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the rainbow by breanna o'neill, mater dei high school new monmouth new jersey.
We all stood together in a huddle, wearing red jersey and
black pants. “Ok team, are we ready, it’s just like what we practiced.”
lectured our softball coach. It was the game I can never forget. To me,
it felt like it was one of the first times where the team actually came
together and played like one, emotionally and physically.
I can remember that day like it was yesterday. It was a rescheduled playoff softball game. The sky was cloudy and looked like it was going to down pour. The team wasn’t really in the mood to play, because of what happened earlier in the week. The week before, on a wet rainy morning, our pastor at our school pasted away. Everyone was miserable and sobbing as we entered church. After mass, as we were walking back to school, a little kindergartener spotted a rainbow in the sky. The rainbow wasn’t like any other; it went from the church over to the school. At that moment everyone knew that it was a sign from our pastor. That same thing happened the day of the big game. We were in our huddle about to say our prayer; one of my team mates spotted a rainbow in the cloudy sky above. As sure enough, we figured it was another sign. A sign that meant we can do it, and he was with us.
Since we played away at St. Mary’s, we got to bat first.
Everyone now had hope, and cheered their team members on. We started off
pretty good, got a hit or two. As the game went on, we led by two. One
time St.Marys, hit a fly ball to short stop, the position I play.
Unfortunately I didn’t catch it, but there is a rule about fly balls.
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The coaches fought back and forth about the call. The ump called no run, and the girl will stay on third. Our coach and our team now were fired up. Our pitcher was getting tired at one point. In the next inning, I believe she received some kind of help for up above. Therefore, she stroke the next three girls out, to give us the chance to score. As the game came down to our last time up it started to rain. With this as another sign of hope, we pushed and worked together to score a few runs. I can remember our coaches saying, “The way we practice is the way, we’ll play in the game. Keep your eye on the ball and hit it hard.” In the past few years, the other teams thought we were just the team that screamed and cheered obnoxiously and never won a game. As I looked back it was pretty much true, but this year was different. All eighteen of us stood on the bench screaming out different cheers. There was this one cheer that we did that is supposed to distract the pitcher, but we never really know if it truly did or not. This time up it most have. As we cheered, I had to get ready to bat second, like usual. I grabbed my helmet, gloves, orange bat and walked proudly to the plate. With million different things running through my mind, one thing stuck out was my team. They chanted “Bre O’Neill!” over and over. |
That chant always pumped me up, but that day I felt even more confidante. I swung as hard as I can, and hit a pretty nice single. My coach told me once I got to first base, “It’s ok that it didn’t go far, but use your speed to your advantage. And one thing, great job this season, you really showed the team how to be a leader, you never gave up.” With that, the girl up after me hit it to the girl sleeping in the outfield. I ran my but off to make it home, with a slide at the plate, I scored.
Since we batted first, they batted last. That meant they still had to bat. So, I led the team out on the field with hope and faith that we can do it. With the other team all distress, we played perfectly to get three outs. At the moment where the ball hit my glove for the last out, I realized that we did it. Of course, we cheered, jumped up and down with excitement. After that game I didn’t really care if we won the next round of the championships, because to me that game felt like it was the championships. People might not have felt the way I felt that day. But after hearing what happened before the game, rainbows were special to the people who saw them. My body literally got the chills once I realized what had happened that night. I learned that no matter what you see, a sign or not, always have hope and never give up.
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© College Sports Scholarships
A Walk In My Cleats By Emily Jobin. First baseman Mallory Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace picked Sarah up and carried her to each of the four bases allowing her to complete her well deserved first career homerun.
Eat, Drink Softball, By Jordyn VanDerLeest. In order to achieve your goals you should always work hard, give it your all. Push yourself to limits you never thought possible. Believe and have faith in your team.