University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Photo by: Matt Hawley/Pitt Athletics
Nava Susi: Thank You, Softball
6/13/2019 11:05:00 AM | Softball
Written By: Nava Susi
Thank You, Softball
Written By: Nava Susi
I'm not sure I can put into words the impact softball has had on my life. When I think of what softball has given me, the first thing that comes to my mind is love. The love that has grown in my heart for this game is indescribable. But softball has taught me to love in ways that go beyond just the love for the game.
Softball has taught me to love adversity. Playing softball has had its fair share of ups and downs between injuries, hard losses and failures. All of these things have affected me in some way, but what softball has given me is the ability to bounce back. It has instilled a form of resiliency in me that I would not have gotten any other way. Softball taught me to love and appreciate when hardships come my way, instead of resisting them. It has given me a different perspective on facing adversity throughout my life. Softball has taught me to show love for the valleys because next comes a mountain top... something that has always materialized throughout my years playing the sport. The lessons softball has taught me are ones that can never be replaced and I will carry them with me for the rest of my life.
Softball has also taught me to love myself and what's important in my life. Everyone always says softball is a game of failure. More often than not, I've failed. I've had my fair share of strikeouts, errors and mistakes throughout the many years I've played. Softball taught me to believe in myself and love myself no matter what. It taught me that softball was so much more than a game, it was about the experience. When I realized this, my entire outlook on the game changed. I focused less on the materialistic aspects of the game and more on the holistic ones. I wanted to be a better teammate and a more grateful player. If I left playing the game having touched the life of one person, and with an attitude of gratefulness for the opportunity to be physically and mentally capable of playing the game I love, no statistic in the world mattered. Softball showed me what's important in my life and it taught me to appreciate what really matters to me, and that is bringing happiness to the people around me.
But most importantly, softball has taught me to love the people playing by my side. The friendships I have created from teams I played on at eight years old all the way to my last year at Pitt are ones I will have for a lifetime. Speaking towards the friendships I have created at Pitt, the sisterhood this team has is like no other. I've always wanted to be a part of a big family and my wish came true the day I came to Pitt. These girls are as close to my family as it gets and I would do anything for each and every one of them. We laugh together, we cry together, we win together, we lose together, but most of all; we love together... and any person that's ever been around this group of girls can attest to the love we all have for each other. I could never thank softball enough for bringing these incredible, forever people into my life. Softball has created a happiness in me through the people I've met that I could never repay.
Thank you, softball, for changing my life in ways no one or nothing else ever could. I owe the person I am today to this game. The people I've met and the experiences I've had are unforgettable. I will forever remember the feeling of stepping on that field and the people I stepped on it with. Saying I am grateful is an understatement. I feel forever indebted to the game of softball. I only hope to repay this game by passing on my love for it to others, so they can receive what I have been lucky enough to.
Written By: Nava Susi
I'm not sure I can put into words the impact softball has had on my life. When I think of what softball has given me, the first thing that comes to my mind is love. The love that has grown in my heart for this game is indescribable. But softball has taught me to love in ways that go beyond just the love for the game.
Softball has taught me to love adversity. Playing softball has had its fair share of ups and downs between injuries, hard losses and failures. All of these things have affected me in some way, but what softball has given me is the ability to bounce back. It has instilled a form of resiliency in me that I would not have gotten any other way. Softball taught me to love and appreciate when hardships come my way, instead of resisting them. It has given me a different perspective on facing adversity throughout my life. Softball has taught me to show love for the valleys because next comes a mountain top... something that has always materialized throughout my years playing the sport. The lessons softball has taught me are ones that can never be replaced and I will carry them with me for the rest of my life.
Softball has also taught me to love myself and what's important in my life. Everyone always says softball is a game of failure. More often than not, I've failed. I've had my fair share of strikeouts, errors and mistakes throughout the many years I've played. Softball taught me to believe in myself and love myself no matter what. It taught me that softball was so much more than a game, it was about the experience. When I realized this, my entire outlook on the game changed. I focused less on the materialistic aspects of the game and more on the holistic ones. I wanted to be a better teammate and a more grateful player. If I left playing the game having touched the life of one person, and with an attitude of gratefulness for the opportunity to be physically and mentally capable of playing the game I love, no statistic in the world mattered. Softball showed me what's important in my life and it taught me to appreciate what really matters to me, and that is bringing happiness to the people around me.
But most importantly, softball has taught me to love the people playing by my side. The friendships I have created from teams I played on at eight years old all the way to my last year at Pitt are ones I will have for a lifetime. Speaking towards the friendships I have created at Pitt, the sisterhood this team has is like no other. I've always wanted to be a part of a big family and my wish came true the day I came to Pitt. These girls are as close to my family as it gets and I would do anything for each and every one of them. We laugh together, we cry together, we win together, we lose together, but most of all; we love together... and any person that's ever been around this group of girls can attest to the love we all have for each other. I could never thank softball enough for bringing these incredible, forever people into my life. Softball has created a happiness in me through the people I've met that I could never repay.
Thank you, softball, for changing my life in ways no one or nothing else ever could. I owe the person I am today to this game. The people I've met and the experiences I've had are unforgettable. I will forever remember the feeling of stepping on that field and the people I stepped on it with. Saying I am grateful is an understatement. I feel forever indebted to the game of softball. I only hope to repay this game by passing on my love for it to others, so they can receive what I have been lucky enough to.
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