Analysis of a Softball Player

At one time, she looked cute as a button all dressed up in pink with pigtails. She had tea parties with her stuffed animals and dolls. She even used to help her mom bake cookies, and above all, she was and always would be “Daddy’s Little Girl”.
Today, this little girl is a fastpitch softball player. This changes things a bit. Although she still maintains some of the same little girl attributes, now she looks cute in shorts and sliders. if she’s wearing ribbons in her hair, they’re the team colors. She has become “Daddy’s Little Slugger”.
The fastpitch player is proud of how dirty she can get. On a normal family dinner outing she’ll take up to an hour primping to get ready, and she still feels self-conscious. However, between tournament games she’ll strut into any restaurant with a streak of orange dirt across her face; ratted, sweaty, and painted hair; a dirt stained shirt; bloody knees; with brown socks that used to be white; and flip-flops while yelling, “Let’s eat!”
The fastpitch player has an extensive wardrobe. She has ten or twelve uniforms that she’s outgrown but hasn’t discarded because, well, you never know. She has several hundred t-shirts and boxer shorts from camps, leagues, and tournaments around the country. When her parents way wear something nice, she’ll put on something from a past regional or national event.
The fastpitch player needs to get a scholarship because her parents are broke after spending thousands of dollars on camps, batting lessons, pitching lessons, catching lessons,  hotel rooms, restaurant meals between tournament games, league fees, equipment, ect., ect...
The fastpitch player is a fierce competitor. She’ll willingly stand 40 feet away from a pitcher and take a pitch with a reaction time that a major league baseball player would flinch at. She might be only 5’1” and 105 pounds; soaking wet, but she’ll dig in at third or first, 25 feet from a batter, and dare them to drive one down her throat.
The fastpitch player has more spirit than any other sport. She’ll go home hoarse from cheering and rooting her team on into the final innings. She plays the sports for all the right reasons; she loves the game. She could be spending her weekends out shopping and getting manicures, but instead she chooses to be at a tournament somewhere, in 100 degree heat, just waiting to get in the game and into that pitcher’s line of fire.
The fastpitch player is diligent and hard working. She knows the value of perseverance and teamwork. She understand that you only get out of something what you put into it. She is very competitive and doesn’t give up, period!
Over the years, she’s learned team work and spirit, but most of all she’s learned to respect all but fear none.