Sacred Softball Fields-Chelsea Gilbert

For over twelve years I played softball, seven of those years were for competitive softball teams. Playing softball has been my one passion my entire life. I love the game, the coaches, the people, and the excitement. Every year, from January to October, I trained endlessly to be successful during every tournament. While playing on the softball team Sliders, I gained some of the most amazing friendships I have ever had. Traveling up and down the east coast together, we learned a lot about each other and a lot about friendship. It was also a lot of fun to visit different places. Most of the tournaments that my team went to were in the country or by water so when we were not playing we were going in the water. There was one specific place that I will always remember. The hotel that we stayed at had a walking trail behind it that my teammates and I would go out on whenever we had the chance. In the middle of the walk there was a river that ran through it, and signs of humans living there, but during the 4 years that we visited there, we never once saw anyone else there but us. It was very interesting to wonder who lived there or why we never saw them, but at the same time was kinda scary. A lot of times I called softball my escape, much like a sacred place would be. These past three years were rough years in my life because I had a lot sickness and death in my family and when I was at softball practices or games, I found that I could concentrate on something fun other than my family. Standing on a softball field, almost everything that happens during the game is all in your control. It is nice to know that as a child I had something that I could call my own work. Of course, there were also the times when you lost or played horrible and wanted to blame everyone but yourself, because you were mad at yourself and your performance. However, I valued the times that I could do spend time with my best friends doing something I loved. Although my softball days are over, I look back on those years with great memories and lasting friendships.