Walking through the gates of the ball park in which many of us spent hot summer days trying to impress college coaches was only one of the many wonderful moments we encountered this weekend. My plan for the next few lines is to share the others with you. I’m Carol Thomsom, and this is Softball Seasons.

The two- hour trip south was a kind reprieve from the seven-and-eight-hour bus rides we had endured the past two weekends. Our arrival at dinner was met with many shouts of “We’re already here?” from all ends of the bus. After a wonderful dinner we made our way back to the hotel for the night.

The next part of our weekend is the piece of our team that I appreciate more than anything. Each weekend as we play, we designate one night to come together and spend time with one another having a devotional. This year the devotionals have looked a bit different from the past. Each week a different player is in charge of taking the discussion in whatever direction she sees fit.

Thursday night we all piled into the small conference room to the left of the front desk. The room had one or two chairs, so we all sat on the floor and looked to senior pitcher, Kate West, to get us started. At the time, I do not think any of us had any idea what God had in store for our night.

Kate began by reading a few scriptures on the topics of stress and exhaustion. She then told us how important it is to stop and look for God in times when life seems a bit too busy to see Him. Then, she simply asked if we felt compelled, to share with the group a good or bad thing from our week and how we saw God through the experience.

Although the things that were shared deserve to stay within the four walls of the conference room, I will tell you that God is moving in some pretty incredible ways in this team. The way I see it most evidently is through the bond He has created between 19 players, four coaches, and one athletic trainer who would otherwise be strangers if it were not for a school in Ontario and a sport centered on a yellow ball. We laughed, we cried, we laughed some more, and we were reminded of the importance of the people sitting to our right and left.

Our weekend on the field was strong. We played, as I like to call it, fierce softball. We played fearlessly, ferociously, and worked together on the field as a unit. We had each other’s backs and ended the weekend with a bang. I suppose it has become a habit to finish each blog with a short list of things I’m thankful for. Tonight, I am thankful for laughter, tears, dirt, and the bond within our team that reaches far beyond the limits of the white chalk lining our field.

If you’re a player and need some questions answered, contact me here.

1,510 total views, 1 views today