The Best Inspirational Stories of My Life

One of my best inspirational stories is about my family.

One day my mom discovered she was pregnant again unexpectedly. This met with varied reactions from the family. My brother, I think, was just embarrassed at the thought that my parents were doing such things together. My sister and dad were very happy. But I was ecstatic! I had always wanted a younger sibling, boy or girl. I went around telling everyone at school the good news. Then, I had additional news to tell when my mom found out from an ultrasound that she was going to have a boy.

Here is another one of our inspirational short stories. This inspirational story is dedicated to my daughter and her commitment to the game of softball.

I must say that if I had never had the privilege of having my daughter, I would have never quite understood how much work it takes to participate in a competitive game of fast pitch softball. Just to put it into perspective professional baseball players have a very tough time hitting off a very good fast pitch softball pitcher. Home plate is 43 feet away in softball versus 60 feet in baseball. Seventeen feet may not seem like much until you’re the one standing at the plate.

My Best Inspirational Stories:

My Daughter's Softball Tournament

This past weekend we traveled from Rapid City South Dakota to Denver Colorado and played in a tournament that once again tested their skills against fifteen home town teams. Another unique part of fast pitch softball versus baseball is that in almost all tournaments the girls play at least three games in day. In some cases, they have played as many as six. This weekend the temperatures ranged around 90 degrees and the sun beat down on everyone.  Therefore, by the third game plus it begins to wear heavily on the girls. This is where the inspirational story comes into play.

The very first game on Saturday was scheduled to start at 9:30am. Because there is so much preparation in gearing up for every game the players were required to arrive at 8:00am. Still backing up the clock we needed to wake up and eat breakfast at the hotel and leave by 7:00am to make it to the field on time.

My Best Inspirational Stories:

My Daughter's Softball Tournament

After arriving at the fields, the girls begin warming up by slowly tossing the balls back and forth. Following this they hit of tees into nets to prepare their swings. The pitchers, which my daughter is one of, then need a minimum of about 30 minutes to warm up and practice the numerous types of pitches they throw. As an example, my daughter throws a curve ball, screwball, drop ball, change up, and of course a fastball. Although the team has four pitchers you never know when a change will be necessary. Just like professional baseball pitchers there are days that a pitcher can walk on water and days they will sink to the bottom of the sea in seconds.

In the first game my daughter was the starting pitcher and they won that game eleven to five. At this level of play rarely will a pitcher throw a no hitter; therefore, all positions and players are extremely important. Not only on defense but runs must be scored in order to win games. On the flip side of that coin my daughter would throw shut out games all the time in little league. In most cases they could not catch up to her fastball in little league. However, at this level girls can hit the ball.

My Best Inspirational Stories:

My Daughter's Softball Tournament

By the second game which was played immediately after the first one the temperature was up to about 85 degrees and the sun was beating down hard. I was taking a bottle of water to my daughter about every other inning.  I had a cooler full of iced water bottles and know that without providing water the girls will dehydrate rapidly.  Although everyone plays under the same conditions, the teams that prepare in advance for these conditions’ standout clearly. Our team practices six times a week and practices hard. Teams that think they can just show up on game day are eliminated quickly. When you drive close to 500 miles or more to a tournament you put in the time and effort way before you make that drive. My daughter is 17 and she has been playing since she was five.

As a parent and huge fan of the game, the temperature and burning sun took its toll on me this past weekend. On the other hand, my daughter and her teammates played three very hard games the first day and we returned to the fields the next day to play three more. The temperature was even hotter the second day, but they came ready to play. They’re hard work paid off with a second-place trophy.

Immediately following the game, we loaded up into our vehicle and drove immediately almost 500 miles home. We will do it again in two weeks and again three weeks after that and again and again. I find my daughter and her teammates extremely inspirational. Inspirational short stories like these help me to recognize that hard work and dedication pays dividends in so many ways. My daughter is drug and alcohol free while volunteering at our church and many other activities that make me question my childhood activities. You see I did participate in sports and other activities growing up but I see how much more my daughter is focused on her future. She will be successful at whatever she puts her mind to. I look forward to watching her grow in so many ways.

Thank you for reading our inspirational short stories and May God bless you!

When comes to any sport, such as fast pitch softball, it takes more than just determination and drive to accomplish a dream that you have had since you were only four or five years old. A dream that you developed because of a special talent that became more and more apparent as you developed as a young girl. Your drive and determination became even more intense because of the attention your three older brothers received instead of you.

You had to fight for that attention by putting in the long hours of training and practice. You would get up early in the morning and go off to the seven day a week, two to three hours a day practices at the softball field. When the tournaments were near the practices were held twice a day and you never complained even once. The heat of the day would reach over a hundred and you would be unhappy that the coach would shorten the practices.

My Best Inspirational Stories:

Dreams of Playing College Softball!

I can still remember the day you were playing third base for the high school softball team as a seventh grader and took a fastball to the mouth. You fell to the ground and spit out some blood. I came running onto the field along with everyone else to a determined young girl that got herself up, dusted herself off and wanted to stay in the game. Although your mouth was still bleeding and your bottom teeth were knocked backwards into your mouth, I could only hold you out for the rest of the inning before you demanded to go back in. That without question showed me just who you were and who you would become.

I still get so proud when you take the field as a young ninth grader who played for the Junior Varsity Softball Team as an eighth grader. Your ability to pitch the softball is just amazing. The intensity, speed, and accuracy of the softball across the plate makes my head spin. It didn't just happen though. It took hours and hours of practicing over the winter while everyone else sat in front of the television set.

My Best Inspirational Stories:

Dreams of Playing College Softball!

You would practice in zero-degree weather. Although inside a metal shed without heat, you would be down to your short sleeve shirt before you had completed you routine pitching practice. I remember very clearly because I was on the receiving end of those pitches with my heavy coat and still freezing.

You would wind up and pitch that ball with such power that I was intimidated even as someone that spent twelve years in the Marine Corps. That ball would come at me from forty-five feet away like a bullet shot from a gun.

I can still remember when I would lose track of a pitch and catch in on my shin or somewhere else and have the scars to prove it. One missed pitch almost ended me up in the hospital for a week. The doctor wondered how it was possible to get a bruise and swelling like that from a fourteen-year-old girl pitching a softball.

My Best Inspirational Stories:

Dreams of Playing College Softball!

I can still remember the last tournament last year when you pitched almost every game of a six-game schedule in one day. You were only thirteen then and still had the nerves of a mature woman. You had ice water in your veins. The temperature outside was well over one hundred degrees and pitching five games in that heat is unbelievable. No one could have taken that ball away no matter what. It was and is in your blood to be a great softball pitcher.

Unfortunately, long hours and dedication sometimes is not quite enough when someone that has your talent but can't get the exposure that is required to make it. To get that exposure it takes attending multiple tournaments each season. It takes the right equipment. It takes hours in a heated facility over the winter to practice. It takes hotel rooms and food at the tournaments. Not just all tournaments, but the ones where college coaches will be.

My Best Inspirational Stories:

Dreams of Playing College Softball!

I am sorry though that you have been born into a family that just can't afford to do all these things! A father that lies awake at night and prays that God will grant you that dream of playing college softball. A father that knows that if he had the money to make your dream come true, he would do it in a second. But your father doesn't. And for that I am deeply sorry sweetheart!

Sometimes it does help to be luck! Sometimes money does stand in the way no matter how good you are. Sometimes love is not enough! I wished I could have been better for you sweetheart!

Don't ever forget that your Daddy loves you no matter if you play for the USA Team or are a dishwasher. You're loved!

If there is anyone that can help a very talented young woman make her dreams come true, I can't tell you how much as a father I would appreciate it! I could never put it into words, but just know that you would be greatly appreciated!

Good Luck and May God Bless You!