Personal Essay: Mysterious Yellow Softball

Ever since I can remember, I always played softball. My Dad played it, his sister, my sister, and my brother played baseball. Like a wuss, my brother quit playing, because he had a pop up hit him in the face. Though, when I played, I would get hit by the ball all the time, and get right back up. Throughout my years of playing, and trying to find a position that I liked, I loved to hit. Every game in little league till I was in 14U, I was always fourth in the batting lineup. The older I was the better I played, sure I had a few bad games, but nothing like this.

On September 4, 1999, I was born in Victoria Jubilee hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. My family comes from the inner city of a country that is poverty stricken, politically corrupt, with an excessive murder rate. Despite the many flaws, I was taught to love my culture and respect others. My family came to America to have a better opportunity in life.

Softball is a sport that is known throughout the United States and the world. Softball originated on Thanksgiving Day in Chicago in 1887. The game was actually said to have begun as an indoor game. Softball was started by a group of men who had gathered at a club to watch the Harvard vs. Yale football game. When the news came that Yale had defeated Harvard, 17-8, one Yale supporter, overcome with enthusiasm, picked up an old boxing glove and threw it at a nearby Harvard alumni, who promptly tried to hit it back with a stick. This gave George Hancock, a reporter for the Chicago Board of Trade, an idea. He suggested a game of indoor baseball. Naturally, Hancock's friends thought he was talking about playing a game outdoors, not indoors.

Cold harsh winds in the air on the day of that 11th day in April 2002 in Roslyn, New York. Besides the awful weather, I was born that day. My life contains of my wonderful family with all my brothers, parents, and even my dogs. I also like to do my hobbies which consist of golf, fishing, and the racetrack. The 3rd thing that is very close to me is my New York football Giants. My exceptional family, my hobbies, and the New York Giants all explain my life.

I was born May, 30th 1989 at Wadley Medical in Texarkana, Ar. I was born to Kym Crispino from Queens, NY and William Lee of Hot Springs, Ar. My parents were young when they had me. We were very poor at times, but they always made sure I had what I needed. I was an only child, but grew up around plenty of cousins. I have lived in Texarkana my entire life. My parents split up when I was twelve, and my mother and I moved out into the country on a dead-end street with no children in the area, I became very sheltered and a little socially awkward.

I was born on March 24,1999 in Eastland Memorial Hospital. My mother, Shana Davis, and father, Wayne Davis, both graduated from Tarleton University in Stephenville Texas. I have one brother who's older than me by a year and four months his name is Justin Davis. I attended elementary school at Siebert Elementary School. I was one of the youngest in my class and had struggled cause I always felt smaller and was very hostile. But as I started to grow I found myself starting to become less hostile, as I found myself being welcomed as a friend. I began playing sports when I was in the third grade I was always fascinated with football it had been my way to get away from everyday life. When I got into middle school and high school I got

As I was growing up, my parents always wanted to find something to help me be active with other children. I was extremely shy and would not talk to anyone. At the age of six, I chose to try out for softball, but I was not sure if it was something I would continue to play. Softball has helped me break out of my comfort zone and talk to people, make lifelong friends, and be stronger as an individual. The older I got, the more open I was, but my first year of JV is what broke my shell.

“Not everyone is going to see or accept you for who you are, and you have to accept that.” I was told this quote everyday by my mother. Today was no different, walking up to the raked field, quote on my mind , eyes on the fresh red clay, and the sound of my metal cleats against the concrete. I was ready for this day. After months of hard work from November to February , the tryouts for Central softball team were over. Over the span of four months, I pushed myself harder than I ever thought I could, but what I did never seemed to be enough for the team.

Have you ever thought about the sport of softball? I finally did when I was right around the age of seven. I didn’t think to play right away, even my kindergarten reading buddy said that when she asked me if I would ever try softball I had a very quick response of “No”. When I was younger I had my heart set on soccer. We see how that changed quickly. Now I try and balance softball and school every night. Somehow even after 5 years of different teams I’m still balancing both.

In the summer on July 22, 2017 my 14u USA Pride softball team left for the 2017 Softball World Series tournament in Crown Point Indiana. The team and I was super excited to be able to play in such a big tournament in a different state. My parents and I left one day before everyone else did just so we didn't have to get up super early the next morning. We had one day to ourselves before our first game the following day. We had the late game that was at one in the afternoon for our first game and I was super nervous. I am lead off batter so that is kinda frightening because all the pitchers are super good and our team hasn’t seen this kind of pitching before, because in Michigan where I live some people say we look

We all have some type of sports story growing up, either you were playing or just watching, you have some story to tell. I have been playing sports ever since I can remember, I started when I was little and then I just never stopped. I played basketball, volleyball, and my favorite sport softball until sadly something happen. Softball had always been my sport and I was planning on playing college ball but the winter of my sophomore year of high school that all stopped.

Our experiment was performed in the fields next to the Shumaker Sorority complex at William Jewell College, Liberty, MO and next to the softball field. We selected five Honey Locust trees in that area with low hanging branches and healthy leaves. The experiment commenced 01 October 2016 and ended 29 October 2016 due to senescence.

I was born on October 17, 1938 in Montana. Grew up a poor kid in a poor family, I lived with my grandparents and I don't optate to toot my own horn, but I was a pretty tough kid. I genuinely set a school record for the most sit ups and push ups.

This past softball season, our team was left without a pitcher. I decided as the one of the oldest on the team, even though I was only a junior, I would step up to the task. Over the winter, I went to see a softball coach that specifically taught pitching. I went for an hour on many Saturday’s to help improve my skill and hopefully be able to help my team out. I worked hard everyday at practice when it came time for the softball season to be a well-rounded athlete. I practiced pitching with my coach and on the different players on my team. I also worked hard to improve my batting and playing the field. I was eventually made captain with one of the other girls on my team, and I felt proud of the fact that I was able to represent my team

Sitting at the very top of my trophy shelf, is a battered baseball that my father passed down to me when I finally turned 12. The ball is quite discolored with this dark shade of brown that makes it look like it spent a few years lost in the woods. It was my father’s prized position from when he attended Ted Williams Camp as a small child.