Lauren Raker

uwRT

1101-070

Ingram
September 12,2014

Literacy Narrative
Eleven years ago, I fell in love with the game of softball.
more literate with every game, every practice, and every time

I strive to become

I step onto a softball

field. One of &e many people that have helped me become the literate softball player
I am today is my dad. My dad is my number one fan, coach, and teacher. I,{e has

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beentheretosupportmesincethefirstdayofmysoftba1lcareer.Hehashe1ped,,,.Hffi
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advance my softball fundamentals and my thinking process of the game. He

has

thought me everything I know about the game.

For starters, on the first day of tryouts, he was there watching my every move.

I had absolutely no idea how to catch and throw a ball or how to swing abat. During
my very first at bat,lstood o"

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instead of in the batter's box,and I missed

very single ball that was pitched to me. He stood on the sidelines cheering me on the
whole time. He would say, 'oYou'll hit it next time!" or "It'11just take some more

practice." He saw the discouragement on my face over my first few seasons of

playing softball. Until the one day that it all just sort of clicked. All the long hours at

miserable practices and hard work of trying to learn the basic fundamentals finally
started paying

off. I finally got the hang of playing the game of softball.

the turning point of my softball career, 1-\ow O\d

$ou

This was

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A couple of years after I started playing softball, my dad decided to become the
head coach for one of the recreational softball teams at the

Mint Hill Athletic

Association also known as MHAA. And of course this meant that I was on his team.
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No ifs, ands, or brits about

it.

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Out of all the games I have played over the years, the one game that stays with
me is the championship game of my last season of rec ball. We had been undefeated

all season long until that championship game against Steele Creek. At this point in
my softball careero I realize softball was not just about fun anymore. It was about

winning. And on that ball field with the sun beating down on me in the middle of

July,I realized what it meant to be a loser and my

dad made sure of

it. After my team

had been defeated, he had all of us line up on the foul line so he could lecture us. He

called each one of us out for all the errors we had made. He yelled at us until our
faces were filled with tears. He had a way of making all of us feel worthless. After

his

"All ofyou suck" speech,

we had to play Steele Creek again. The Steele

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team saw all of the tears rolling &om me and my teammates' eyes, and the

Steele t"f,

Creek team thought that they had the next game *in the bag". Me and my teammates

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ffi*

all dried it up and stepped onto the field with determination and hatred in our eyes.
Needless to say, we kicked Steele Creek's butt.

And from that moment forward, my dad taught me to leave everything I've got
on the field and make a narne for myself that

can be proud

of. He taught me to

believe in myself and to hold my head high. Without that you don't have anything
when it comes to the game of softball.

My dad has taught me everything I know about the game of softball. He has
instilled within me the literacy of the game of softball. From the first time I stepped
onto the softball field at tryouts, he has been dedicated to learning everything he can
about the game of softball so that he can pass on what he knows to me. Because

of

my dad, the basic fundamentals I started out with have advanced into something that I
could only dream about when I first started out eleven years ago. My dad is the best
coach and mentor I have ever had when it comes to softball, and I have him to thank

for making me the literate softball player, coach, mentog and role model I am today.

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miserable practices and hard work of trying to leam the basic fundamentals finally

Lauren Raker

started paying

UWRT 1101-070

off,

I finally got the hang of playing the game of softball. This was

--\*__=.the h.rming point of my softball career.

Ingram

A couple ofyears after I started playin! softball, my dad decided to become the
September 12,2014
head coach for one ofthe recreational softball teams at the Mint

Literacy Narrative

Association also known

more literate with evsry game, every practice, and every time I step onto a softball

Out

field, One ofthe many people that have helped me become the literate softball player
am today is my dad,

My dad

is my number one farq coach, and teachet.

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all

t#late

faces were

instead of in the batter's box and I missed

his

every single ball that was pitched to me. He stood on the sidelines cheering me on the

"It'll just

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sort of clicked.

seasons

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filled with tears, He had a way of making all of

"All of you suck"

it. Afier my

team

us feel worthless.

Aftor

speech, we had to play-Steele Creek again. The $Jeele Cree-k

Creek team thought that they had the next game

of

All the long hours at

0,.,\

of

team saw all ofthe tears rolling from me and my teammates' eye$, and the Steele

take some more

pmctice." He saw the discoumgement on my face over my frst few

playing softball, Until the one day that it all

sun beating down on me in the middle

had been defeated, he had all of us line up on the foul line so he corld lecture us. He
ox $\
called each one ofus out for all the errors we had maden) He yelled at us until our

throw a ball or how to swing a bat. During

whole timo. He would say, "You'll hit it next timel" or

in

anlmorl It was about

July, I realized what it meant to be a losu and my dad made sure of

For starters, on the first day oftryouts, he was there watching my every move.

my very first at bat, I stood on

with

season long until that championship game against Steele Creek, At this point

winning. And on that ball field with the

thought me everything I know about the game.

one game that stays

ball. We had been undefeated

my softbalt career, I realize softball was notjust about firn

advance my softball fundamentals and my thinking process of the game. He has

catclr_atrrd

ofall the games I have played over the years, the

me is the championship game of my last season of rec

betn there to support me sinco the first day of my softball career, He has helped me

I had absolutely no idea how to

MHAA. And of course this moant that I was on his teamy

No ifs, ands, or but$ about it.

Eleven years ago, I fell in love with the game of softball, I strive to become

as

Hill Athletic

'-,
{

i/*

'in

the bag$. Me and my teammates

all dried it up and stepped onto the field with determination and hatred in our eyes.
Needless to say, we kicked Steele Creek's trutt.

And from that moment forward, my dad taught me to leave everything I've got
on the field and make a name for myselfthat I can be proud

of. He taught

me to

believe in myself and to hold my head high, Without that, you don't havo anything
when it comes to tho game of softball.

My

dad has taught me everything I know about the game of

m0ffitii&1ffi+"r.e##oflffi;reiiffitt.

soflball. Htlnls

From the first time I stepped

onto the softball field at tryouts, he has bsen dedicated to leaming everything he can
about the game of sofiball so that he can pass on what he knows to me. Because

of

my dad, the basic flrndamentals I started out with have advanced into something thal I
could only dream about when I first st rted

out+k@r

My dad is the best

coach and mentor I have ever had when it comes to softball, and I have him to thank

for making me the literate softball player, coach, mentor, and role modcl I am today.