Soar

My name was called out loud and anxiously. Everything depended on me, and if things didn’t end well, then we were doomed for failure. I took a deep inhale and closed my eyes, sensing the warm sun and feeling the cool summer breeze blow across my cheeks. If I didn’t score, it would be over. There were already two outs and if I didn’t get a miracle of a hit, then we would be done for. As I rose from the bench, I felt the complete and utter weight of my impactful odyssey rest on my shoulders. The future of my team was depending on my successful return back to the bench. With this in mind, my legs turned into jelly and my feet sunk into the mud but it also gave me an extra push of motivation which I appreciated.

As I embarked on my long quest from the dugout to the plate, I felt all eyes on me and I forced my head to clear all thoughts of concern, which was easier said than done. My breathing was shaky and I sensed that my heart was pounding so loudly and rapidly that everyone in the grassy field could hear it. Everyone was still: the crowd, my team, the opposing team, the umpire, and even the snack seller. It was like the whole world had taken a deep breath and was waiting for me to determine the fate of this game until the world could go round once more. My eyes observed a blue sparrow take flight as I walked up to my destined fate. I yet again dismissed all feelings of uneasiness and mentally treasured the presence of the sparrow, one of my good luck charms, which allowed my mind to become a little more at ease.

When I reached the plate, which felt like it took an eternity, I focused my eyes on my opponent. Butterflies were generating pandamonium in the pit of my stomach and I knew that I had no authority over them. I was shaking from both excitement and fear, but fear was definitely winning this battle. I cleared my head and focused again on the task at hand. My troubled and anxious mind was like an unwelcome visitor whose sole purpose was to constantly inform me on the gravity of the situation. After swatting the unwelcome visitor away, it was time to place my eye on the prize: which was to score a single run. I knew that there was a very fine line between hitting the ball or not, winning or losing, and it was all up to me to change the outcome of this game.

I shuffled the dirt beneath my cleats to ready myself, mentally and physically, attempting to hold onto the still before the storm as long as I could. To further delay my acquaintance with the pitcher, I tightened my grey colored gloves and straightened my ruby helmet onto my head which covered my long sandy hair. I knew I had waited too long when the umpire blew his whistle for me to hurry it up. I firmly planted my two feet in the white box and prepared to take my first swing at fortune. I had a tight clutch on my bat and I was slowly losing circulation in my hands, but I didn’t care, it was only up to me and the pitcher now. I blocked out the rest of the world because nothing else mattered but the two of us. Like two wolves circling before a battle, we two boys were waiting for the other to strike, sizing each other up and staring the other down. It was going to be a fight between the fittest and only the fittest would come out victorious. The pitcher began to wind up as I raised my bat. The crowd leaned forward and gasped as the ball was thrown in my direction. I swung and thwack! My bat and entire body vibrated as the ball soared just over the pitcher's head. The ball was rising faster and faster through the air.

After I hit the ball, I was in a daze and couldn't recall what had happened until I heard a voice, probably my coach, roar out my name ordering me to run, and run fast. I shook my head, dropped the bat, and ran. I ran with all my might and never once looked back at the ball I breathed life into. As I sprinted around the diamond, I felt as if I had truly taken flight and sprouted wings. My adrenaline was surging through my body, accelerating my heart rate and pushing me to my absolute maximum. I reached first base. I couldn’t believe I had made it that far. Then it was the second one! A player stood blocking my way. I ran around them and ran past third base.

Undeterred by my pulsing adrenaline, I could hear the crowd chanting my name and cheering. LET’S GO ALEX, LET’S GO! The chant pushed me beyond my fastest speed limit and it felt like I was traveling at the speed of light. I was closing in on home base so quickly that the greenery and crowd were blurred from my vision and my eyes were beginning to water from the wind stinging my face. I was nearing home base and my feet were barely touching the ground beneath me. I was five yards away from the base, then two yards, then five feet, and then I was there. My team rushed out of the dugout to congratulate me, the crowd cheered, the umpire cried out, “SAFE!” and my ear drums were throbbing. My parents and sister hugged me tightly and showered me in endless kisses. I couldn’t believe that I had done it. After all this excitement, I felt like I deserved a good night’s sleep and a bottle of warm milk with a chocolate chip cookie, too. After all, I thought, it isn’t everyday that I get to play in the Pee-Wee Baseball Tournament.