Memorial Day Tournament with USSSA Pride CTX-Santiago

Memorial weekend was a confidence booster.

This weekend I played with USSSA Pride CTX- Santiago in Victoria, Texas. Coach Johnny Santiago was the one who got me to start playing select. Without him I may not be where I am today. He always encourages everyone to do their best and to never give up. I really admire that about him. On his Pride team he has some of the most outgoing girls I've met! I love how they never give up, even when our scores are down. All the girls are caring and the team treat each other like a family. All the coaches were supportive and encouraging. They helped me fixed what I was doing wrong.

During one of our long breaks we found a lost puppy. My friend Katie named him Sammy! He was black and white, was only 4 weeks old, and was the cutest little pup ever! Katie and I walked around the complex to see if Sammy's owners were anywhere close. Sadly we couldn't find his owners, so one of our teammates put him in the back of her truck until our last game ended. After the game, Katie and her Mom brought Sammy to the police station where a deputy took him home. I really wanted to take Sammy home, but I couldn't.

I played short stop all weekend and I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that I did pretty good for being an infielder. Of course I made a few errors, but I made sure that I fixed them right away. Just as all the other girls tried their hardest even when we were down by a lot. I really admire how hard we all tried even when we played at 11 at night! I made a lot of diving catches, a double play, and almost got another double play by doing the splits. But those plays weren't the ones that boosted my confidence all the way, but they did show myself that I'm actually a pretty good infielder!

The moment that really boosted my confidence is that one of the field umpires told me that I am a really good softball player and that I'm going places. I was surprised that he knew my name. At first he was asking me if this was my actual team or just picking up, where is my original team out of, common questions like that. Then he started talking about colleges with me and told me that if I keep working hard enough, he is sure I will be able to make a D1 school. Hearing that from an umpire just made my confidence go through the roof! Then after that talk in the infield he kept complimenting me on my speed and my hustle on and off that field. On those moments, I realized all my hard work is paying off and one day, my dream of playing in college will come true.

I have 2 singles, 1 triple, 2 walks, and 2 line drives out to the center. I feel great with my hits but I know I need to work more this week to be able to be more consistent.

At the end of the tournament, I was tired, my uniform was full of dirt, and my pants were torn. Oh snap! I need to saw it again! Despite our efforts, my team did not win the championship but I feel like I am a winner.

To end this, I would like to thank the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. Without their bravery, who knows if anyone would have the freedom to be playing baseball, softball, football, or any sport that they enjoy. Or even have the freedom to be playing any instrument, creating the art they choose. So thank you again for your bravery.

#GabbysJourney