For my personality, it is intimidating to be put on the spot. I am a person that some might call diffident, yet, ambitious. Though this is an odd combination, it has worked out in my favor. I have matured by aiming to overcome my weaknesses and by utilizing my strengths. Taking a risk, for me, means to expose myself unarmed. I often like to play things safe so that I know the outcome. In my childhood I used to do many activices seeming as if I'm a child progidy. After my accident with gymnastic and my ankle, I wasn't going to put myself in risk of injurying myself again. Currectly a junior in high school, I just been studious. Of couse being part of Academic League, you receive teamwork, but it wasn't a sport. Joining softball this year 2008 will be one of the most rememorable days I'll ever have. Having the game at Olypian High School being one of the days I'll never forget.

During my so called prodigy years, gymnatic was my passion to finish my homework and projects right away to get to gymnastic practice right away. Doing it for many years, second grade to fifth grade, gave me feeling to become a professional. I was on the balance beam, just doing warm ups by kart wheels on the beam and suddently as I start to land, my position became off balance leading me landing on my left angle. It slammed into the floor like a speeding bullot. That the very first time I feared of falling. Telling myself I'll never set foot on anything that will end up into injury. Ever since then I been avoided playing any sports as a black plague. Of course in P.E. I had to play in order to get the credit, but I limited myself on how hard I play. Some times when I get so into it, I wouldn't notice and end up having ankle, thumb, legs, back problems. Beyong the issues I dreamed of playing a sport, and always though I would never come around it.

When I sign up for softball I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had no idea who was on the team, how good they were. The only thing that matter to me was having the oppurtunity to play a sport for high school. I didn't have that many chances to play for the other games because I was truely unexperience and I needed a lot of work. After a week of intense practicing maybe I was ready to play Olypian. I did a lot of practicing to get ready for the game. I started to feel quite comfortable throwing and catching softballs at different places and locations. I had even increased my speed. My major problems would be how controlled I could be in tight spots and big games. The Play begins with the umpire saying "Play Ball". It was an extremely tense game; everyone on the team could feel it. Whoever won the game would be out of the losing shreck in the conference. We played them on their home field. I played my first game and had one of the biggest sensations of triumph I have ever had. I was able to control the pressure and my emotions. It was that day that I was proud to have an oppurtunity to play. Instead of feeling scared when I throw, since I need to practice on my throwing, I now feel a great passion to better myself.

A softball game can last anywhere from 5 to 7 innings, depending on the league, rules, and type of softball; however 7 innings is the most common. In each inning, each team bats until three batters have been put out. The teams take turns batting. Officially, which team bats first is decided by a coin toss, although a league may decide otherwise at its discretion. The most common rule is that the home team bats second. Batting second is advantageous.In the event of a tie, extra innings are usually played until the tie is broken except in certain tournaments and championships. If the home team is leading and the road team has just finished its half of the seventh inning, the game ends because it is not necessary for the home team to bat again.In all forms of softball, the defensive team is the fielding team; the offensive team is at bat or batting and is trying to score runs. Since the game was in a hot position of Southwest maybe winning, we played 7 inning and end up losing by a point. The only thing that matters is we tried our best and did our best.

I have grown and learned so much through my experience of joining softball in junior year. It was hard for me to take such a big risk of giving up my fear of playing another sport attemping to play softball, especially when I was blind to see the outcome. My experiment with softball directed me to be a confidant person on the team. I am proud of myself for being able to do what I have always wanted to do. My future in softball looks bright. I am looking forward to my senior year of softball to win all those games. I am practicing now harder than ever before. My experience has taught me that, even when I might be afraid, sometimes a risk is worth taking. All because of one day. Tuesday, April 29,2008.