Live Essay

Roughrider Park

As an athlete when we step out onto our prospective court, field, or gym our bodies feel the sensation that where we are is the place we are meant to be. When I arrive at Roughrider Park I am greeted by a sensation so great butterflies start to flutter in the pit of my stomach. I can’t help the smile that appears on my face every time. It is a rush every single time my eyes look over the stadium, my nose smells the freshly cut grass, and the determination comes into my mind to succeed. Here at Roughrider Park I don’t only learn about the game of softball, I also learn a great deal about life. To the naked eye, Roughrider Park is just a field with a fence, and it’s a place where girls play around with a ball. However, if a person chooses to look at it closely enough, they will discover the game of softball isn’t actually a game, instead it’s actually life itself. In our society the status of being an athlete is degrading. It is no longer something people strive to be, instead it is looked down upon. Society views athletes as role models, and as of late, those role models have let many down. Despite those athletes, there are athletes that truly love the game who will never let society down. In the end those athletes aren’t in it for the money or glory, instead their in it for the game.

Looking at Roughrider Park through a softball players eyes I see everything that most people see, but with a whole new perspective. At the first gate there is a sign that reads, “Be Here Now,” and it’s that sign that makes my mind focus on the task at hand. The task is to be here today to improve, to succeed, to learn to be a better softball player. The opponent’s dugout is where the other team awaits hoping to make me fail. The stands hold people who want me to succeed, and people who want me to fail. As an athlete I have to learn how to get into mental state of mind where no one can touch me or my thoughts. The fans could be yelling positive or negative things, but I hear neither. Walking up to home plate I turn to look at the entire field, I see three spaced out white bases. It’s my goal to touch all four of them to score a run for my team. The infield dirt marked up by the metal spikes underneath the cleats, I can see where my opponents stand to defend us. Looking out farther I see the scarred grass from the outfielders, and then I see the fence. This fence is there to tell me two things, first is that I can’t possibly get it that far, and second is that if I do hit it over I’ll feel as if I have accomplished something only so many people have.

What I can see is only the beginning at Roughrider Park, my other senses are hit with the same intensity. Before I step onto the field my nose picks up the scent of fresh cut grass and wet dirt. However, the most distinct smell at a field is the smell of sweat. I can only think of all the hard work and determination that cause it. The distinguished sound of aluminum hitting leather is unmistakable. I can taste all the sunscreen in the air being put on by both teams to prevent sunburns. When I feel my hand-print in my leather glove I remember all the times it has gotten me through. The red seams on the ball tickling my fingers as I throw it to my partner down the field. It’s a rush when I walk up to the plate with the bat in my hands and the winning run on third. In the stands people are chanting my name, hoping I knock the run in, and my teammates are anticipating what is going to happen next. The minute I step into the box, all the sounds disappear and it’s just me and the opposing pitcher. When she gives me a pitch to hit, the “pop” of the bat on the ball and the feeling that I got the job done is a remarkable feeling. Despite all the bad and failure that can come upon me, I come back to practice the next day to continue improving myself.

The game of softball is very closely related to life; there is a boss, there is an opponent, a salary, and people overlooking what you are doing. When I walk into Roughrider Park, I see there are two stone dugouts, one for my team and one for the opposing team. The opposing team is like the competitor in the business world, instead of selling things to beat me, competitors are trying to score more runs. However, like in the business world there are rules a player must abide by in order for those runs to count. Umpires regulate the rules and see that the rules are being followed by players. If my team loses it doesn’t mean that I or my teammates get fired, instead it meant that for that day or week my team wasn’t at its best. At the end of the season, or accounting period for a business, the team with the best record, total wins and losses, will compete in the tournament to become National Champions. If my team succeeds in winning that tournament, it would be like having a huge net income for the accounting period for a business. All this learning about life, friendship and how to strive to become a better person starts everyday at Roughrider Park.

In today’s society athletes are no longer favored by communities or society itself, instead it has become something that no one wants to be a part of. In the old days athletes were an idol to children across the nation. Here at Roughrider Park, we are lucky to have a community that comes and supports us on a daily basis. Athletes are still somewhat idolized, but there have been numerous sex, drug and illegal scandals. In all the tabloids there are more and more scandals that involve athletes each day. Gangs have become a huge problem in society. More athletes are coming from or have been involved with gangs and it is causing numerous problems. There is a lot of negative decision making on the athletes’ part and young children look up to them as role models. With that being said the children are following in the athletes’ foot-steps and causing a chain reaction to making bad decisions. Instead of society looking for the good in all sports, they look for the worst, which causes views to change. It is my goal as an athlete to show that the majority of us are involved with this sport because of our love for it. Coming day after day to Roughrider Park I work hard to strive on my continuing goal on bettering athletes to society.

I believe that everyone has a passion for something in life and mine is softball. I know what it feels like to put my heart and soul into something and fail multiple times, but also know the feeling of being on top of the world. I don’t view softball as just a game because to me it is so much more than that. I have a second family, and the field is my second home. Everything has a negative side to it, and for sports it is the negative issues in the tabloids. If more people came to Roughrider Park and watched my team practice, they would see that it isn’t just some dirt and grass. Instead it is a home to 19 girls and 4 coaches who lay everything each of they have on the line to succeed or fail. Yet, they all know that no matter which one it is, that they have accomplished something that only a selected number of people can do.


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