Thank you.

13 years ago I could tell you what I wanted to do in college: "I want to play softball on a full ride and be a teacher", I would tell everyone. Having a bat and ball in my hand was the coolest thing to me. Except when I was 13 that all changed because of you.

It's weird to me to have had such a bright goal for myself and it was all torn down by one person. From tee-ball to coaches pitch, to rec, to travel ball, softball was what I loved to do. I looked forward to the twice a week practices, weekend tournaments, and pitching lessons because I was given the chance to show everyone what I thought I was made to do. Being the pitcher and being with my friends was just the icing on the cake. Touching the ball every pitch, running around the bases, hitting a line drive...it was everything that I could do.

Of course, as you get older, your opponents get tougher and your expectations rise. And I guess for me it was a change because my 2nd year of travel, my mom was no longer my coach. I was excited for that change and no matter what, I knew I still would play my game I knew I could play. Travel was different than rec because there was a full team instead of 9 players. There wasn't just one pitcher or one center fielder, so I was open to playing anywhere. I just wanted to be in the game.

A few weeks went by and all of sudden I didn't know why I was playing this sport anymore. Going to practice started becoming a struggle and I found myself often crying after each game because I didn't know what I was doing anymore.

"Katie catch for me so you can watch how to play first base", "If we get a few more runs then you can go in, "Katie I don't think you were made for this sport", "... I lost all my passion for the sport and for myself. Softball wasn't something I wanted to do anymore. Practice didn't seem worth it and to be honest, I did not want to hear any more negative comments from you. I soon played the bench 6 out of the 7 innings and then it got to the point where I would lock myself in my room so I would not have to go to softball.

I had no idea who I was. I did not know what I was made to do because all my life softball was who I was. Obviously, I was not Jennie Finch, but I thought I was good enough to play on a 14 player travel team. Hating myself because of a softball coach was not something my 13-year-old-self was prepared for. Quickly after that season was over, I thought it was time to hang up my cleats and glove.

I gave myself a few months and I realized why I let a rude degrading coach get to me. Easier said than done, but I knew that if I wanted to play in high school, then I needed to get myself together. If I stopped playing, then you would have won. I worked on becoming a better me and pushed myself even harder to learn more pitches and increase my speed at my pitching lessons. I also had a strong support system pushing me to keep playing which definitely helped.

Although playing in college is no longer something I want to do, softball is something I want to keep playing. I taught myself that I need to know what I am capable of and I cannot let anyone ruin that. I need to be strong for myself and if someone questions my talent, I will prove them wrong. I haven't played this sport for 13 years for nothing.

So thank you coach. Thank you for making me question myself and my love for my sport. Because of you, I am that much stronger.