SPORTS, Grades 10–12, 1st Place
It happened in September 2014. My cousin Jessica and I were playing fall ball with the Rotterdam girls’ recreational softball team. The time had come and it was our last game of the season.
We had both been working really hard on our hitting because that was one of our weaknesses. We struggled with that. So we had been staying extra late with Chris, our coach, and he had been helping us. We got better but we still weren’t amazing at it.
It was a Friday at 6:30 p.m. when the game started. We were the home team so we started out on the field. The team we were playing was really good. We had like no chance of winning. The pitcher for that team was really fast and threw all strikes. Eventually, it was our turn to bat. I struck out all the times at bat.
Most of the other girls on my team were really good. It seemed impossible for me. All the hard work I had put into hitting with my coach almost seemed like a waste of time because I didn’t seem to be doing any better. I’m not going to lie, I was a little disappointed in myself so I feel like I stopped trying that night because there was no point, I was just going to keep striking out.
Well, the time had come. We were tied and we just needed one run to win the game. I was up to bat and Jessica was on deck. I got up to home plate with a disappointed look on my face like. Why am I even up here? I walked up to the plate and did my practice swings a couple of times. Then the pitcher pitched and I missed. Strike one.
She threw another one and I wasn’t even surprised. Strike two. I turned around to look at Jessica to see a face that actually made me happy and felt good about myself. She smiled and gave me a thumbs up and mouthed the words “you can do it.”
The pitcher winds up to throw the ball and I keep my eyes on that ball. I watched the ball as it touched my bat. I hit it! I swung so hard that it went so far and it hit a car and broke the window. I ran around all the bases until I finally ran back to home. After that I ran to Jessica and hugged her. The whole team was so proud of me. I got the winning run! There was so much cheering and people screaming my name, it was the best.
Even though I thought it was impossible, maybe all I needed was my cousin’s support, and some extra help of course and I could do it. It was the most exhilarating thing I had ever done and that is why it was my most memorable moment in sports.
I just hope insurance covered that person’s broken car window.
See all the winning entries from the 2019 Student Gazette here.
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