Recycling a Great Story

This is a recycled post, I hope you don’t mind.

There are quite a few new people around these parts since I first wrote it a year ago and this story is just so good!

We are back in to softball season around here and I wrote this during the playoff week last year.

It is a GREAT story – I hope I do it justice – I know it and I am teared up again reading it today.

Sunshine is no longer on this team – she aged up, but we are lucky enough that Peanut aged up and is now on this same team.

And, we are lucky enough to be playing again with the young lady that this story is about –

The ultimate underdog story!

Last night was a pure joy moment. One of the best I have had in a while. I even jumped up and down.

Really.

It was all for this little girl.

The girl being swooped up by her Mom and cheered by her team.

Let me set the stage.

Sunshine is on a 9 and 10 year old softball team. Should be all fun right?

Fortunately, for the girls, it really is.

Some of the adults, no so much.

See we finished the season in second place, played our first playoff game, won, then through a series of events the” previously agreed playoff game” became a “makeup game”.

Stung a little, would have stung a lot if they lost after already thinking they were going to the championship game (did I already give away the ending?).

So, here it was, bottom of the 6th inning (they only play 6 innings at this level).

The young lady above was up to bat, was walked, next batter up, walked, putting this little Petunia on second base.

We just needed one run and the game was over.

But, the coaches underestimated her.

They didn’t realize that there was a firecracker inside there.

They all huddled on the field for several minutes, brought in other coaches, rule books, it was all there.

They wanted to put in a “Pinch Runner” to replace Petunia and to run faster.

Really?

Well, turns out the rule books said, nope, not happening.

Next batter up, great hit, not even sure where it went, doesn’t matter.

Petunia ran from second,

to third,

and then crossed home plate to score the winning run.

It was so amazing.

She ran like the wind and never hesitated.

She just went for it.

She had never moved like that before.

I barely know this child, but as a Mother, heck as a person, what a moment to witness, what a moment to be lucky enough to be part of.

I heard the woo hoo come out of my mouth, I felt myself jump up several times and it was such pure joy.

And it felt really good.

It would have been fun to win the game, but this joy was over this girl showing us all what it is all about.

So thanks to Petunia, and to the whole team, for playing with class and working really hard.

Thanks for showing us that we are not always as we appear.

Tomorrow, we head to the championship game and the adults are already managing to complicate that as well.

Either way, our girls had a fabulous time out there and tonight had just as much fun at practice.

Yes, it will be so fun for them to win tomorrow, but I think they have already figured out it is just fun to play ball with your friends.

Isn’t that what it is all about?

Update – they did not win the championship game – but they played with class and had so much fun.

I realize reading this that this does not necessarily place the coaches in the finest light – and while I don’t think it was their best moment, it does not reflect on how they are as coaches on the whole. And this year, it seems to be different – even better. Maybe they learned a little something that day!

On another note, I am ending Show & Tell Fridays but will be bringing them back soon in a new format – stay tuned!