Hey batta batta swing! No, I'm not talking about baseball, i'm talking about something even better: softball! Softball isn't just a sport, it's a fun pass-time that can help with stress relief, build positive relationships, and help one cope with failure as well as gracefully accept success. Let us first discuss the topic of stress. Softball is a great way to relieve tension or stress. Picture yourself at the plate. The pitcher is doing her wind up. The anticipation is kicking in. You and everyone in the crowd is waiting to hear the loud sound of the ball hitting the bat. There's nothing more satisfying than hearing the sound of a strong hit. With the contact of the ball to the bat, all your anger …show more content…
We've all been there: you feel like you tried really hard but, despite your best efforts, you still failed. With softball, along with really any sport, there will be times that you will lose. In my experience, there was a time when my team suffered a really tough loss. We hung our heads as we walked to the outfield, expecting our coaches to chew our tails and make us feel like dirt. But, despite our loss, our coaches were still very proud of us. Why were they so encouraging? Didn't we lose? The reason they were so proud of us was because they knew that we tried our hardest. As long as, as a team, you are trying your best, then you have really never lost. Now lets talk about the other end of the spectrum: success. The competitive nature of softball allows for a sense of pride when you win. But have you ever heard the phrase "don't get cocky"? Some pride is healthy and normal, but when it gets out of control, it can be very destructive. The reason coaches tell you not to get "cocky", which means arrogant, is so you don't get too confident and lose sight of what you need to do in order to win. Let's say you do win, you wouldn't rub it in the other team's faces. You could do that but you know your coaches would not be happy with you. In softball you are taught to accept success with modesty. We have all heard the phrase "don't be a sore loser" but the same goes for winning. You shouldn't be a "sore winner" because then you are just being rude and setting yourself up for failure in the future. Whether you win or lose, both can motivate you to do better. The adrenaline rush that comes with winning is such an amazing experience, that it makes you want to thrive to win again. On the other hand losing makes you want to try harder so you can experience the joy of