This is week 4 of my summer league in Florida, and it is still going great – my team is 13-1 overall! Living in the hotel gets kind of boring, especially without access to my car. So, I fill my time laying by the pool, watching Netflix with my roommate or walking around the malls near my hotel.
I live with Jenny Jansen, who plays softball at Southern Illinois, and her and I have become fast friends. We've stayed up more nights laughing when we should have been sleeping. I know in two weeks when we have to go home that I will miss Jenny a lot. We have really gotten close over these last four weeks together. We spend pretty much every second together, and honesty, it's hard to believe she's not sick of me yet!! We often find ourselves talking about our schools and our teammates. It's interesting to see how SIU's softball team dynamic is different than at ISU, but at the same time, both programs are very much the same. Now that I think about it, our college teams are also very similar to the team we're playing on this summer.
I would say that I've really bonded with Jenny the most. Her and I are both very driven athletes, and we both like eating too, so we've found some great local places to eat at down here. Some of my other teammates also really enjoy lifting just as I do, so I never have to worry about running out of people to lift with me. I did not think I would get as close as I am with these girls, but I'm really glad I've formed these friendships. It will definitely be hard to leave them, and this city, in a few weeks.
With as many games as we play a week, we also have a few days off and some free time ahead of games when we do play. Sunday and Wednesday are our off days, and as a team usually we fill those with going to the beach or laying by the pool and relaxing. We typically just hang out with each other, but sometimes we will go out to eat with players from other teams. At night, we will watch movies, catch up on TV shows and just continue to get to know each other. Of course, the conversation is usually centered around softball and it's cool getting to know everyone's story. I really enjoy being around my teammates every day, including game days, when we usually go to a hitting facility in the morning and lift, before we head to the field and play games at night.
Even though I will miss my teammates down here in Florida at the end of this, I am also really looking forward to coming back to ISU in a few weeks and seeing my teammates and roommates. I definitely plan on bringing back my experiences to my team. Overall, as it relates to the game of softball, I am not sure that there has been anything super new and unfamiliar I have learned that Melinda Fischer and the ISU coaching staff have not already taught me. I just know I will have some great stories and memories to share with my team, and maybe a few of them will decide to be a part of this league next year!
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