Last weekend, May 6-7, I was able to drive over to Sandusky, OH to watch the Grand Valley State softball team compete in the GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) softball tournament.
I love softball. I am always amazed as I watch the pitchers throw risers, curves, and changeups that buckle a batter's knees. Then, I wonder how in the world do the batters hit those pitches, sometimes launching them 250 feet! The infield is 2/3 the size of a regulation baseball diamond. The grounders and line drives arrive quickly to the infielders, and they have less than a second sometimes to throw out a base runner. Outfielders seem to make plays on sharp line drives much more than routine pop flies. Catchers definitely get beat up. They are up and down hundreds of times per game, blocking pitches in the dirt, and dealing with foul tips that seem to find the unprotected parts of their arms and legs more often than their shins guards or chest protectors. The hit and run, bunting the runners over, taking a pitch in the shoulder, and slapping the ball to the open parts of the field are a huge part of the game to manufacture runs.
It’s a great game!
Eight schools field a softball team in the GLIAC. They usually begin practices indoors in January, heading to the south in February to play a third or more of their schedule. They return to the north and play many games in 30- and 40-degree weather, and this year, April wasn’t too nice to the ladies as 30-40 degrees and rain seemed to be a theme. Each team plays approximately 40 games, maybe half of them are against conference opponents, a regular season champion is crowned (this year was Grand Valley State!), then they head to Sandusky for a double elimination tournament to determine an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament.
Of course, May treated the ladies like April. Friday (May 6) brought rain and high winds causing the conference to cancel the games on Friday, moving to a single elimination tournament on Saturday, May 7. The intensity of the games became high and immediate as it was now, win or go home, no second chance. The teams were seeded according to their conference records and on Saturday morning, we played ball.
I watched the Grand Valley game as they defeated Parkside (WI) 8-0. I stayed at the same field to watch Davenport (MI) versus Ferris State play their game. Ferris is our biggest rival at GVSU and anytime we can cheer on someone to beat them, we do! Davenport has a good team, seeded third in the conference and was leading 3-1 going into the 6th inning. The first 2 FSU players struck out in the 6th inning, Davenport (and I) were feeling pretty good about this game.
And then………...
Hall of Famer, Yogi Berra coined a phrase in baseball and the same is true for softball, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”
This one wasn’t over
The next 7 Ferris State batters got on base, and they scored 5 runs that inning to go up 6-3, ultimately winning the game 6-5. Davenport’s season was finished, just like that! Just 30 minutes earlier, they were confident they would be advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament, nope, they were done.
I stood in the parents/family area as they waited for their daughter/sister/etc. to come off the field after the coaches talk. They all had a hurt look on their face, some had obviously been in tears. They were welcomed by their family and friends with hugs, cheers, and high-fives. I love watching behaviors and interactions between people, studying them, and appreciating relationships that we have with each other.
As I watched the ladies walking towards their loved ones, some of them couldn’t embrace their parent or family member quick enough as the tears flowed and even some “ugly” crying started. What I noticed was, these ladies were most likely seniors that have played their final collegiate softball game, and in all likeliness, their final softball game at that competitive level. Sure, losing the game hurt, but there is an overwhelming feeling that many athletes get when they know they have played their last game, final match, etc.
As I saw this young lady hug and cry with mom (for about 3 minutes straight), I wish I could talk to her at that very moment to hear her raw emotions, hear her thoughts in that moment, and hear how she has prepped for that moment.
For me, it was a little emotional to watch. Seeing a young lady that has probably played competitive sports basically her whole life and then the realization hits that she is finished. It’s an incredible sight watching the power of sport and its effect on the athlete.
One of my passions is to walk with the athletes as they prepare for this moment.
I will be talking with some of the athletes I have gotten to know the last few years that have recently graduated and gone through this very experience, sharing some of their insight and emotion, as well as what I am learning from them to help the next senior class. I’m looking forward to meeting with them and sharing what I learn over the next few months. Thanks for reading this post and supporting the blog. Tune in for some great interviews!
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