Pitch, swing, hit, run. Looking down the first base line I see her telling me to dig deep because I’m almost there. I make it to first, and I’m greeted by Coach Becca telling me what a great hit that was, and she’s making sure I know I’m running on pass ball. We work five nights a week for close games like these, and I could never of done it without the hard work, time and effort by my teammates and coach.
When teaching or coaching I think it is important to express to your peers that you are approachable and they can come to you for anything. Becca is not only our coach but also our friend. We can all talk to her about what’s going on whether it’s what happened in last night’s game or about our day at school. During softball Becca gives us useful constructive criticism, she pushes us to do our best every time, she also makes it something we all want to go to, not only because we love softball, but because we all love spending time together. Coach has consistently been our shoulder to lean on in practice and in our daily lives, and my whole team is grateful for that.
One game, we were playing a pretty good team, and we were ahead by a few runs, but they started coming back. It was then our pitcher noticed something odd: when one of the girls would come up to bat she would bend her knee in towards the plate and try and get hit by the pitch, which means an automatic walk to first base. When we told our coach, she said she’s seen it done before, and there wasn’t much she could do. Some of the other girls were so angry; they suggested we did it back to them, but Becca said that was no way to act, and as long as we played our hearts out and did the right thing, we would be the bigger team; that’s a win for us no matter what the final score was. We ended up winning the game,  but by the end it wasn’t even about the win. It was about how we got it: fair and square. Coach not only teaches us morals on the field like ‘always be fair’ and ‘don’t let the actions of the opposing teams influence’ you but also teaches us things we can take off the field too like ‘you earn what you work for’ and ‘being the bigger person makes you the real winner’.
Lastly, one of the most important things that has stuck with me is teamwork. Coach has not only created a softball team but a family. Everyone cares for each other as if they were their own siblings, and we all have each other’s back 110%. We pick each other up when we’re down whether it’s on the field or off the field. Some girls have realized that even if you’re not in the mood for practice or a game that day, you have to do it for your team because it wouldn’t be fair to bring your team down with you. The most important thing is sometimes it’s not about what’s best for you but for the team. If we’re playing a good team, and you usually play left field, but the opposing team keeps spanking it over your head and Coach switches in someone who’s a faster runner so they have a better chance of getting the ball, you have to realize that it’s not personal.  It’s what’s best for you and the team if you want to win. I believe I can apply these teamwork skills to any aspect of my life to help create an effective team.
Overall, I think an Educator of the Year needs to possess certain qualities like being approachable, caring, and passionate about what they do or prepare his/her students for the future all while having fun, and I think my coach has all these qualities. I would not be the softball player I am today without my coach. Thank you Coach Becca!