Personal Essay On Softball

I have been playing softball for my school’s team for the past three years. My father had always encouraged me to be active, and get back into softball. Even though I was reluctant, I still tried out. I am going to be blunt: I was terrible. I lacked the skills necessary to be on the team, and because of that I did not make it on the team. Instead of being sad and embarrassed, I decided to take action. I decided to think of creative ways to get better.
After my father passed away, I did not really have anyone to practice with at home. I could have hired a coach to help enhance my skills during the off season, but my family did not have that kind of money. Instead I took advantage of the opportunities I had at hand. Even though I did not make
I got some duct tape, and taped a huge X on the side of a tree. For most of that summer I threw the ball at the tree trying to hit the X progressively moving further back as my arm got stronger. Despite this method of making my arm stronger, it was still not as effective as throwing with a partner. During the summer, a family friend dropped by to have dinner with us. I remembered her mentioning that her husband used to be a baseball coach and even plays wheelchair softball. I asked her if he would be willing to train me, and within the week I was practicing at his house. He helped me throw more effectively without hurting my arm. I would go to his house every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon for two hours. He became a huge part of my life because we spent so much time together. On rainy days, I would still go to his house to play cards or just hang out with him. He refined my skills and made me a better player, and even bought me a catch back for my birthday. A catch back is a netted screen that you can throw a softball at and it bounces back. Sadly, he passed away late last year. He was a great mentor of mine, and I dearly miss him. Yet despite this setback, I am determined to keep playing softball to make him and my Dad