We lost a softball game, and it’s My FAULT!
One of the things we love about social media is that we get to connect with so many awesome fastpitch softball fans.
On Instagram, we get to connect with the girls – your daughters – the girls playing the game. DAILY, we get tons of messages, tags and DM’s (some of them asking what to do about their parent lol) and we love answering their questions, sharing their photos and trying to help them out and empower them to keep on being awesome on and off the field!!
Last week, a IG fan messaged us and said….
I lost a big game for my middle school team,and now everyone is mad at me! I pitched the first few innings and didn’t do well, and then came up to bat with 2 outs in the last inning and the go ahead run on base – and I grounded out. I feel awful, and feel like everything is all my fault.
Hmmm. This question sort of grated on our hearts for a bit.
Because the truth is, we know that a lot of girls feel this way after a big loss.
They start to think if only I would have made that play, if only I would have got that timely hit, if only I didn’t walk that batter, if only that one passed ball didn’t get by me….Heck, even coaches think dangit if only I had sent her when she was on 3rd, we would have won!
Life is full of “If onlys.”
And we have a message for every single one of you on the field. We have always said, that softball is the perfect combination of individual and team performance. It takes the individuals to do well AS A TEAM to accomplish anything.
Blaming and/or placing or accepting the fault doesn’t change the outcome! It just makes people feel bad. And one person is never really 100% responsible for the entire game! If you think that, you need to get out of your head – and stop being an INDIVIDUAL!
Ask yourself, would you take the full credit for a win because you had a good hit or made a good play? No – you would celebrate as a team, high-fiving everyone for all the EFFORTS made by everyone on the team.
Then, why is it so easy for you take the credit for a loss?
Even if you are a starting pitcher and had a rough day on the mound – before you blame yourself and get down – ask yourself how many runs were scored behind you? How many errors?
If you made what you feel is the game-changing mistake, the reality is that the other girl in the line-up who struck out or grounded out – she too could have changed the game and made your mistake unimportant.
Softball is a team sport. No one wins — or loses ALONE!
When one team-mate struggles, it is up to the other team-mates to lift her up and be amazing. That’s what softball sisters do. That is what good teams do.
And, everyone, and we mean EVERYONE has an off day! The important thing is what you do next!
How will you play next game? What do you do after your strikeout or make an error, or walk a batter. The real strength and power comes in having…now listen…. THE MENTAL STRENGTH TO LET IT GO, AND COMEBACK EVEN BETTER!
The ‘If only’s’ are fun to think about sometimes, but the reality is you cannot change the past. But you can be better moving forward. Mistakes, errors, and the losses in life – are what truly prepare you for the successes! Keep your eyes forward, keep your eyes on the sun and always remember – that in softball, like in life – you have a family of people who LOVE YOU and support you and are there for you no matter what! NO MATTER WHAT!
While we appreciate you taking responsibility for your mistake (because that is the only way to learn), you do not have to burden the entire outcome of a softball game on YOUR shoulders!
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