Love, Courtney

Do the little things right. Work hard. Make corrections when needed. Show respect for your team, for your coaches, and for the game. Have a good attitude. Be a leader. Give it your all. Focus. Practice like you play. Play like you matter. Don’t get down on yourself in an unproductive way. Fight through adversity. Learn from failure. Encourage others. DO NOT GIVE UP. Be grateful for opportunity. Be prepared for your chance. Because…

When the time is right, you’ll get the chance to swing. Swing with every bit of confidence you have. Swing, knowing you have put in the work, but also remember that there is still work to do. Swing knowing that we are cheering you on.

The hit or the miss is much less important to us than the actual swing. You see the swing, the kind of swing you are capable of, can change the world, little girl! We practice to prepare for games, but we play sports to prepare for life.

We practice to prepare for games, but we play the sport to prepare for life.

If you are going to miss, miss big, in the right direction.

In softball, and in life, missing in the right direction means you were there. You were ready. You didn’t back down. You swung with purpose. You swung like you meant to hit the ball. You swung like you weren’t afraid to miss. You swung with the belief that your one swing could make a difference.

I’ll take a miss in the right direction any day. It shows you’re ready for the opportunity. You’re ready for the next swing. You see, little one, if you swing in the right direction enough times, good things start happening. Misses become hits. Little lessons learned educate you on who you are and who you want to be. These lessons form your beliefs, and these beliefs shape your values.

Don’t be afraid of missing. There is so much more at stake here than a hit in a game. We are preparing for a life full of at bats, full of opportunities to make a difference.

You see, little one, if you swing in the right direction enough times, good things start happening. Misses become hits.

My prayer is that when opportunities arise in life, you will do the little things right, swing with confidence, and if you miss…you will miss in the right direction. You will get back up already positioned for your next chance. Ready to work, fight, and prepare.

We all miss. We all strike out. We all lose. There is no shame in defeat when you have given your all. There is learning, there is overcoming, there is getting back up.

Listen for the encouragers. Ignore the haters. And remember there will always be both! It will be up to you to decide whose voices will be louder in your life. Choose wisely.

Don’t ever let the fear of missing be a stumbling block. Swing away. If you are going to miss, miss big. Miss, swinging like you were meant to hit the ball. Go after it like you want it! Give it everything you have and if you still miss, miss doing everything you could!

♥️♥️♥️