And, Chloe Cried | Softball is For Girls

Softball. Team sports in general. They definitely aren’t for sissies or the easily emotionally broken.

Chloe played softball since she was 8. Just like most, she started on little town rec team because her parents wanted her to stay active, and her buddies were doing it. They sucked at first, and definitely made the volunteer parent coaches work hard. When they got picked to have green uniforms eeked and moaned because they wanted pink. They thought their uniforms should include matching hair ties and that cleats were uncomfortable (not to mention ugly)

But as the season went on, it changed. The team started improving, winning games. And a short spring season turned into a lifestyle for these kids. Forward to 8th grade, and High School tryouts were coming up. The girls were buzzing. Their coaches were doing extra practices. Collectively, they had all become skilled players and Chloe was no exception. Chloe cried the night before 3 day tryouts began, intimidated by the older kids and girls she knew from school that were on elite teams. Not sad tears, but nervous ones. She tried to control the mental chatter in her brain – vowed to do her best and off she went.

As the rosters were released, Chloe cried to see her name listed as a JV player. Some of her friends made varsity, and some of the upper classmen were already snubbing the younger set of players. Practice schedules were set, and Chloe was on a new journey. School ball was NOTHING like her travel team. But she enjoyed the challenge. She was smart, and watched the girls who started to see what they had that she didn’t. She listened intently to the instructions for drills and would go home and practice alone until the street lights came on.

The season had begun, and Chloe was warming up a pine bench even on Junior Varsity. She cheered and kept showing up, working hard. Chloe cried some nights in her bed, just wishing and hoping that she might get noticed. That a coach may see her potential and put her in. Then the next day she showed up again.

Finally, Chloe got her chance. The coaches were putting her in some of the JV games at first base. She had never played there, but you would never know it by the way she played. She watched the varsity players, took notes, watched videos, and practiced every chance she got to be the best. The season marched on, and Chloe was hitting well and defending her position like a pro, which also meant she was playing every game. Chloe cried. Proud crying. Happy tears. The coaches even knew her name now, and were taking more interest in her at practice.

And then, during one of the regional varsity games, the starting first baseman got hit by a pitch that actually broke her wrist. And all at once, Chloe – was in the game. Much to the dismay of her benchmates. Chloe wanted to cry, but she didn’t. She was nervous, but she settled her thoughts and did what she had trained to do. And she was amazing. She was better than SHE, or anyone else for that matter, ever expected.

The post season was upon her, and Chloe was quickly becoming a huge team asset. And she worked even harder. When she didn’t lay down a great bunt during one of the games, she came home from school and practice every day and worked more in her garage. The varsity third baseman tended to one hop everything to her, and Chloe had her dad at the field or in the backyard one hopping her balls. Chloe was quiet, a watcher and a thinker. She liked for her parents to record her at bats, and in the field so she could watch them and see how she could make herself better. She faced some jealousy from her teammates, was definitely not a coaches pet, and kept herself out of the limelight.

During the last post season game, the deciding game between Chloe’s team and a rivaling Rockmond team, Chloe hit her first ever homerun. She hit a home run with two outs and the winning run on 3rd in the bottom of 7th inning, to end the game in a walk-off.

And chloe cried.

Chloe cried for all the world to see.

Chloe cried for all the work she did in the dark to finally pay off.

Chloe cried for all the times she worked in the dark, so she could be a beast in the light. She cried for all the coaches who didn’t notice her, or passed her over because she was quiet. She cried with a hallelujah chorus in her head, the same chorus that has always encouraged her to never give up, and reminds her that hard work pays off.

Her dad always told her to work hard in silence and let the results make the noise. And Chloe cried because she realized he was telling her the truth!

For Chloe and all the Girls like her – we give you the 50% off sale on the WORK HARD IN SILENCE SHIRT! We believe that humility and hard work makes champions!