Glory Days

After spending the entire day in class listening to professors ramble on about nonsense (of course, nonsense that we have heard three times prior to today), I was looking forward to my trip to the rec center this evening. On my way to relieve some stress, I passed by the intramural fields where, low and behold, there were softball intramural games in progress. I couldn't help but smile. As most of you know, softball has been my love and my passion ever since I was 5 years old. I began to fall in love with the sport when I was asked to join the only traveling softball team in the state of Alabama when I was 9 years old. Now, the majority of all the players on the team were 10 and 11 years old; so, my parents were quite reluctant to let me join.

As the youngest on the team, I had a lot to learn. I had developed bad habits due to the poor coaching prior to joining the team. Due to my abnormally high level of competition, I expected to start every game despite being the "newbie" on the team. Well, let me just say that because of that first year, I became very humbled and learned to work hard for everything. From there, I played four years in high school and earned a scholarship to play in college. Some of the most important things that I have learned in my life have been from this sport and from the setbacks and praise that comes with it.

But today, watching the youngsters show off their non-existent skills and the oldies trying to re-live their glory days, I couldn't help but reminisce. Seeing everyone decked out in their brand new cleats, gloves, and bat and seeing the occasional retired high school baseball player bust out his $200 batting gloves while he marches to the box, I just couldn't resist that little chuckle that I was fighting with everything I had within me. Granted, this is "slow-pitch" softball (which, in my book, does not technically count, but we won't go there), but it does give everyone the opportunity to allow that inner-child of theirs to express itself and set personal records that no one can take away from them.

Speaking of records, there are a couple of records that I am quite proud of that happened to come to mind while I was standing on the sidewalk watching the intramural games being played. (Clear throat). Drum roll please. The record that I will always hold at 'Southern is the honor of being the first Captain in the history of the program and the first player in program history to have been ejected from a game. Yes, I am currently brushing my shoulders off.

So, play on all of you good 'ole retired athletes. Play on. And try not to hurt anyone or yourselves in the process. Play ball!