Welcome to Reefside

Softball Tryouts

Tracy's POV

The tryouts for the school softball team are tomorrow. I spent the past few weeks preparing for them. Conner helped me improve my running speed and taught me how to slide (by teaching me a sliding tackle on the soccer field). Trent and Ethan helped me with my fielding. I drove to batting cages to improve my swing. The one thing that bugged me is that Mesogog hadn't sent a monster to attack the city in a while. I decide to ignore it and focus on getting ready for the tryout.

Conner, Ethan, Trent, and I are at the ball diamond behind the school for one last practice round. Ethan is the catcher, Conner the pitcher and Trent manned the outfield. I stand at home plate waiting for Conner to pitch the baseball. He throws the ball and it comes right down the middle of the plate. I wait for the ball to come to me as it came closer I swing the bat. I can tell from the sound when the bat makes contact with the ball that it's a good hit. I watch as Trent back pedals to field the ball, but the ball goes over his head. He stops and turns around to see the ball going over the fence.

Dr. Oliver's POV

I walk up from the visitor's side dugout. Tracy walks over to me.

"Nice hit." I compliment.

"Thanks, Dr. O.," she says.

"I think you're ready for the tryout tomorrow," I say.

"I hope you're right Dr. O.," she says not sounding all too confident.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"It's just that every time I've tried out for the team at my old school, the coach's always turn me down because of my size. They never judge me by my skill. I'm hoping that the coaches here won't act like the coaches back there." she answers.

"Just believe in yourself and give it everying you can. The coaches will be surprised by what they will see." I say.

She nods and packs up her things to head home to get some rest.

Normal POV

The next day after school Tracy walks up to the ball diamond ready to show the coaches what she can do. The first part of the tryout is fielding. The assistant coach , Samuel Bueno, asks the girls to line up at shortstop. Samuel Bueno is tall and average with even features, very short, reddish-brown hair and dark green eyes.

Tracy is first in line. She stands on the balls of her feet ready for anything. Coach Bueno tosses the ball into the air and Tracy watches as the bat makes contact. The ball rolls towards her and Tracy charges towards it. She fields the ball. She moves the ball from her glove to her throwing hand so effortlessly that the coaches can barely see it happening. She sets her feet and throws a strike to first base. Sammy and Zoey are third and fourth in line. Sammy Hayes is slightly above average height, has long, straight, strawberry blonde hair and pale green eyes. Zoey Bueno is just below average height, has long, straight, dark red hair, and blue-green eyes.

"Wow, that girl is good, " Sammy says.

"Yeah, right. She just got lucky that's all." Zoey says.

Five minutes later the fielding part is over and batting part has begun. Tracy is the last one to bat. She thinks of it as saving the best for last. Coach Burns is below average height, has very short, curly, red hair, and blue-green eyes. He has a pitching machine set up at the pitcher's mound. He feeds the first ball to the machine and Tracy waits for it to come to the plate. She swings the bat with everything she has. The ball goes into deep center field, but Destiny Gray catches the ball. (Destiny is below average height and thin with plain features, very short, pale brown hair, and green eyes.) Tracy still had a few more attempts before she has to run. The next ball she hits drops into right field in a spot where Zoey can't catch it.

"Live ball." Coach Burns says.

He feeds the ball into the machine. After the bat makes contact with the ball Tracy sprints off to first. The ball lands up against the wall in right field. Tracy rounds the bag and sprints to second. Tracy sees out the corner of her eye that Zoey is having trouble fielding the ball. She decides to go for three. Charlie is playing shortstop. She is very tall and lanky with round features, short, pale red hair and brown eyes. Zoey throws the ball to her and she throws it to third. The third base coach motions for Tracy to slide. Tracy mentally pictures herself back on the soccer field and does a perfect sliding tackle into the bag.

After the dust clears, the coach says the she is safe - but barely. Coach Burns calls the girls in to take a breather while he decides who he will give a uniform. Tracy goes over to her bag and takes out a lemon lime Gatorade. She takes off the lid and chugs half the bottle. She watches as Coach Burns starts telling girls if they have made the team. A few minutes later Coach Burns calls her over.

"Yes, Coach Burns." Tracy says nervously.

"You were amazing out there." Coach Burns compliments.

"Thank you Coach Burns I practiced hard to get ready for today." She says.

"It shows. Have you ever played on the team at your old school?" Coach Burns asks.

"No, sir they said that I was too small and that I wasn't at a high enough skill level to play for them." She answers.

"Well those coaches were idiots. You obviously are at a high enough skill level to play and I believe that big things come in small packages. "I would love to have someone like you on my team." Coach Burns says.

Tracy does her best not to cry because for the first time a coach has actually judged her by her ability to play the game, and not by her size. He takes a uniform out of the cardboard box. He hands it to her.

"Thank you so much Coach Burns. I won't let you down. I promise." she says.

"You're welcome Tracy. You earned it." he says.

Tracy slowly walks back to her car with her gear on her shoulder and the uniform in her left hand. She holds back her screams of joy the best she can. Ethan and the others are waiting outside Dr. Oliver's house for Tracy to arrive to see how the tryout went. A few minutes later they see Tracy's car pull up. Tracy gets out of her car and she is trying really hard to make it look like she didn't make the team. She lets out the scream of joy she held in the entire ride. Then she walks over to the team.

"Congrats." Trent says.

"Thanks Trent." she says.

"Tracy, are you sure you can balance saving the word, the softball team, and school?" Conner asks.

"Of course I can Conner. I have dreamed of this day ever since I got turned down for the seventh grade team." she says confidently.

"So, when is the first practice?" Dr. Oliver asks.

"Next Wednesday after school." she replies.

The rangers walk into the house and go down into the lab.

Dr. Oliver's POV

We all sit down in our chairs. I look over at Tracy. She is fighting to keep her eyes open. I look back towards the team. I decide to keep the meeting brief. I tell them that we are going to have a training session tomorrow after school. They all assure me that they will be there. I look over at Tracy and she is fast asleep, holding her uniform in her hand. I tell Conner and the others to head home. They get up from their chairs and walk up the steps out of the lab. I walk over to Tracy and pick her up. I carry her to the guest room. I set her on the bed and drape the extra blanket that is on the end bed over her. I slide her eye glasses off her face. I put them on the desk. I turn off the light and close the door.