1. Teamwork makes the dream work

Even if you score a home run every time you get up to bat, you’re not going to win if the rest of your team can’t get a hit. Conversely, even if you strike out every at-bat, that doesn’t mean a definite loss for your team. In order to win, you have to trust your shortstop to catch the throw down, communicate with your left fielder on fly balls, and know your second baseman will be there on a rundown. Teamwork is key.

2. A good personality is better than superstar skills

My travel team always looked at personality first and skills second when choosing new girls to join the team. If you are kind and eager to improve, the coaches and teammates will help you get better as a player. But if you are stuck up, have a bad attitude, don’t listen to the coaches, or are rude to your teammates, you’re only going to bring the team down, no matter how good you are.

3. The pitcher-catcher bond is real

You suffer together during pitcher-catcher conditioning in the winter. You practice together with private pitching and catching coaches. You know each others’ minds so well that you barely even have to call pitches anymore. A good pitcher makes her catcher look better, and a good catcher makes her pitcher look better. There’s nothing like that pitcher-catcher bond.

4. You are way stronger than you think you are

I’ve pitched in the heat of July with a 101 degree fever. I’ve continued pitching after being nailed in the knee by a hit. I’ve pulled myself together after losing in the semifinals of the World Series to play in the third place game. Even when it’s the eighth game you’ve played in two days, you keep pushing because you love the sport.

5. The real you comes out under pressure

When it’s the bottom of the seventh and the score is tied, do you yell at your teammates or cheer them on? When you strike out, do you throw your helmet into the dugout or tell yourself that you’ll do better next time? Stressful games reveal who you really are. I know that 10 years of these situations have taught me how to be more positive, both with my teammates and in my own head.

6. If you want everyone to get equal playing time, sign up for a rec league

Competitive travel teams play to win. Sometimes that means the coach needs to play the same nine or ten girls for most of a weekend. Sometimes that means you have to play a position you dislike. Sometimes that means the only time you get in a game all weekend is as a courtesy runner. When I was younger, I played on teams full of girls way better than me. My choices were to practice harder or ride the bench. If you’re willing to push yourself in practice and on your own time so that you can improve, then playing for a travel team is a good idea. If you’re just playing for fun and think everyone should get equal playing time, join a rec team.

7. Listen to authority, even though they make mistakes too

Your coach might put an inexperienced player in the game during a do-or-die situation. Or he might send you home only to be tagged out at the plate. Yes, coaches make mistakes. But they also try to have the bigger picture in mind. If you ignore your coach’s fake bunt sign because you think you know better, your runner on first might get caught stealing second. Besides coaches, the other authority on the softball field is the umpire. Trust me, I’ve had plenty of nearly-blind umpires before. But unless you’re politely asking for an appeal, you’re never going to change his mind. No amount of yelling or sarcastic comments will change the call.

8. It’s all about momentum

It’s important to get ahead early, thus mentally shutting down your opponents. With that being said, a string of good hits in the middle of the game can steal the momentum from the other team and turn the game in your favor. However, you have to make sure your team can maintain the energy for the whole game. One of the hardest things to do in softball is regaining momentum once you’ve lost it.

9. Even if you’re not in the game, you’re a valuable part of the team

When you’re on the bench, it’s easy to feel useless. But there are many things you should do when you’re sitting, such as calling runner so your catcher knows if someone is stealing. Additionally, attitudes are contagious in the dugout, so having a good one can cheer up your team, while having a bad one can bring everyone down.

10. Cherish every moment playing the sport you love

The summers will go by, and all of a sudden you will be on the sidelines watching your old team, wishing you could play just one more game. Don’t take this time for granted. It’ll be gone soon.