If I am being honest, I never saw this coming. Ever since the age of four, I have played softball. Whether it was for Ohio Lightning, Ohio Ice, Manchester Pride, or the Green Bulldogs, I loved playing. I was addicted to hearing my teammates cheer me on when I had a clutch hit or a diving play, but my favorite part was being able to hang out with my best friends. At one point in my life, I even thought I was going to go on to play softball in college. But as senior year approached, I felt something inside me shift. I realized that my passion for softball was becoming weak. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I used to and the sport began to feel more like a job than a hobby.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make because softball had been such a big part of my identity for so long. The thought of walking away filled me with uncertainty, but I knew it was what was best for me. Instead of playing softball my senior year, I decided to explore something different and run track.
Track was something that I had always wanted to try, but I had to admire it from a distance because of softball, which takes place during the same season. I walked into practice on the first day, filled with both nerves and excitement. It had been so long since I tried a new sport that I didn’t remember how it felt. I was so used to being a leader on a team, that it was so weird to be a rookie, especially as a senior. It is typically expected of a senior to lead a team, but how was I supposed to lead people who have been running way longer than I have? I wasn’t sure where, or if, I would fit in at all.  Unlike softball, track has several different events to choose from. Instead of everyone just playing a position and doing pretty much the same thing, track athletes have the option to choose what they want to do. There are sprinters, throwers, long-distance, and several other field events to choose from. I knew I wanted to sprint, but had no idea what distance to run. Everyone seemed to have “their event,” and I just wanted to find mine. It was also alien for me to be participating in an “individual sport.” In track, there is a main goal to score points and win, but everyone has their own times and goals they are trying to achieve, which is different for me. I’ve always been a part of a team trying to reach one goal, which is an aspect I am going to miss about softball.
Another reason I joined track was for character development. Not to toot my own horn, but I am used to being one of the best in anything I take part in, but with track, I am one of the worst. I always considered myself on the faster side, but compared to real track athletes, I’m nothing. I just recently ran in an indoor meet at the University of Akron. I ran two events and came in last in both of them. It was extremely humbling, but it gave me the motivation to push myself towards improvement: something I haven’t felt the urge to do in a very long time.
In doing track, I also met a whole new group of people who I probably wouldn’t have known had I still played softball. There are girls that I’ve never seen before, who I could truly see myself becoming extremely close with. Even though these girls seem great, they could never replace the bonds I’ve made through softball and I will be forever grateful for my softball best friends.
As my first year of track and my last year of high school begins, I can’t help but reflect on everything that has brought me here. While saying goodbye to softball is bittersweet, I am grateful to embark on my new adventure and discover a love for track that I never knew existed. Even though I am not too sure of what the future holds, I will forever cherish the lessons and memories that both track and softball have given me.