She stands at the plate with her heart pounding fast,
the bases are loaded; the dye has been cast.

Mom and Dad cannot help her; she stands all alone.
A hit at this moment would send the team home.

The ball nears the plate; she swings and she misses.
There's a groan from the crowd with some boos
and some hisses.

A thoughtless voice cries, "Strike out the bum!"
Tears fill her eyes; the game's no longer fun.

Remember - she's just a little girl who stands all alone.
So open your heart and give her a break,
For it's moments like this a young lady you can make.

Little Eyes are On You
Author Unknown

There are little eyes upon you,
And they watch you night and day;
There are little ears that quickly
Take in every word you say.

Those eyes watch every move you make,
And all the things you do;
And a little girl is dreaming
That one day she'll be like you.

You're the little darling's idol
You're the wisest of the wise,
In her little mind about you,
No suspicions ever rise.

She believes in you devoutly,
Holds that all you say and do,
She will say and do in her own way,
When she grows up to be like you.

There's a wide eyed little darling,
Who believes you're always right,
And her eyes are always open,
And she watches day and night.

You are setting an example,
Everyday in all you do,
For the little girl who's waiting
To grow up to be like you.

Summing Up Softball
Written by Ruby Reed in 1982

The frozen hamburger is hard as a rock
And the big game starts at two;
Your girl can't find her softball cleats
And the dog ate the leftover stew!
No reason for pressure or panic -
This problem is really quite tame.
Just drive thru the nearest McDonald's
And eat on the way to the game!

Yes, softball season is hectic at times
But we're certain that it is worthwhile
When we see how the girls on all of the teams
Improve in their overall style.
They're willing to practice daily -
They spend lots of their time at the park
Batting and pitching and fielding
Sometimes from daylight to dark!

Parents have served spaghetti dinners
And sold raffle tickets galore,
Assisted with fund-raising efforts
Then offered to do even more.
They've given their time quite freely
From coaching, scorekeeping and scouting
To just sitting in the bleachers
Leading cheers or simply shouting!

These girls know the thrill of victory
But they've coped with defeat as well;
They've learned the meaning of sportsmanship -
In this field they really excel!
They could succeed in anything they wanted
But softball's the sport that they choose,
They deserve our commendation -
They are Champions - win or lose!

A Ball Players Prayer by Hal Skinner

God grant me the wisdom,
to tell a strike from a ball,
to know where to throw,
and never to fall.

Keep me always in the base line,
running straight and true,
and I'll look for your sign,
to stretch one into two.

God give me vision,
to see every pitch,
so if a player needs help,
then I will see which.

Let me always hustle,
so I'll be at my best,
and take pride in myself,
in sports and the rest.

God be my strength,
when I throw the ball,
when I'm far from home plate,
or against a wall.

So I never miss a base,
please guide my feet,
bring me home safely,
so my job is complete.

When I help younger players,
let me always give praise,
so they'll see you in me,
in all of my ways.

God please guide our coach,
to be fair and smart,
to teach us to be good,
let it come from his heart.

Let me take a loss,
just as well as a win,
to do any less,
is surely a sin.

As long as I can play,
let me make my parents proud,
as proud as I am,
when they yell my name out loud.

However my games end,
let me always have fun,
and if Heaven has All-Stars,
I want to be one.

When my games here are over,
and my seasons are done,
let me play on your team,
just like your son.

Amen

Then I Became a Softball Dad

I used to have a regular life. (Actually, many of my friends say that
sentence should say, "I used to have a life", period.) It doesn't really
seem that long ago. Then I became a Softball Dad.

My lawn used to be like a carpet. It was green, mowed, trimmed, fertilized,
and watered. Any weeds that dared to show their leaves were pulled out by
their roots. Now I have two big bare spots forty feet apart. I like the
bare spots. I like them because they are the only places that the weeds and
crab grass aren't threatening to take over.

My car used to draw admiring looks and comments. It was clean and waxed and
shined and Armor All'd. Now it only draws attention when it wins
the "dirtiest car in the parking lot" prize.

My friends and I used to spend Monday mornings talking about five-iron
shots, three-putts, and titanium shafts. Now I bore them to death with
detailed play-by-play descriptions of five or six low-scoring ball games.
Somehow, they just don't understand the drama of a 2-0 game.

I used to think anything over $40 was an exorbitant price for a ball bat.
Now the contents of my daughter's equipment bag are worth more than
everything else in the car together - including clothes, jewelry, watches,
and laptop computer.

I used to have a great wife. Still do, Thank God. But that's a tribute to
her patience and good humor. We used to sit and talk for hours. We still
do - to keep each other awake when we're headed home in the wee hours of
Sunday morning. We used to wonder what the kids would do when they grew
up. Now she wants to know what I'm going to do IF I ever grow up.

My summer casual wardrobe used to be made up of color-coordinated polo
shirts, cool cottons in bright colors, and the occasional "aloha" shirt.
Now I have a closet full of T-shirts in gray and red. Those that don't have
COMETS on the front have a cute saying on the back, like "If You Follow Me
Long Enough, You'll End Up at a Ball Field." or "Friends Don't Let Friends
Play Slowpitch

I used to glue myself to the sofa and watch the NCAA basketball tournament
and the Masters from opening Ceremony through network sign off. Now, I
catch the highlights on Sportscenter.

I used to be one of the tops in my field. Thank goodness, I still am.
(You have to keep a good paycheck coming in if you want to support a
Tournament Softball habit!)

I used to have sympathy for umpires. I used to think boys were tough. I
used to think a double-header was a long day at the ballfield. Now we're
just getting warmed up.

We used to spend our summer vacation relaxing on the beach or visiting
family. Now we hit the road with 40 of our closest friends.

I used to think the ideal woman had brains and beauty. She still does,
but now she better also be quick, courageous, and able to bunt a good rise
ball.

I used to look for little restaurants that served seafood fresh off the boat.
Now I'm a connoisseur of nachos and smoked sausages.

I used to be concerned that I would fall into the trap of living my life
through my daughters. Now I know that I'm privileged to live my life
WITH my daughters.

Published with the consent of the author
Larry Warrenfeltz

Originally written for the Louisiana High Voltage VOLTLetter in 1997.
It was published in FastPitch World in 1998.

Thanks Larry, all of the Dads out there can relate to this piece.