- December 20, 2024
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The lights shone down on the field at Robert Strickland Park Monday evening with the promise that anything was possible.
That promise was quickly broken when we — the Young Professionals Group Ormond softball team — realized just how good the other teams were.
Judging by my slightly embarrassing performance at our practice, I figured I adopt the role of cheerleader/water girl rather than do anything important out on the field. But to my surprise our coach, Ryan Salvatore, told me I was catching. Right in the middle of the action.
I tried to reason with him and remind him how bad I was, but in stereotypical coach fashion, he told me to shut up and get on the field. Panicking, I scrambled to find a mask or something I could make into a shield, but the clock was ticking and everyone was telling me to man up.
Thankfully, I was not hit in the face. In fact, I even got someone out — nothing epic, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
But the real magic came while I was unsuccessfully covering left field. After running to grab (not catch in mid-air, mind you) a fly ball that hit the fence, I threw it to Brandon Sheppard, one of the more experienced players. The hype of the game was so intense that while throwing the ball infield he flew forward, and dived onto the ground. Thankfully, the sole of his shoe was the only thing that suffered, in that the bottom completely ripped off.
So no, we didn't win. But thanks to our collective enthusiasm (and the fact that there were cupcakes waiting for us at the end) we put up a pretty good fight.
