DDs best fastpitch performance ever!!

[bucket pinata]

So I have to Brag about my DDs performance at last weekends tournament. The crazy thing is she never swung the bat,threw a pitch, fielded a ball. As most of you know my younger DD is sidelined due to a lower back injury and will most likely miss most of the season. She is 13 and very well respected around the organization so just on a whim the coaches of a 12A team that is a national level Team asked her to give the team a little talk about her injury and what is was about and my DD agreed, What happened next blew me away.

As the team gathered my daughter got up and the first words out of her mouth was "I'm a big Brat" She told them that all the success, Championships, experiences playing the game of Fastpitch she took for Granted, she took her parents for Granted, she took her great coaches for granted, she took her Team for granted. She Talked about all the success she had which made her start to give less than 100% at practice and in games. she told them then one day she got a Pain in her back, then came the fracture diagnosis and now she sits on a bucket charting pitches watching her Team play,she cant participate in post game pig piles, and all the goofy things 14u's do. She told them the fact that she cant play is just killing her. She let them know that every day they get to play, stay healthy and enjoy the over and above support of all the parents, coaches and players around is a blessing and to never take all these experiences for granted. some of the coaches and parents got a little emotional listening to her and after they told my DD that the Team really needed to hear what she said.

So as her dad, for me this was her Greatest day on the field I've ever witnessed. Her Perfect games, no hitters ,home runs wont ever come close to what she accomplished yesterday. I've always believed that with big success its easy to lose sight of the real reason for playing any sport . She might play for a college some day or not, she might decide not to continue or her passion for the game just fades. The one thing I learned after last weekend is that no matter what the future holds for her the Game of Fastpitch along with all the coaches, Teammates, and experience have produced one hell of a Human being and that will always be something to be most proud of and thankful for.

 

[obbay]

That was the best brag post I've ever read! Good luck to your DD, Get better, get stronger and dont rush it.

 

[SBmom8992]

That's just awesome. Perspective is everything and she learned it at a young age. Sounds like she took the opportunity to pay it forward and have an impact on some very impressionable lives.

 

[coach james]

This story is amazing. She's a strong confident leader who had taken what she's learned on the field and applied it to her life outside the game. I can only pray my girls become that kind of quality some day! Congrats on raising an amazing kid.

 

[CoachKevin]

What an outstanding young lady!!! That was perfect reading for today, thank you for sharing

 

[Me_and_my_big_mouth]

Made me tear up! So proud of that girl. She must have awesome parents!

Thank God for those moments where the universe reminds us that, for all our challenges and questions as parents, we must be doing something right and that they're gonna be ok. She's tough, smart, and apparently extraordinarily insightful. She could've taken this time to turn up the pity party and start being a victim - but not your girl! She's doing what most of us rarely do, even as adults, which is LEARN and GROW from our setbacks. Too much good stuff here to put into words. Truly sums up what I want my dd to get out of this sport. Thanks for sharing.

 

[WaSpeed02]

It was good seeing you in Tri Cities, Paul. I just want to say that your DD came up in a discussion I had with another parent on our team. He said he had a chance to talk to her about her injury and was absolutely BLOWN AWAY by her maturity level and ability to communicate. He said he felt like he was the kid and she was the adult.

Can't wait to see her back in the circle!!

 

[Momo'sDad]

This is what happens when you raise kids instead of coddling them and catering to their every whim. If you accomplish nothing else in in this world, you can depart this life a happy man. Well done, Dad, and best wishes for a speedy recovery to your (no longer) little girl!