Playing softball wasn’t just a game to me. It’s a job. It’s my passions. It is something that I have always been able to count on my entire life. To me I fell in love with the game of softball. From all the 5 a.m. workouts to late nights getting back from the softball games . All the countless hours spent at lessons and practice. For me these lessons and games all required a serious amount of hours spend on the roads driving back and forth. I had pitching, hitting, and fielding lessons that I had to attend.To mention all the travel ball tournaments spend every weekend somewhere playing ball. Missing out on all of the activities over the weekends I was unable to attend. You play softball year around you never truly get a break form the game.

For me, I even had the chance to play softball in college. This was something I had been working for my entire life. The chance to take things to the next level. Wow, I couldn’t believe it I was finally able to do something to make my parents so proud of me. Not only was I getting to play the sport I love I was also able to get a four year degree. I can not wait to see the look on my families face when I can finally say I did it. I walked across that stage shook their hand and get my diploma.

I am ready for this next stage in my life the one with out softball. That is very hard for me to say but I also know that it is the next step in my life. I’m not going to say goodbye to all the friends I have made in college these some of my life long friends. I know I can always count on these people and I now know they will always be there. Not only do I have these amazing friends, I can say softball is one of my best friends. It has been the place to only have listening ears and is always there for me when I need to get stuff off my mind. I can always go to the field and go tot the cages to get stuff off my mind. The cool thing is that I can go to the field and it is the only place I can go and not think about anything else. No matter how bad my day has been or anything that has gone wrong that day. I know I can go to the field and things will be better. This game has taught me many life lessons.

I just want to let my parents know how much I appreciate them. All the money and hours they have spent trying to help me fulfill out my dream. I can say I love them more they will ever know. Well this is my goodbye, goodbye softball thank you for everything you have done for me. I will know longer be the girl wearing #17 on her back. It’s time to start my new journey.

Blog #5!

-Kenzie Lyons

Confidence is key. How can you be confident? I am going to show you what helped me and what I do to help me. Some of you may not know but I am generally a shy girl. I have been shy my entire life and I have always struggled with it. Which may be strange because my position on the softball field is the center of attention. I am pitcher. Pitchers and catchers are some of the most important people and are involved in every pitch.

There is something that changes when I step inside the circle. When I am in a crowd of people or at an event of some sort I can not stand to be in the center of attention. But something changes when I get on the softball field. You don’t even notice everyone that is looking at you. You are the center of attention that is it.

I am going to start by something of the things that help me out. When you start worrying so much that is when the things start coming easier. You can’t control the incontrollable. In the game of something you never know what is going to happen. You can try and prepare for as much as you think is possible but you just can’t prepare for everything. I have found that the more you and the catcher focus together and have the same goal you will have better outcomes. I talk with my catcher a lot and make sure we are on the same page and have the same goal. I communicate with to tell her what pitches are working and which ones are not. That way I am more comfortable with what I am throwing. Confidence is key so remember you are doing your best and everything else will come.

That is Blog #5!

-Kenzie Lyons

“Softball isn’t a one women sport, there’s eleven other girls who become your sisters. Don’t forget that you win as a team and lose as a team.”

“Tis is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.”

1 John 4:17

Hello again it’s Kenzie. On this day of my blog I am going to focus on talking about how I balance playing softball and getting all of my school work done. Let me tell you it is a very serious balancing act. Do you guys struggle with this as well? If so I am going to give you a few ideas on how to help you out through all of this.

• Schedule out each of your days
• prioritize
• plan ahead

I am just going to talk about a few things that help me out. when planning out your day you need a calendar. I have found that having a calendar and playing everything helps you see what all you have coming up in the weeks and days. You can see all your assignments that you have due and all the practices and meetings you have. As for prioritizes, sometimes you have to choose hanging with friends and getting homework done or even getting some extra practice in. There have been many time where I have had to so, “no I can’t, I have practice”. Guys the sooner you figure this stuff out the easier it will be. Now saying this you can still have fun and do things you enjoy just make sure you have done what you need to have done. Plan ahead, know what you need to do. If you know in advance you can then plan out everything you need to get done. This goes with having a calendar or agenda. It will all really help you guys out!

Well guys this is it for Blog #4!

-Kenzie Lyons

“It’s supposed to be hard, if it wasn’t hard everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great.”

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Matthew 6:33

As I have grown up with this game I have realized everything this game has given me and lessons it has taught me. I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I haven’t been able to go hang out with friends or be with my friends because I had lessons, practices, or games. I’m if whoever is reading this has had some of the same problems. Does this bug some of you guys missing social events? What I have learned to do and what I have told myself that everyone has their own prioriti3es to what ever that may be but you just got to make sure your choosing them wisely.

Just like anything else you are wanting to do you must have a strong commitment to the sport and you will need to be dedicated. You need to look at the overall picture in the end it will all pay off as long as you are giving the sport your all. Softball is such a blessing and it is an amazing opportunity every time that I get to step on the field. This is a game of learning. You make a mistake, you figure how you can fix it and you change it. you WILL not let the mistake define you.

How many of you have let a mistake carry over to another inning or have the mistake affect your attitude? This has happened to everyone including myself. I am the first one to be very hard on myself and be frustrated. But I have learned to say “oh well, I’ll get it next time.” The more you think about it the worse it will be.

Thank you for reading Blog #3!

-Kenzie Lyons

“Accountability is essential to personal growth, as well as team growth. How can you improve if you’re never wrong? if you don’t admit a mistake and take responsibility for it, you’re bound to make the same one again.”

Pat Summit

“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgement.”

Matthew 12:36

Before I start my blog I am going to start out with some questions to get you thinking a little before we start. why do you play this sport? What motivates you? What makes you want to be better? I am going to answer these myself but I encourage you to get a sheet of paper and a pencil and answer them too.

Why do I play this sport? Where to begin. First off like most of us getting into a sport is because our parents put us in the sport. While that is how I started my journey I soon figured out that I was supposed to play softball it was apart of who I was. My mom also played softball which is where I learned to love it so much. I just love this sport so much and would give anything to play it and I appreciate every opportunity to play! While it is a game of failure but that is what makes it such a great game. The game allows you to fail but then gives you the chance to not fail.

What motivates you? Motivation is something that some people struggle with. Are you motivated to spend all the extra hours this sports need for you to exceed at it? I have learned that what you put in the game is exactly what you will get out of it. Once you start to see the success that is when you become hungry for the results that you have been dreaming about.

What makes you want to do better? This is simple my want to WIN! You walk on the field as two separate teams but you both have the same goal. You both want to win. For as long as I can remember playing this sport I have always learned something new every time I step into the white lines. In the game of softball there are so many different outcomes and situations that could happen and any part of the game. You need to be ready with every pitch.

Thank you for reading Blog #2!

-Kenzie Lyons

It’s always about wanting to one-up myself form the day before. There’s never an absolute 100 percent performance, but going out and striving for that perfect performance is what keeps me going.”

Cat Osterman

“The LORD is my light and my salvations whom shall I fear?

Psalm 27:1

That four-year-old little girl. Blonde curly hair with unmatched socks running around after you older brother, trying not to get in trouble. Picks up a softball for the first time not realizing at that moment that it would impact the rest of my life in a major way. Not realizing the countless hours I would spend pitching the ball and hitting the ball to better my game. These are the times as a little girl I was able to spend with my friends doing what we all love to do.

This little girl doens’t know the countless hours she will spend eating sun flower seeds, doing eachothers hair, finding what bows to wear, the discussions in the dugout, and simply just the friend that she will make on this journey. The endless conversations in the dugouts and long bus rides to and from games. Spending every weekend at ball park Friday through Saturday. Pitching at least five games a weekend.

With each one of my blogs I want to end it with a quote and bible verse. I want this to help you out and give you a better understanding.

Thank you for Reading blog #1!

-Kenzie Lyons

“But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

2 Chronicles 15:7

“The team with the best athletes doesn’t usually win. It’s the team with the athletes who play best together.”

Lisa Fernandez

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.