How can you love the game, when the game gets tough?
We are all feeling the hurt of being so close to where we want to be, but unable to finish or get that one out to secure the win. There is no secret we walked away from the ballpark on Friday after the 4-1 win versus Michigan confident and with a heart full of love for the game. On Saturday and Sunday, there were moments the game felt great, we felt in control of the momentum as a team, but ultimately the game hit us with a few gut punches and made it hard to walk off the field those days.
Back in Evanston as a team, we prepared for our Tuesday afternoon practice. We warmed up doing our activations and sprints and prepped our minds as we headed towards our coach to hear the plan for the day. I know there were a lot of us predicting what components of the game we were going to work on that day, but the plan was simple: we would get after it in the weight room, take focused swings, and then go out onto the field to play a softball game and practice LOVING THE GAME.
This message was exactly what our team needed because it is easy to love the game when everything is going your way, but it takes a deeper commitment to love the game when it gets tough. On that Tuesday afternoon, I watched my teammates–who two days before walked off the field with heartache written on their faces–step back on the field and smile, laugh, and compete their minds out against each other.
Now if you are wondering what type of softball game we played, picture the old school basketball game of horse but with swings and calling your shot as a hitter to where you would hit the ball on the field. Every thought about swing mechanics, what pitch to zone, and looking for spin went out the window as we all thought about one thing: competing. You could have heard the cheers, excitement, and heckling between each other from a mile away. This special moment happened on a normal Tuesday that allowed us to go out there and simply enjoy the game and remember how much we all truly love it.
Heading into this home series weekend versus our neighboring college, Illinois, we are thinking about the one thing we can control, loving the game.
Sincerely,
Sydney #26