 23 surgeries by the age of 17, surviving a stroke at 18, transferring schools, and fighting to defy the odds of her medical diagnosis, Kendall has been given to a unique outlook on life and what it means to persevere through adversity.

"Dream big and work hard to become the woman you want to be. Softball will help you get there."