U10 Softball

I have umpired youth baseball for over 10 years and for the past 5 years I have been shifting to fast-pitch youth softball. 

Thursday night I worked a double-header for South Central Girls Softball League (SCGSL). The first game was for U10 (ten-year-old) teams and I worked behind the plate. (For those who are not familiar with this game; the spirit, enthusiasm, and pure joy that is typical of girl's softball is contagious and it is one of the reasons that I've been shifting away from umpiring baseball. ) At one point during the game it struck me that these girls are now the same age as my daughter was when she died in 1984. I thought about how much these girls are like her and how much she would have loved to play softball.

Chelsea Baker (with Le-Mutt)

And, I thought about how much things have changed in the past 30 years. There was no softball in schools, or in the community, at that time. Chelsea was the fastest kid in her 4th grade class at school - boy or girl, And she loved Little League baseball. But after T-Ball there wasn't really anything for girls to do in sports. But that has changed dramatically since then. And, for a moment - between pitches - I thought about how grateful I am to be a small part of making this great activity available to these kids.

Chelsea Baker died thirty years ago this month. For 10 years she showed us how to love unconditionally, and how to embrace life and everything in it.  She is still very much alive in the hearts of everyone who knew her.