Knowing your limitations should never limit your abilities. It is never too late to try something. You can change it last minute without even trying. Just a single thought can change things. You can change the outcome of a softball game with just a single thought. That’s exactly what I did.
It is a cool July night. The birds are sleeping, kids playing and lightning bugs flying around. But, on this night there is a softball game. It isn’t just any softball game; it is the game that will determine if Concord or Hanover-Horton will win the championship for the 14-u team. To Concord, it is a come-back from losing to Hanover-Horton earlier in softball season.
Right now, we are towards the end of the game. Hanover-Horton is up by one point and they are up to bat. The bases are loaded and the odds are not looking to good for Concord. Everyone is as quiet as a mouse. The nerves are becoming too high. They are high that the wind can’t even reach us. Kaytlin has pitched a two and two count. The next pitch can be very nerve-raking for a pitcher, especially during a is the championship game.”You got this Kaytlin.” the whole team yells to help her gain more confidence.
  I watch as she begins her wind-up. It goes in slow motion. Kaytlin leans forward and brings the ball up to the 12 o’clock position and brings it backwards. She lets go of the ball for one pitch, it flies across home plate, but the batter didn’t swing. We wait to see what the umpire calls and hope not to be disappointed. The umpire calls the pitch a ball on the lower left side of the batter’s box. Kaytlin turns around in frustration. She looks at me and there is a silent understanding that she needs to pitch the perfect strike. Our catcher throws the ball back to Kaytlin and she takes her time to begin the next pitch.
As Kaytlin does her wind up one more time, we all know that the pitch is going to be a perfect one. It flies into home plate in slow motion. The batter swings at it and ruins our plan to get her out. The ball hurtles through infield and goes past my head. I know that I have to run back as fast a cheetah and get the ball. As I was running back, I noticed that the batter was sprinting and bringing in the runs. As the ball lands right behind me, I know I am going to have to throw it to home plate.
I pick the neon yellow ball up and whipped it. As the ball soars through the sky, the batter reaches third base. She begins to run and is almost to home plate. But, the ball makes it to the catcher with a perfect throw that not many people can make and the Hanover-Horton girl runs as fast as she can back to third, like a scared cat.
  Everyone turns and looks at me with their mouths agape. No one could believe that I made that throw. All together everyone begins to clap, even the people on the Hanover-Horton side. I knew that I made a fantastic decision at the last moment. Even though we didn’t win, I knew that I won in my heart.  I went past my throwing limits. It was the best game I ever lost.