My first softball tryouts With a bit more practice and more confidence, I could have been good at baseball. But I didn’t want to. BY LAUREN JOHNSON It was a cold and windy Sunday in April 2016. My dad and I walked up to the softball field for me to try out, not knowing what to expect. The field was not well-kept, the grass was very overgrown and the dirt had turned into mud from the rain on Saturday. There were around five girls already there, as well as three coaches. This was when the nerves set in.
the forms were signed, I nervously said goodbye to my dad as I was dragged away by one of the coaches. We started off by playing a simple game of catch. Every good throw and catch made me slowly lose my nerves and realize that I could actually do this.
I was 12 years old when I first tried out for softball. I had been playing baseball for three years before that and I had no idea how to play softball. I only knew that the ball was bigger and yellow. What I definitely didn’t expect was that I would be playing fast-pitch instead of slow-pitch because I was in the older league.
Something important to know is that I sucked at baseball. I was always placed in the right field where no balls were ever hit, and when one came I rarely made a good play. I would always freeze up when it was my turn to bat, and I only got on base once in my three years of playing. The coaches were always really supportive of me, but I never felt like I belonged on a team where I
I walked up to the tent and checked in and my dad signed all of the liability waivers while I watched the other girls trying out. After 62 | WRITING THROUGH THE DISTANCE