Girl plays baseball story

I got one. She played PONY, travel ball, apparently pretty good. Switched to softball when she got to high school and landed a scholarship to Marshall. Best story she told me was that when she was a freshman, her mom told her if she didn't make the varsity softball team, she could try out for the baseball team. She made varsity as a freshman, started all four years on the softball team and never got a chance to try high school baseball. My question is what cliches should I stay away from in this story? It's probably been done thousands of times. Any idea on how to make this one different?

 

It's a good quote, but mom is delusional. :

 

Delusional or not, softball coach said she could have made the baseball team. At least one of the baseball players said she was better than some of the guys on the freshman team. She might have had a shot. Could she have played all four years... I'm guessing no.

 

I don't think she actually would be allowed to play, though, would she? If there's a softball team in place -- the equivalent to baseball -- could she have even tried out for the baseball team?

 

Coach may be a little delusional, too. If you can't make the varsity softball team, there is no way in hell you could ever set foot on the field for the varsity baseball team, unless your school has the worst baseball team in the history of the planet.

My sister was in about the same situation at the end of junior high school. She played modified fastpitch in junior high, and she was like Babe Ruth -- she hit home runs in like half her at-bats and hit about .750. She said, "this isn't getting me any better for high school," and signed up for boys' PONY league baseball. She hit about .275, which was decent, but no Babe Ruth (the big hitters in the league hit .400-.450), and instead of hitting a couple home runs per game, she hit one all season (an inside-the-parker). In girls' MFP, she was a rocket-armed shortstop, the only player in the league who could throw people out from the hole. Playing 2B in the boys' league, she had an average arm, but no better.

Once you get past the puberty stage, 13-14 years old, the boys have a huge advantage in size and power. It's just a whole different game.

Now, as far as the angle your STORY should take, I dunno. Did she do anything else unusual which attracted the attention of the college coaches?

 

She was a good enough HS softball player to get looks from schools in the Big East, Conference USA, MAC. She's going to Marshall on scholarship. Her HS softball coach said playing baseball gave her a little chip on her shoulder. Only girl, always having to prove herself. She has a different competitive level than most of the other girls on the team. Other than that, there is nothing unusual about her HS career, at least nothing she told me or I have seen.

 

Please Please Please avoid any references to A League of Their Own. It is too easy and a good writer doesn't need a pop culture crutch.

 

I have enough good stories from coach, dad, guys on the baseball team who played with her. No need for A League of Their Own reference.

 

I'd imagine a lot of very good, i.e. Division I, softball players *could* have played some high school baseball (not including the powerhouse programs, of course). they obviously have great reflexes, hand-to-eye coordination, etc. and i'd wager a decent amount played some little league with boys as well. i don't really see this angle, i think it's a stretch.

 

Sounds like you've got a very good start on this.

I'd avoid anything that is a 'put down' to other softball players or other female athletes. Sure, she could have played on the baseball team, but what if the baseball team sucked? And the softball team was championship-level? I bet all the softball players would make the baseball team in that case. Don't go in with the mindset that all boys teams are better than girls teams just by virtue of being male.

Another possible angle is her introduction to softball. While the sports are fundamentally the same (pitch, hit, catch, throw), there are a lot of differences. How did she adjust to underhand pitching? To throwing the bigger ball? To the godforsaken dugout chanting?

Speaking of the godforsaken chanting, male and female teams tend to be very different in their team dynamics. How did she adjust to that? Did the girls immediately accept her?

Sounds like a good story ... would love to read it when you're finished.

 

If my Title IX memory serves me correctly, she can only play softball.

I could be wrong, but she is stuck in softball.

 

I got a neat story from her dad. He tried to get her to play softball, took her to softball games at the PONY league she played at. She refused to get on the field because there was no grass on the infield. In her mind, the playing surface was wrong. She didn't want anything to do with softball.
One other side note, the day the story ran was the first day of playoffs. She hit three HRs in the game and her team mercy-ruled the school they were playing. Think I should go TJ Simers here and take credit for the win. Obviously my story was the motivating factor in her performing so well... right?
Did I mention I love it when TJ does this to pro and college players?