If you grew up playing softball like I did, there is no doubt that your love for the game has never wavered, regardless if you stopped playing or not. Usually, when you have to stop playing, it’s because you've started college. And that’s totally okay, because there’s this really cool thing called intramural sports. But even if you do play intramurals, there are still many things that you just can’t get back because you aren’t playing softball competitively anymore.

1. The smell of grass and dirt

Not just any grass and dirt, a softball field’s grass and dirt. Those of you who can relate know exactly what I’m talking about. To others, it may not sound too great, but boy does that smell bring back memories of your childhood ballpark. It’s always freshly cut and the fields are always freshly brushed for the start of a brand new game.

2. Softball cheers

These were your excuse to be as loud and obnoxious as you possibly could in order to pump up your team and your fans while annoying the other team. There’s just something about unified sing-screaming.

G- DOUBLE O-D-E-Y-E, GOOD EYE, GOOD EYE GOOD EYE!

THREE AND TWO NOW, WHATCHA GONNA DO NOW, WALK HER, WALK HER!

YA GOTTA WANT IT TO WIN IT, AND WE WANT IT MORE!

And my personal favorite, PITCHER’S GOT A WEDGIE, GO WEDGIE GO WEDGIE GO!

3. Weekend tournaments

Strangely enough, waking up at the crack of dawn knowing you’re going to play softball all day was one of the most exciting feelings. Ever.

4. Traveling

Hotel stays, hotel pools, and staying up late at the hotel knowing you have to get up early to play anyway was way more fun than it sounds like. There was something special about traveling with your whole team (and parents) to get to play the game you love. And if you were lucky, you had to take a plane! Don’t even get me started on airports.

5. The feeling of making a great play

Nothing compares. Absolutely nothing. That one moment made you feel unstoppable, and all you wanted was to do it over and over again.

6. The feeling of making a great hit

The countless hours of batting practice all come down to that one moment at the plate. The sound of the ball hitting your sweet spot is music to your ears.

7. Walk-up songs

It took you a while to find that one perfect song that would be equally intimidating and motivating, but also described you perfectly. Somehow, you and your teammate’s chosen songs always did just that. And when you hear it outside of softball world, you can’t help but get pumped up no matter where you are. Did I mention how difficult it was to not use your bat as a microphone for a moment?

8. Your mom coaching from the stands

Admit it, you miss your mom making a fool of herself when she was trying to tell you how to hold your bat or how far to stand back in the field. It aggravated you (and your coach) to no end, but she was always there to support you and watch you excel in the game.

9. The dugout

There are just some things that are said and done in the dugout that should be left in the dugout. But some of your best memories were made within those 50-foot by 20-foot concrete walls. And you wouldn’t trade them for the world.

10. Victory

Walking off the field knowing that all of the hard work you and your team have put in has ended with a win makes it all worth the while. You can go home feeling relieved and accomplished. Losing is going to happen, too, but there’s always that feeling of winning. Especially the game that you love.