An Open Letter to My Pitcher Daughter

Dear Daughter;

First off, know that I love you. With all my heart.

I have watched you work so hard to stand out there on the pitching rubber, just so you could serve your team to the best of your ability. Your hard work, your willingness to put yourself out there, you determination, your dedication, and most of all your BRAVERY astound me! Seriously, you are like a super hero to me! I am pretty sure that I couldn’t do what you do, with all that pressure, and all those eyes on me.

I know sometimes I am hard on you. I get a little crazy watching you pitch sometimes, I admit it. There are like a million things going through my mind. But basically, I just want you to be awesome and happy and since I love you, I get all sorts of crazy, and if I see you struggle, I get even crazier because well…you are my baby!  See this shirt?? This is me when you pitch.

I want you to know, that my ‘hardness’ for you is simply because of the softness of my love for you.

Trust me, I know, I see, I FEEL how bad you want this – and it frustrates me when you get down on yourself, or feel you aren’t good enough, or lose hope. Maybe I don’t handle it the right way all the time, and for that I am sorry.

From today on out, I am vowing to simply wrap my arms around you and plant a kiss on your dirty, sweaty forehead when you get off the field, regardless of what happens out there, so you know first and foremost that I am PROUD of you and LOVE you most of all, and I will try really really really hard to keep my two cents worth to myself.

I will always be your BIGGEST FAN! Always. No matter what.

I want you to know that I am never disappointed in you, although sometimes on really hard days – I am disappointed for you, because I know how hard you work and how much heart you put into this pitching gig and how upset you get when you feel like you have let your or team, or yourself  down.

I want you to know that I so much, admire your bravery!

I want you know that I will always be here to support you, even when I am the last person you want to talk to.

(Read 5 things every pitcher must know!)

I want you to know that one of my most favorite things in this entire world is to watch you play! 

I also want you to know that your worth as a daughter, as a young woman, as a friend, as a teammate, as a pitcher – is never ever determined by how good (or not good) you pitch! Off days, are just that….off days. And no one is perfect. And pitching is just one part of you!

I also want to thank you for letting me be a part of your journey. It has truly been a gift that I will cherish to get to watch you do your thing, and to see how fast and beautifully you are growing into an amazing young lady!

I am so proud of you. I love you always. I am your #1 fan. And, I think you are AMAZING inside and out, on and OFF the field!