Thought But Never Spoken

Worth the Pain

Sports. Sports bring out so much in people. The competitive atmosphere where you wait until the other person or team makes a mistake. Your heart beating hard and sweat falling from your nose. The passion to win burning through your soul. To perform to perfection is what you practiced endless hours for.

I live to enjoy the feeling of winning. Knowing you bested your competition. You working together with your team as one. Like five fingers working together as a hand. One finger can only do so much on its own. The whole hand working together can do so much more.

From basic knowledge, we all know athletes hurt themselves. But have you thought of why this happens? Yes, people get in the way and that causes problems. But injuries happen when you push yourself to the limit. That is how athletes are successful.

Now I will put you into a situation. One I experienced recently. Bottom of the 6th inning, you are on the pitchers mound. (This is a softball game) Your back hurts and is spasming to the point where you are about to collapse. The game is pretty close and there are two outs and only one is needed. There is a runner on third base. The only other warmed up pitcher is fairly easy to hit. The opponent would crush her. There is another pitcher who is amazing, but she isn't warmed up.

This is where my train of thought lead me: option one, I could call quits and let the other pitcher finish hopefully with a win. Save myself for future games and hurt myself less. Option two, tough it out. Choosing this would mean winning the game but I would push my body past its limits. I wouldn't be able to play the next games and who knows about how I will recover through the week.

There was no first option for me. Winning meant too much. I barely made it through that last batter. But I got her, and I got her good. They are done. That is the fire it takes. No one knew of the excruciating pain searing through my back. I walk as normal as I can off the field. Now since we have a few extra minutes left in the game, we bat one last time. Oh, why not?

I'm the second to bat and I'm just standing there hoping she doesn't throw a strike so I don't have to swing. Four balls in a row. I got walked. Thank goodness. But I can't walk anymore or even jog. I get to first base barely and almost fall to the ground. I get a pinch runner to run for me. I did my job, I am done now.

Now a few people told me of how stupid I was and how I had taken myself out. But I ask you; what would you have chosen? I chose to win and I don't regret it for one second.

I watched my team for the rest of the day from off of the ground. They lost the second game barely. They had them till the very end. It was a war. I wanted to be out there yelling and making those plays, but, as I predicted, I was immobile for the rest of the day.

I was so happy to see them win third place in their tournament. Although we all knew we should have been in the championship game.

Looking back on my decision I still think it was right. Winning that game meant everything to me. It was worth the pain. At that point it was just me, the ball, batter, and catcher. I was crying. Most probably thought it was because I hurt so bad. It might have been that, but I think it was mainly the knowledge that I helped my team win. We were living in the moment and we lived it to the fullest.