She plays softball. This was her first season and she fell in love from the get go. She was fortunate to be placed on this incredible team where the girls got along from day one. At their first tournament game on Thursday they sang and danced and goofed off as a team. Nobody sits alone - EVER. They cheer for each other so loud that it echoes across all of the fields. They rallied and won in extra innings.
But, we live in the Midwest and as most Americans know, this summer has been one of the wettest I can remember. There have been a lot of rain outs. A LOT. This weekend (July 16th-19th) was set at the beginning of the season to be the alternate date for tournaments so, as a sports-friendly family, we purchased her plane tickets to visit my parents for July 20th. Unfortunately, the league now wants to play the championship game on Monday evening meaning that my daughter, and at least a few other girls, will miss the biggest game of their season because the league has opted to give deference to supplemental league play in which only a handful of the girls are participating. My kiddo was initially in tears but it did not last long. Today as she sits here waiting to play her next tournament game, knowing that if her team advances she will not be able to advance with them as the schedule stands now, she is working on alternate ideas. This is her plan:
1. Write a letter to the league to give to the league official prior to the tournament game tonight:
Dear DYA,
Hello my name is ****** and
I have been given permission to write this letter and am doing so willingly. I
am very upset about the tournaments and that the championship will be on Monday
instead of being today or tomorrow.
I am a one of the softball players
and have been there every game. I have been working hard and having fun this
season and I was really looking forward to tournaments. In the beginning of the
season everything said the season would be done by mid-July. The rain dates
were listed as the 16th-19th so my family purchased our
plane tickets for the 20th so I wouldn’t miss anything. Now that the
championship is on Monday I won’t get to play if my team makes it. I am not the
only girl who did so. I don’t think it’s right for girls who want to play
softball and have played all season to miss out on the biggest game of the
season.
What I
think we should do instead is push the Allstar league back because it is only a
supplemental league so it should come after our league not before our league.
I would also like to say something about fall
softball in this letter. I have signed up for fall baseball since there is no
fall softball. It is so sad that boys get a fall baseball league if we don’t
get a fall softball league. There are not enough fall sports for girls. Why?
Sincerely,
******
Not bad for a ten year old, eh? Did I mention that there is fall baseball in this league but no fall softball?? She's fighting that too.
2. Arrive at the field early for her game and speak with the girls from the four teams left in the tournament to have them sign a petition to attach with the letter, one to have the games played this weekend and the other to create a fall softball league.
My kiddo knows that her actions may not change things but she wants her voice heard and she's not going to leave for vacation without knowing that she tried. I'm supporting her. Will you?
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