I had played softball for practically all of my life. I started when I was three years old in tee-ball and played all the way until my senior year of high school. My softball career has definitely had its ups and downs, and in my senior year, I was so ready to quit and get my life back. I had thought that I wouldn't miss softball at all when I quit because my senior year was just one huge slump for me, and in the beginning I didn't miss it. I felt so free and finally relaxed because I didn't have that added stress that softball brought me. But it was after I moved into my college dorm that I realized how much I missed it.

My dorm overlooks the softball field, so whenever I'm outside my building, I can hear the crack of the bat and the cheers from the teams at every game. It makes me wish I was with my own team, making those memories that they are. No one prepared me for how much I would miss this sport.

No one tells you how after you quit, you won't really know what to do with your life anymore. Softball took up so much of your time, that you never really picked up any side hobbies. So once you quit and have all this spare time, you feel empty and lost. You no longer have that outlet. I constantly get asked the question, "So what do you like to do?" My automatic answer is that I play softball, but I always realize that that can't be my answer anymore.

No one tells you how much you'll miss team bonding. When you were on the team, you may not have wanted to hang out with some of the girls, but looking back, you would give anything to share that bond again, to make the memories that last a lifetime.

No one tells you about how seeing your old teammates playing at the collegiate level makes you want to go join them, at least for one game. You'll want to experience the rush of getting that solid line drive one more time -- the anticipation of sitting under a pop fly with someone on third base waiting to score, just so you can throw them out at home, one more time.

You'll miss this sport like crazy, but you can turn it into a life experience. You can go into future interviews being able to say you know how to work with a group of people, you can communicate well with your peers and you understand just how crucial teamwork is, because as your coaches always told you, there's no "I" in "team."

No one may have prepared me for this, but this is my chance to tell you girls who won't be continuing your softball career after high school: you may hit some rough patches after you quit, but trust me, your future career will benefit with your experiences. Your ups and downs you face, and the obstacles you overcome, will prepare you tremendously in the future. So enjoy this wonderful sport and make all of the memories you can -- you'll cherish them for life.