Heartache

Tuesday afternoon, the Elmhurst College softball Bluejays controlled their own destiny; three out of four wins against the next two foes and they were a good bet for the CCIW postseason tournament.  Instead, they ended up with four losses.

Underclassmen don’t feel the sting as much as the juniors and (especially) seniors.  Four starters will graduate in another month.  There’s no crying in baseball, and next to no chance of turning pro in softball.  And just try finding a serious adult fast-pitch league.  Nearly all the teams Clare has found are mixed, as in “You want to go out for a drink after the game?”  That tends to give the final score a whole new meaning.

From experience, I know what the senior fathers are going through.  I talked to two of them yesterday.  One was OK, the other was sitting all alone behind the fence in left field; his daughter is leading the team in hitting.  He may already be in the early stages of withdrawal.

Youth sports ought to come with a disclaimer for athletes and parents alike: Warning.  May be habit-forming and hard to break.  Still, I doubt anyone at the game yesterday would have been scared away.