Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

 Hey guys! This week starts my first week of in-season practice for softball. I am super excited to get back into the swing of things and to get on a schedule. Yesterday, we had our first practice from 10:30 to 1:30. It was nice to practice with my teammates and start the month off strong. 

During practice, our main struggle was having focus and communicating with one another. Last week we had a mental workshop that focused on the mental side of sports rather than just the physical. If you play a sport, you understand the long seasons, hard practices, and the pressure you put on yourself. This workshop allowed us to understand on a deeper level the true meaning of getting to play a sport at a collegiate level. All sports, but especially softball is a mental sport. You fail more than you succeed, but being able to get back up and have confidence that your team and teammates will have your back is what truly matters.  

The workshop gave me a different point of view on how to deal with the mental side of not just softball, but life. It reminded me that it is okay to fail. The past few days I have told myself that I get to have this experience and to be grateful for it all. Being able to practice all together again was a great feeling.  At practice we mainly worked on bunt coverage and situational plays. We also scrimmaged for a few innings. After practice we talked about what we could work on for upcoming practices and what we need to focus on for the rest of pre-season. We came to the conclusion that we need to have more focus and communication. Having focus during practices and games allows our team to be able to execute when we need to.  I am excited to get a routine and start the season. This weekend we are hosting recruits from California and Hawaii. We also have a tournament being played here on Saturday and a camp we have to run on Sunday. I know we will be busy, but I am excited to see our recruits and introduce them to what Ohio Northern has to offer. This week we are practicing on Wednesday and Friday, but next week we start every day. As school and softball are going to get busy, I am going to keep reminding myself to have fun and enjoy my college experience! 

 Overall, I think that if we go into practice every day with a good mindset, we will have a great season. If we practice being focused and communicating, we should be able to accomplish everything we want to, while still having fun and enjoying the little things.