Today is the last day of tryouts for Kinnamon’s middle school softball team. She has a good chance to make the cut, but she wasn’t on team last year (didn’t even tryout) so it’s certainly not a lock.
It occurred to me that this could turn out to be a very significant day in her life. Not necessarily earth shattering in a way her wedding day or childbirth will change her, this is more subtle. The result is indirect and the ramifications are varied and neither clearly good nor clearly bad.
Her performance today will determine whether or not she makes the team. If she does, then she’s “in the system”. She won’t be just a rec league player anymore, now she’ll play for her school. That’s a big difference and I’m not really talking about the level of players’ skill.
Being on the middle school team will introduce her to new teammates and coaches. By having either practice or a game five days a week, her playing skills and game knowledge will improve. All this goes toward increasing her self-confidence. The result is that both the likelihood she will tryout for the team in high school and her chance of making the team are improved.
After playing four years in high school, then there’s college. We could optimistically hope for a scholarship, but even if we take a more conservative view, simply playing the game at any college level will expose her to people, places, and experiences that she would otherwise miss. That can lead anywhere.
Then there’s the other fork of the road. If she doesn’t make the middle school team, will she be interested in even trying out in high school? This is a very real possibility. If she doesn’t, then no high school softball. When it’s time for college, playing ball won’t even be a variable to be considered.
I don’t mean to suggest that either result is guaranteed to have any long term effect that is clearly positive or negative. The short term joy or disappointment we’ll have when the roster is posted tomorrow isn’t setting the tone for her adult future. But the result of this tryout may influence the scenery on her life’s road.
Note to Kinnamon: If you ever read this, take it as an example of one of the myriad things that parents think about. We always want the best for our children and it’s very frustrating not to know which route will lead there.