Team US

Shortly after we moved from Belgium to Atlanta in 1999, I began a hunt for a softball team that I could PLAY on, rather than coach (as I had been doing in Brussels). I turned my name in at a local church's rec office and not too long after that received a call from Steve, asking me "are you any good?" "I'm ok", I replied and he invited me to attend a practice. Ever since I have been a part of this same fun group of adults, Team US (that's the pronoun, us....). We played in a co-ed league for several years (won it twice) but more recently we have limited our playing time to a one-day tournament that is held every year on the Saturday before Mother's Day.



You would think that playing together once a year would be difficult. No practices, no pre-planning at all, really, but somehow things just click when we all get on the field. We all move instinctively to the positions we have gotten used to playing (I've got the "hot corner") and good stuff happens!

Of course we have all aged in 12 years. This year our team most likely had the oldest average age in the tournament (my guess is early 40s?) AND we were playing against teams like the "Young Guns" and the "Staff Kids". I gave us very little chance at winning - having to play (and win) five games is a row is a tall order!

But lo and behold, win we did! In fact we won the whole tournament - hanging on to a 1-0 lead in the final game (an odd slow-pitch softball score, but I credit the stellar defense rather than the exhausted base-runners!)

So though I am incredibly sore today - it's a happy pain - happy that I still CAN play this game I love! Bring on the summer league!