Sarah Michael

USC Creative Writing

Memoir

A Swing and a Hit

Coach: What was your favorite drill?

Me: The one where we took up our positions in the field and practiced correctly fielding the ball.

Coach: What was your least favorite drill?

Me: The one where we squatted down and caught groundballs for 2 minutes straight.

Coach: How do you feel softball has affected you?

As freshman year started, I looked at all the clubs and activities my school offered. I saw

that my school had a handbells class, but I didnt join because I believed I wasnt good enough. I

didnt know how to read sheet music and had never played them before. Convinced that I wasnt

able to do it, I joined choir instead, where all I had to do was sing. As spring came, my friend

decided that she was going to play softball and wanted me to join with her. Lets do softball

together! Its so much fun, she said.

No, Ive never played before and wont make the team, I responded.

Youll be fine. Theyll teach you. She latched onto my arm and gave me her puppy-

dog eyes. I tried to shake her off, but she was persistent. Well have so much fun together.

I dont know I said as I tried to resist her constant pleading. At this point, she really

was starting to convince me that joining softball was a great idea.

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 Please! She started begging me again.

Fine, I said this to please her and it wasnt until later that I questioned my decision to

join softball. I stayed true to my word though and joined her for the first day of tryouts. As I

walked outside, the scent of freshly mowed grass was in the air. I was questioning my decision

as I walked up to my friend and joined her and the rest of the team. I felt really out of place as I

looked around and saw that everyone was in proper softball gear except for me. They were all

wearing pants, knee high socks, and cleats, while I wore shorts and running shoes. We started

introductions and I was relieved to hear that I wasnt the only one there who had never played

softball before. Tryouts started and we ran out on the field to warm-up. We got into pairs, stood

across from each other, and started throwing softballs back and forth. The new softball was

smooth in my hand with soft ridges where the seams were. As we warmed up, we were

surrounded with the sounds of a dog barking beyond the fence and birds chirping in the trees.

We started doing very simple drills for try-outs and I found that I enjoyed the feeling of a ball in

my glove. After the first day of tryouts, my friend looked at me and said, Not so bad, right? I

realized that I agreed with her and decided to stick with softball. We were told the next day that

no one got cut from the team and I felt a mixture of dread and excitement for the season to come.

I was excited that I made the team, but dreadful that Id be the worst player.

Practices started every day after school for two hours. They split us up so that the

experienced players could challenge themselves with harder drills and the new players could

learn how to play. At the first practice, I walked out onto the soft field and joined the group of

new players. We got into a line in the field and attempted to catch the balls hit to us. I dropped

and missed majority of what was hit to me and grew embarrassed of my constant running after

them. We left the field to practice batting and I was first up. I stood at home plate, gripped the

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bat tight, and looked towards the pitchers mound. Our coach put a ball through the pitching

machine and once I saw how fast it was coming, I backed away, scared for my life. They made

me go back up and this time, I swung while backing away from the ball. My friend walked up to

me saying, Sarah, the ball wont hit you. The pitching machine stays constant and will always

shoot the ball in the spot. This hardly comforted me.

But its too close to me and its coming so fast, I argued because I was terrified of

getting hit.

I know, it takes some time to get used to but just keep in mind that it wont hit you, she

assured me. I reluctantly walked back up to the batters box and got ready. I held my ground,

but didnt hit the ball. I kept trying until it was someone elses turn to go. My team told me I

was getting better and would eventually get the hang of it. I smiled at how supportive they were.

My teammates were always encouraging me and the other new players to try again when

we failed and to keep it up when we did something right. Even though they were more

experienced, they werent bothered by our attempts to learn the game. When I continuously

failed to catch a ball and felt like I wasnt good enough, they told me, Keep trying. You got

this! They helped to prepare me for the games by giving me tips and showing me how to do

something that I wasnt understanding. When I first started batting, I wasnt standing and

moving my feet correctly, so one of my teammates stood there with me and demonstrated how I

needed to stand and move my feet when I hit the ball. You need to separate your feet and lean

on your back foot as you get ready to bat. When you swing, step forward with your front foot,

but keep your back foot planted. One of the first days of practice, I misjudged a pop fly and it

hit me in the face. I tasted a metallic tang in my mouth and knew that my lip was bleeding.

Even though the cut was superficial, it hurt a great deal and I was now terrified of softballs. I

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cowered away instead of catching them and the team had to work really hard to get me back up

to where I was. They continuously hit me pop flies until I started catching them and stopped

fearing getting hit again. My team helped me get through this fear just in time for our games.

At our very first game, I was terrified of being the one to cause our team to lose. I didnt

want to let my team down and wasnt yet fully confident in my softball skills. What if they hit

me a ball and I dont catch it? What if I run the bases wrong and get out? These thoughts raced

through my head as we got out of the van and onto their field. As we walked through their field,

we could smell the paint that was used to make the batters box and the boundaries. Looking

out, I saw an all-dirt infield, which we didnt have at our field, and grass stretching beyond that.

The game started with our team up to bat first. As our first batter entered the batting box, we

cheered her on, saying, You got this! and Hit something pretty! As we cheered her on, I

grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and popped them in my mouth. The salty crunch left me

wanting more. The game went on and midway through, one of the other teams players hit a ball

to me in the outfield. I watched it go up and predicted that it would land in front of me. I got

under it and a second later, felt the soft thump as the ball landed in my glove. I caught the ball!

My whole team cheered for my success and didnt hesitate to tell me, Great job! It felt

amazing to catch the ball and to not let my team down. That was my bit of excitement for the

game and a little while later, it ended with us winning 10-2.

The softball season went on with us winning the majority of our games. As we

approached our final game, the entire team became gloomy that this was it for us. We decided to

go out there and put our heart into this last game. As we set up for our game, the other teams

chatter carried over to us and we could hear that they were convinced it would be an easy game

for them. Hearing this made us determined to beat them. They would not get the easy game they

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were expecting, we would make sure of it. Before the game started, we stood in a circle talking

about playing our best, and then we huddled up to cheer. We started moving side to side and

screamed,

WHOWHOWHOWHOWHO ARE WE? CONNELLY. WHO ARE WE?

CONNELLY. CONNELLY ON THREE. ONE, TWO, THREE, CONNELLY!

The game started with us in the field and I stood out at my position as left fielder. This

time, I knew that I could catch any ball that came my way. Throughout the game, I caught many

balls, but also missed some. As I took up my position in the outfield, I watched closely as the

pitch was sent and the batter hit the ball. They hit the ball towards me and up in the air. I ran to

go catch it, but it hit my glove and bounced out. I quickly picked the ball up from off the ground

and threw it to the infield. This didnt get me down though like it used to and I continued to

play.

As we came to the final inning, the game was tied 7-7. We were batting and had 2 people

on base and 2 outs. I was up to bat so I walked up to the batters box and dug my feet into the

ground. I drowned out the sounds of my team and the crowd cheering as I calmed myself and

watched the pitcher. She wound up her arm and released the ball, sending it towards me for a

strike. I watched the ball and swung the bat as it came racing toward me. I felt a tingle run up

my arms as the ball hit the bat and I took off running. I could hear my team screaming as I ran to

first-base. My first-base coach waved at me to run to second, and I couldnt help but smile

because I had never hit a double before. The other team was throwing the ball there, so I slid

between the second basemans legs and got my foot on the base. I was called safe and my

teammates who were on base when I went up to bat made it home, making the score 9-7. I

watched the score keeper change the scoreboard and heard the gruff voice of the umpire yell,

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Ball game! My team cheered and congratulated me before getting in line to shake hands and

say, Good game! to the other team. After the game, I came home and saw a text from my
Great job! I knew you
friend. were able to do it

Thanks! I wouldnt
have joined softball if it
werent for you.

I realized then, that I dont regret my decision to join softball anymore and love the game.

Softball ended and wont start up again until next year. I greatly miss playing softball

and cant wait until next year to play again. Now, as I register for my classes for next year, I

scroll down the list of potential classes and see handbells as an option. This time, I decide to

take the class to see what comes out of it. Maybe Ill love it just like I love softball.