One thing I learned while playing PONY softball that I will always remember and how I feel it will help me as I go through college and the rest of my life is that it is from learning to struggle that we grow.

The one thing I learned while playing PONY softball that I will always remember and how I feel it will help me as I go through college and the rest of my life is that I have learned to overcome my struggles.

I learned that my struggles are a testament to my character. Whether it’s those painful dirt burns from diving for a line drive, scars on my shins from stealing bases and sliding, or that one horrible high school season I will never be able to forget, I’vep ushed on and pushed through. This has translated to my everyday life. The only thing that matters is never giving up and getting back out on the field. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve failed because I’ve learned that by continuing on, I will get there. It’s kind of like those days in softball where I could get three hundred ground balls hit at me and miss every single one, but I’m still learning from the experience. It’s all about repetition, and with each struggle, I am eventually going get there mainly because like anything in life, I stuck with it.

I have become stronger than I ever would have realized both physically and mentally because of my struggles. Softball has given me a tough skin and the mental toughness to get out of my own head, solve my batting slump, and refocus on the next pitch, just like in life where I will move onto the next obstacle to overcome. My struggles have shown me that I’m not going to get better if I just stand there; a lesson from the batter’s box and life in general! If I stand there and don’t swing, I’m not going to hit the ball. Just like if I keep myself stuck in a situation, and don’t try my hardest to improve it and better myself, life’s going to stand still and I’m not going to make any progress. I have come to realize that my goals and achievements won’t come easy.

Life, like softball, has more than 250 plus things I need to be thinking about and anticipating all at once. And I will have to be good at several aspects—batting, running, fielding, and catching; not just awesome at one thing and decent at the rest. Struggles in my life and my future in college, as with playing softball, have taught that I am going to have to work every single day to get better and it isn’t going to come easily. Softball has been a great lesson for me in life—I will have to kick my own butt to get what I want; nothing is going to be handed to me. Because of these struggles in the game, softball has taught me about passion. I have chosen to love the game even through super-hard practices, crappy morning workouts when my own eyes are barely open, and many post-game tears.

These struggles have taught me accept and love the good, the bad, the successes and the losses—and to keep playing and working hard for what I love and want to achieve in my college career and beyond. My softball struggles have endeared me to appreciate that my family will always come first. My family was my first fans, the first people to drive me to practices, the first people to hug me and offer kind words after a loss, the first to want to heal my wounds. They have seen my highs and my lows and loved me through them all. My family has come to all of my games, packed me countless mid-tournament drinks and snacks, and have yelled at the umps on my behalf when they have seen me struggle on calls that I may not have agreed with but had to respect.

Softball and its struggles have taught me to value my family, to love them, and to appreciate their constant support in my life. It is important to acknowledge that my family goes beyond blood.I have met some incredible people along my softball career, from coaches who have become second dads, to teammates that I have felt were more like sisters.

I truly believe that through all my struggles on and off the field that I have been blessed with amazing friends and influences that stretch beyond the game and into my everyday life. This is one lesson that I have learned while playing PONY softball that I will always remember and how I feel it will help me go through college and life; without struggles I cannot become better be it on the field, in college or life…the struggle is real and I am prepared!