I've played softball practically my whole life. For as long as I can remember I've been a softball player, my best friends are softball players, and even though I'm no longer playing competitively I will always consider myself a softball player.

I had the pleasure of playing with the same group of girls from 10U rec ball, to travel, to junior high and all the way through high school. These lovely ladies will always hold a special place in my heart. Together surrendered our right to playing for ourselves to play for each other, our team. Through this process we not only built everlasting friendships but we got to build a legacy at our school. We won countless championships and made it our goal to always be the best. These girls are my sisters. I even got the pleasure of signing my letter of intent to play college softball along side these talented athletes that I've known for what feels like my whole life.

From the time I was 4 years old to now I have had nothing but love for my game. My best friends have always been my teammates and for the most part they still are. Then one day, I wasn't technically a softball player anymore...

I played my two years of college ball at my junior college and had made the decision to hang up my cleats to focus on finishing my degree. I was at a new school, a bigger school, and I knew no one. For the first time in my entire life, I didn't have a team. It was weird being here and in the beginning it nearly broke my heart because, for the first time in my entire life... I had to actually make friends.

And let me tell you, it wasn't as easy as it seems (especially when you're a girl, girls aren't always friendly). As an athlete I've always surrounded myself with other athletes so when I got to this school, it became very clear I wasn't one of "them" anymore I was just a regular student. It took awhile for me to find my nitch here. I kept trying to befriend people I thought I was suppose to fit in with and that was my biggest problem.

The people I ended up becoming friends with are very far from anyone I've ever associated myself with. That's when I realized I wasn't just a softball player, there was a lot more to me than a bat and a glove. Don't get me wrong I will always be a ball player and I will always love the game. However, I went from thinking the end of my career was the end of my life... to this is just the beginning of who I am.

It was almost like I had this moment of awe where I realized I'm not just this one thing. Often times we limit ourselves and even other people to a single definition of who they are, to a solitary label on a person made of more than just one thing. The girls close to me here are the farthest thing from my teammates but to be completely honest I think that's why I love them so much. I've discovered a part of me that isn't tied to the game. I no longer think of myself as one single definition.

Hanging up my cleats for good might have been the hardest thing for me to do but it was also freeing at the same time. I miss the smell of my leather glove, the feeling of the seems on my finger tips, the endless bus rides to tournaments and making music videos with my team. However, as much fun as all of that was life on the other side is pretty fun too.

I was an athlete, I'm not anymore. Coming out of my comfort zone was hard, but I think this is how I know I'm growing up. I'm discovering things about myself I never knew, befriending people I would've never talked to, people who just might become as big a part of my life as my softball sisters.

I've dedicated most of my life to the game but the beauty of the end is... It's only the beginning.