Don't Suck: Life, Family & Softball
Don’t Suck: Life, Family & Softball is a father-daughter podcast where passion meets the grind. Hosted by Ronald and Madison Smith, we dive into the highs, lows, and lessons learned from the game of softball and how they apply to life beyond the field.
From early morning workouts to late-night tournaments, and road trips—we talk about the dedication, sacrifices, and unforgettable moments that come with chasing dreams. Expect real conversations, funny stories, competitive debates, and insights into the softball journey, plus a little family banter along the way.
Whether you’re a player, parent, coach, or just love the game, Don’t Suck is here to keep it real. No excuses, no regrets, just hustle.
Don't Suck: Life, Family & Softball
You're only as good as how you handle your worst moments.
Resilience isn't built in comfort zones – it's forged in seventh-grade championship games when you walk in the winning run while teammates whisper behind your back.
Madison opens up about her current season stats (.400 batting average with 53 strikeouts on the mound) while diving deeper into the mental challenges that have shaped her approach to softball and life. Her story of walking in a winning run during a middle school championship game becomes a powerful lesson in handling failure and criticism. When faced with the same opponent a year later and achieving redemption, her matter-of-fact response – "That was last year" – reveals a maturity beyond her years.
The conversation shifts to practical advice for young athletes struggling to balance academics, sports, and social life. Madison emphasizes prioritizing schoolwork while surrounding yourself with friends who share similar goals and commitments. Her father's wisdom echoes throughout: "Be better than what you feel today" when faced with negativity.
Perhaps most valuable is Madison's perspective on building team culture, particularly how to support younger players. Drawing from her own experience of being pulled up to play with much older teammates, she demonstrates how proper communication and offering practical help rather than just criticism creates stronger teams and better players.
The recurring mantra "the circle doesn't define you" serves as a powerful reminder that softball, like all sports, is ultimately about developing character, resilience, and perspective that extends far beyond the field. For players, parents, and coaches alike, this episode offers a thoughtful exploration of how sports can shape not just athletes, but whole people.
How are you building resilience in your game? Share your story or leave a review to join the conversation!
Came up, young glovin' my hand dirt on my cleats.
Speaker 2:Yeah, way before I had a fan. Late nights, caged lights perfectin' my stance, got a dream in my heart. I ain't leavin' the chance. You're listening to the Don't Suck Life, family and Softball podcast with your host, ronald.
Speaker 3:Bro, my kid went 3-for-3 today with two doubles.
Speaker 2:And Madison Smith.
Speaker 1:More like 0-for-3 with three reach-on errors.
Speaker 3:Week 4. We're here.
Speaker 1:Hey guys, hey y'all.
Speaker 3:What's up, guys? I hope y'all are enjoying the show as much as we are. Week 4. How many people do you think are listening to us by now If we've got everything released? How many people do you think?
Speaker 2:I don't know. It has to be like at least 10, huh.
Speaker 1:What about you, matt? I, I think at least 10, because my friends, I'm going to tell them about it and be like hey, go listen.
Speaker 3:I think the friends are the least likely to listen. I think it's going to be like Mimi and Papa, jim Nana, sissy me, you, claudia. Mom, and Josh Lockhart. Yeah, that's eight.
Speaker 1:But you know, my friends want to know what's going on, so they'll listen to it a little bit at least, yeah.
Speaker 3:Maybe we've got to start name dropping them. Make make sure they tune in addison tracy molly sage you better listen. Well, look, we're gonna get started, just like we always do.
Speaker 2:Miss claudia is gonna start us off with the quick pitch questions. Would you rather have a rewind or pause button for the rest of your life?
Speaker 1:rewind, rewind yeah, I agree. Yeah, that's all just crazy. Imagine just going back and being able to replay it for real.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I looked at some pictures the other day of me back in like 2005, 2007. I mean, our style it's whack now. We used to boot cut all of our jeans right at the bottom and you'd cut the little V in there, then wash them you couldn't buy jeans that were made for that. I don't know if jeans with holes come out until like 2009.
Speaker 2:There's no way.
Speaker 3:I swear, no way. Wait, when were you?
Speaker 2:born 2000.
Speaker 3:Oh, so you were like kind of young. Yeah, she was wearing like whatever your parents dress you up in and make you look stupid?
Speaker 2:No, I wasn't. I was wearing those like those like brown shorts with like the monkey little t-shirt or whatever. You know what I'm talking about. No, I was maybe one. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 3:Well, a lot of things have changed. That might be the episode we need to talk about one day.
Speaker 2:I know somebody knows the outfit I'm talking about.
Speaker 3:I don't know about that. Yeah, with monkey on it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I had like a little monkey and it was like camo, what was a brain?
Speaker 3:I feel like there was a.
Speaker 2:I don't know. It was like camo and it had a little monkey on it with a little saying, and then it was all like brown, and then brown the brown like flowy shorts. I'll never forget it.
Speaker 3:What would you do?
Speaker 2:Would you go rewind or pause? I would do rewind. I would like to go back on certain moments.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just like you were your favorite part of the song.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but I'd like to go back forward too, to like where I was at.
Speaker 1:Oh like yeah, you don't have to say there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:For sure. What got you into softball and when did you realize it was something you loved?
Speaker 3:Oh, oh well, I started. I don't know, I guess I just signed me up for t-ball when I was four, probably four years old at mims, yeah.
Speaker 1:And then what's the second part, when you really loved it. Uh, when did you realize it was something you loved? Probably when I was in around 10 years, started playing a little travel ball and with all my little friends it was so much fun, yeah I, I grew up.
Speaker 3:Only memories I really remember of being a kid is playing baseball, yeah, and I'm going to see if my mom will find this, but I had a. There's a picture of us when my mom was like our coach and we all had like Marlins jerseys on. I remember that Like I was little. I was like six, five, I don't know.
Speaker 2:Claudia, my dad asked me one day if I wanted to play softball and I was like sure. So he signed me up for eight U at TAA, and I'll never forget my first practice.
Speaker 3:Shout out.
Speaker 2:Timmons Corner. Um, I went to my first practice ever and I was so nervous and I was thrown with this girl that had like already been playing and she threw really hard Y'all. I looked away for one second and, boom, the ball like busted me in my nose.
Speaker 1:I have a friend that I used to go to school with. It was Peyton McClure, and she went to tryout for softball and her first day at tryouts the ball hit her in the face. Who was? This I think it was Marley. Was it Marley? It was somebody like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll never forget it. And I was like, oh, this is nice Blood. It was somebody like that, yeah, I'll never forget it. And I was like, oh, this is nice Blood, going everywhere Like it was bad. But, yeah, all right. What is something that most people get wrong about you?
Speaker 1:Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 3:I think people might, and I'm guilty of this. But there are times where I get so focused on where I'm going to. I'm a very nice and approachable person, but sometimes when I'm guilty of this. But there are times where I get so focused on where I'm going to I'm a very nice and approachable person, but sometimes when I'm moving somebody kind of pointed this out to me a few weeks ago at work- when I get moving in one direction, I will walk past people and not even look at them, mention them or nothing like that, which is something I need to really work on.
Speaker 2:This is a tough question. Yeah, I can't even think of anything. What is something that most people get wrong about you? I feel like, well, I'm like really quiet at first when I meet people, but once I get warmed up I'll talk your head off. But maybe that could be assumed as like snooty or I don't know. That would be something that somebody would like get wrong about me yeah. I feel like I'm like that too. Yeah, what I like that too. Yeah. What's worse, striking out looking or making an error?
Speaker 1:Oh, striking out looking is pretty rough Striking out looking is one of the worst things that can happen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I would have to say striking out, looking, that happened to me yeah.
Speaker 3:Even if it's a bad call. I mean there's. I mean you know we say you can't leave it in their hands.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a terrible feeling. That is horrible. It is because it's like the least I could have done is at least try and hit it.
Speaker 3:And I didn't even try. Look, people make errors all day.
Speaker 1:I can remember was it 14-U I was playing with. I guess we were SoCal at that point. Oh, I remember this. Bases loaded yeah, bases loaded. I'm watching on game changing. Two outs. We could have came back and won, had I would have hit the ball. I watched three strikes in a row. Oh no, but that was one of those times where, like it's not like, my confidence was low. But you know, like I wasn't very confident.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I wasn't really feeling it with myself, and what was crazy for me during that time is that was the time where I thought, if anybody's in this situation, I want to be Madison. So it's crazy how we view ourselves Like you weren't in the right head space.
Speaker 1:In my head. I'm like dang, if only anybody else could be here.
Speaker 3:But in my head I'm like this is the person I want, so interesting.
Speaker 1:And I'm pretty sure I cried after that. But you know, we can look back and laugh now?
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. What's something that can instantly make your day better?
Speaker 1:Maybe like when I'm at school or just somewhere and somebody that I really don't talk to just says something nice or like gives me a compliment or something like. Maybe just something small, like oh, your hair is cute today, or I like your shirt, you know. It's just like oh, wow, that's nice.
Speaker 2:Like something out of the blue.
Speaker 3:Yeah, is it a guy saying this or a girl?
Speaker 1:Usually a girl, it better be Okay, I mean it instantly makes my day better.
Speaker 3:You know, maybe somebody brings me some Reese's just some of the small side of it. Maybe I hit the lottery. That hasn't happened yet, but I'm sure it'll make my day better.
Speaker 1:One day it will. I see it in the future.
Speaker 2:Yeah, probably I'd have to agree with the compliment. I love a good compliment. That's something that definitely makes my day better. Would you rather play in extreme heat or freezing cold, freezing cold?
Speaker 1:What? Yes, because a lot of people probably know this about me. If you've played softball with me in the summertime, or even the wintertime, you know this I sweat like crazy. I think I'm the most sweatiest girl person I've ever met in my entire life and I hate it so much. If I could do anything, it would be softball plays in cold, because I hate sweating. I will finish the day and the bottom of my hair will be wet from the amount of sweat that has dripped from my head is so disgusting I would say heat.
Speaker 3:I mean, if it's cold it's so hard to get going. Oh, I agree.
Speaker 2:And then, like your, fingers hurt like, and then, if you're running like, your throat hurts like.
Speaker 3:I don't know now once you get going, yeah and yeah, it's not so bad, but a softball game. I mean, what if it's a perfect, perfect game and just the pitchers just slinging and you're just sitting there on third base just shivering.
Speaker 2:Yeah, are you a morning person or a night owl?
Speaker 1:Well, I'm not a morning person, but I don't really stay up late, so you're like a middle person. Yeah, a noon person.
Speaker 3:Well, I used to stay awake until 2, 3 o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 1:Now, that's what time you leave the house.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's what time I leave, so I'm more of a morning person. Once I get going, it doesn't matter if I get 30 minutes to 5 hours. Once I get in the shower, get out, I'm pretty much ready to go.
Speaker 2:Claudia. Yeah, this has definitely changed for me. I used to be a night owl and like stay up all night, but now I'm definitely more of a morning person.
Speaker 1:What team has the best uniforms? I think the Tennessee uniforms is like the orange and baby blue colors. That looks really good together. And also Ole Miss has good uniforms too.
Speaker 3:Tennessee orange. Come on, it's not the Tennessee.
Speaker 1:It's the uniforms. It's the uniforms, it's the Bama in you.
Speaker 3:What's going on?
Speaker 1:It doesn't matter who the team is, I'm just saying.
Speaker 3:I would say the Charlotte Hornets, anybody who was around back in the late 1990s.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's why I don't know, I'm not old when starter jackets were the thing to have. What.
Speaker 3:I'm telling you when starter jackets were the thing to have, what?
Speaker 1:There was oh, I'm telling you Like a Leatherman jacket, kind of thing.
Speaker 3:I'll have to show you pictures, but anybody who had that there was like three jackets you'd have it was the Chicago Bulls, charlotte Hornets or the baby blue, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Speaker 1:Claudia.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'd probably have to say the Bobcats no-transcript.
Speaker 3:I'd rather live by the mountains.
Speaker 1:Well, that's you. You don't like the beach or the sand, or the water.
Speaker 3:You work outside all day. The last thing you want to do is go out and sit in the sun.
Speaker 1:You work outside.
Speaker 3:I mean not no more. I did. I'm still getting over it.
Speaker 2:Oh, this is such a tough question because I love both but I don't know. Can I not have both? Obviously not, Probably the beach and then travel to the mountains? Where do you see yourself in softball in five years? This is kind of a loaded question In five years.
Speaker 1:How old will I be?
Speaker 3:You'll be 21. You'll be a softball.
Speaker 1:I'll be at a high. Oh wait, you'll be a softball in college. Wait, how old are you in college?
Speaker 3:Well, how old are you in college? Well, in five years, oh, I'll be 18 when I graduate.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, well, I see myself playing in college. Yeah, so that's where I see myself.
Speaker 3:Would you prefer like a two-year college or four-year college, like right now?
Speaker 1:I know you haven't really looked. If I had to go somewhere right now, I feel like I'd want to go somewhere like two-year just because it seemed like smaller, but year just because it seemed like smaller. But it kind of just depends. I I feel like it depends on which. Right now I don't know what I want to do when I graduate, so depends on that and just like the team and the atmosphere, you know who knows, maybe I'm making you a sports broadcaster like the announcer people yeah right now now batting number eight.
Speaker 1:Wait, no, that's not what they say.
Speaker 3:Oh yes, it is, yeah yeah, I would, uh in five years. You know, I see Madison, like she said, I mean hopefully in college somewhere and playing her best games before it's over. And then I have another one coming up who will be a little, I mean she'll be a honeybee, Pretty close to it.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, that's scary.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't like that. Where do you see yourself in five years playing softball at Claudia, probably just practicing with y'all on that batting?
Speaker 1:cage.
Speaker 3:I don't want to see myself ever playing again.
Speaker 2:That's it for our quick pitch well, thank you very much.
Speaker 3:That was good always. Well, matt, let's get into it. Today's episode of Don't Suck Life, family and Softball is brought to you by us. That's right, folks. We try to get a big name sponsor, but apparently yelling Don't. Suck at a person isn't the best sales pitch.
Speaker 1:So we're sponsoring ourselves, because if we don't believe in this podcast, who will?
Speaker 2:Do you love softball? Family, questionable life advice Then Don't Suck is the show for you. Advice then Don't Suck is the show for you. Tune in weekly for game breakdowns, hot takes and at least one embarrassing story that Madison will regret sharing.
Speaker 1:And, best of all, it's completely free. That's right. You can enjoy this premium, high-quality entertainment at absolutely no cost. No subscriptions and no hidden fees. Just good ol' family fun and maybe a few sarcastic remarks.
Speaker 2:Don't Suck live family and softball, because life's too short for a bad podcast.
Speaker 3:Available wherever you get your podcasts. And if you don't listen, well, just know we're not mad, we're just disappointed. Week four Mad March 11th through 14th, we went to Faith and y'all got the win 9-4. A little bit of redemption from the last time y'all played them. And a little bit different outcome as far as the score.
Speaker 1:Last game we played them. We didn't hit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, this time y'all got nine. I think they still pitch Larkin.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Larkin's done a great job. She's a lot of fun to watch.
Speaker 1:I don't think we've seen another pitcher pitch for them.
Speaker 3:Like watching other games too, and I haven't really kept up with their game changer much just because they're not necessarily in our area, even though we do play them. I'd personally probably throw a different picture at them just because it doesn't really matter for our season.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But one for three. You had one single strikeout and a sacrifice fly.
Speaker 1:Not too bad, but you know.
Speaker 3:You struggled against her this year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, something about it, I'm just struggling.
Speaker 3:It's part of it. Like I said, we're going to always talk about it. And then we went to Bryant, our first area game.
Speaker 1:At Bryant.
Speaker 3:We knew this was going to be a game. We talked about it week one probably. Y'all got them 6-3.
Speaker 1:And I was 0-3.
Speaker 3:Yep with two Ks.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Had a sack so you had an RBI there. But I'm glad we got the first area win. The game got interesting.
Speaker 1:It did.
Speaker 3:And man, those girls can hit the ball.
Speaker 1:Those kind of games get stressful too. I'm sitting there now but I'm like, hmm, we got this, guys, you know we got to see Moo pitch.
Speaker 3:We've seen Moo over the years. Moo's a heck of an athlete. She's going to Mississippi Gulf Coast, I believe.
Speaker 1:Something like that so congratulations, UMU.
Speaker 3:We got tons of friends on there. Haley Anderson, she's headed to Sports Academy.
Speaker 1:Across the Bay.
Speaker 3:I mean, I pretty much believe every girl on that roster I know. Yeah, I got to catch up with Allie and her mom, which was fun, but you went 0 for 3 with two Ks and a sack, not your best night. But hey, we got a team win, yeah, and then y'all headed off to Tom Bigme tournament.
Speaker 1:First game we played Leroy. That tournament got cut a little bit short because there was supposed to be really bad weather coming in the next day, which it didn't get bad where we live, but I do know some tornadoes hit other areas.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and y'all won 9-2. There you went four innings, you gave up two earned runs, two walks and two strikeouts 2-2-2. Yeah, I mean not a bad outing. You know, getting the win, that's everything. And then y'all played St Paul's. We got several friends over there Really love that whole program and y'all beat them 8-0. You went one for one with a single and a hit by pitch.
Speaker 1:Yes, first at bat there.
Speaker 3:yeah, Where'd it get you?
Speaker 1:On my arm.
Speaker 3:Yep, so and so, looking at the total for the season, mad, right now, you're currently batting 400.
Speaker 1:Pretty good.
Speaker 3:Yep and your Ks are at 12.
Speaker 1:Only got six more. It's high.
Speaker 3:I mean, you know, look, I'm proud of you for really getting on here and talking about it. It's not easy when you're in a slump like that with strikeouts. Your ERA is still kind of high 2.98. It's not bad. I mean you hit four or five runs in. It's a winning ball game.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And 53 strikeouts.
Speaker 1:Looking good.
Speaker 3:Proud of you. There Around the area, bryant only played one game and they lost to Baker and it was a heck of a game. So we know what to expect there. And look the way our area works. You have your area winner and then every team will travel to that stadium. So just say if Baker wins the area, everybody will come to Baker. You'll have Bryant, mgm and Davidson.
Speaker 1:And Baker.
Speaker 3:And Baker. Then everybody will play until I think it's a two-game elimination and then the top two teams will go to regionals. So winning these games is important. It's great for the record, it's great for kind of winning it and getting to host that tournament. We know, no matter what happens, you've still got to see them in area.
Speaker 3:So, running out of pitchers can happen. You hit a dead spot at the end of the season. It doesn't matter what you do right now. That area tournament is everything. Yeah, bryant, we're still watching out for y'all. And then MGM lost to Sarah Land and a win over Centurnell, and we know we've got MGM coming up on week five Did we just play MGM that week. I think we do. Yeah, just MGM, not a bad week all around. Kind of looking forward to getting into week five now and seeing what MGM looks like.
Speaker 1:It's exciting, but it's a little nerve-wracking.
Speaker 3:Even going to Bryant. I was so much almost like jittery.
Speaker 1:Yeah, imagine playing. Imagine how I feel in the right field. I'm out there and they're starting to hit. I'm like, okay, boss, it's me, I got to go here, here, here.
Speaker 3:And Madeline Ladner hit a bomb over you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she did. She burnt me real bad.
Speaker 3:That kid is so strong, I think she's 6'50", I don't know. I mean, the girl is super tall.
Speaker 1:She's really tall I mean her wingspan but she's always been tall too, always yep Her wingspan at the plate.
Speaker 3:I mean, I feel like you could throw it into the on-deck circle and she could put the bat on it. Probably week proud to uh kind of get that one out of the way. Looking forward to week five to see kind of how we match up against mgm. Like I said, they haven't done much yet but they're there and I know barkley's gonna have them ready for us.
Speaker 1:So yeah, they're gonna come out with a bunch of energy, so we gotta be ready for it.
Speaker 3:Yep, so so, claudia, what do you have for us this week in the caught in the rundown segment?
Speaker 2:yes, I have some good stuff. I really love doing the uh caught in the rundown because I feel like a lot of people can benefit from these questions. But, madison, the spotlight is on you um question one.
Speaker 3:What's his name?
Speaker 1:no this is not the time for that, dad, okay how do you balance school, softball and your social life?
Speaker 1:wow, well, for me most of my friends play softball and your social life, wow. Well, for me, most of my friends play softball, so my social life kind of just comes from softball. What my friends are doing is probably the same thing I'm doing is playing softball. So, and then balancing school. Usually I make pretty good grades, and so I just try and keep up with my schoolwork, do my assignments on time, don't miss school. I have good attendance, so good job.
Speaker 3:You know, there were a couple years there when your friends maybe weren't doing softball like you were.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it was tough. It's upsetting because you're at softball, or I remember.
Speaker 3:On the road. I mean we're in Tennessee or Florida or somewhere, yeah, a few years ago. They're having sleepovers.
Speaker 1:They're having birthday parties. I'm like, madison, I can't wait for you to come. I'm like, well, actually I won't be able to make it. I have softball. And they're like why don't you just miss it? Well, it doesn't work like that.
Speaker 3:Probably not to derail you much about just playing, in general giving up stuff. There were times where you wanted to. I remember one time you wanted to get in that big beach ball thing at a tournament it was and you rolled around and bounced and yeah, and I was like no, because what if you get hurt? You got games tomorrow. So there are a lot of sacrifices to make and having fun sometimes yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:Do you ever feel overwhelmed? And how do you handle it with school?
Speaker 1:just any of the three school, softball or your social life, like combined together sometimes I'll get stressed because I'll have a game at seven o'clock, I'll cross the bay and then I have a history test the next day and those history tests are stressful. So, yeah, that's. I just try and study as much as I can.
Speaker 3:What about homework?
Speaker 1:Well for me. I really don't have a lot of homework. If I do, it's like math homework and it takes me five minutes in class.
Speaker 2:So you pretty much get it done, so you don't have homework, thank goodness.
Speaker 1:I'm so grateful for that, and I love that too.
Speaker 3:I think teachers should give less homework. We'll talk about that some other time too, but less homework. These kids are going to school 40 hours a week. I don't bring work home with me. They shouldn't be bringing homework home with them.
Speaker 1:I remember when I was in eighth grade we I struggled, or we all struggled, to decide if I should take the AP classes and stuff. And I am so glad I don't because my friends that are in AP they take. I think it's AP history and English like seminar. I think it's AP History and English Seminar. They were in class and like hey, talking to the other friends in their class and like hey, did you finish your 2,000-word writing that's due tonight by 11.59? That we got today and I'm like what?
Speaker 3:I could not imagine having that, imagine having to stack that on top of softball. That would be stressful.
Speaker 2:Very. What advice would you give to someone younger trying to balance school sports and friend?
Speaker 1:I would say just remember that school comes first.
Speaker 1:So if you're struggling in class or you need extra time to study, let your coach know. Like if you're playing school ball and you feel like you're really busy and practice right after school, let them know. Hey, can I go study for 30 minutes before practice or can I use this time as my study hall? Because that's the most important, because that's going to help you get scholarships and your good GPA and stuff. And then, when it comes to balancing your social life, try and surround yourself with people that have the same goals as you. Because if you're hanging out with your friends who want to go wherever on Saturday night every day and are wanting you to miss your practice for this, and that that's not going to make you better at what you want to do, but if you're surrounding yourself with people who want to play in college and want to be at practice every day, that's going to make you feel like, oh yeah, that's what I want to do and I'm going to get better at this, working with your friends, and stuff like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very good. What's the biggest lesson softball has taught you about life?
Speaker 1:Probably that when things start to get tough, not to quit or give up like just keep pushing harder.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what's one moment in softball that really changed how you think about life?
Speaker 1:When I was in seventh grade, we were playing Sarah Lynn in the championship game and I was pitching and there was a runner on, I think, second and third, and our coach decided that it would be best if we walked the batter that was up to get bases loaded. So there's a forced out.
Speaker 3:With two outs. I think y'all had Two outs.
Speaker 1:The game was tied and I just couldn't hit the strike zone and ended up walking in the winning run and I felt like the whole game relied on me and it was all my fault and I also heard people saying things, making comments like you know, talking about me walking the running run in that it was my fault and I got upset and my dad was like no, next year redemption.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we were pulling out of the parking lot, I was about to put it in reverse and I said, well, that wasn't a bad night. I mean legitimately, that's what I said. And when I went and put my car in gear and went to back up I seen that she was squalling.
Speaker 1:I was very upset.
Speaker 3:I parked the car and I said nope, we're not leaving like this, we ain't leaving this ball field. Upset the circle, don't define you. Y'all will hear me say that. And then, uh, remember the advice I gave you that night.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now I know what it's like to be put in this situation, with the pressure on me and all the pressure on me.
Speaker 3:I mean, how old were you then? 12, 13?
Speaker 1:13 or 14.
Speaker 3:Yeah, seventh grade, and you know, when you're that young, you think this is the biggest moment of your life.
Speaker 1:Even if it's just middle school, a middle school softball game.
Speaker 3:So you know, and then let's fast forward a whole other year. It's the same situation. You're playing Sarah Land eighth grade in the championship game and I want to say y'all had like a 5-0 lead, 4-0 lead.
Speaker 1:Maybe it was a long time ago.
Speaker 3:You were lights out that night and your coach pulled you and do you remember why?
Speaker 1:I'm pretty sure we had a game the next day and you were pitching.
Speaker 3:You were getting pulled up to varsity to pitch the next game and to me it kind of summed up the whole situation of look how there's bigger things going on outside of that.
Speaker 2:How has softball made you a better person off of the field?
Speaker 1:It's definitely made me realize the respect that you should have for people and how people should respect you, and it's also made me realize like whenever you fail at something, like you're gonna work back harder, but also whenever you feel like the way you feel, and so when other people are failing at something like how to push, how to hype them up and help them out. Yeah, get them back in the right mindset, you know.
Speaker 3:It'll humble you yeah.
Speaker 2:What advice would you give to a younger player about handling challenges in softball?
Speaker 1:Definitely. Just push through and face it head on. Don't run from it. Do your best that you can at the moment and just learn from it.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Have you ever dealt with a coach or teammate that made things tough? How did you handle it?
Speaker 1:Well, like I said, that one Sarah Lynn game, I mean my teammates were saying things and it made me feel bad. My dad told me just push through.
Speaker 3:Just figure it out.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Because I don't mean this to say this, but this is kind of the way that I've raised her. It's you on your own team sometimes, and even though you have 20 people behind you. Possibly, if you can figure out how to do it by yourself, you can figure out how to do it with the teammates behind you too. So, that was a tough lesson to learn in that moment, but you're ready for the next time.
Speaker 1:So what did you do to deal with it? I kind of just tried to block it out but also keep it in my mind, like this is what other people thought or this is also how you felt about yourself. So what can you do to make yourself come back from that and be better than how you felt in the moment and prepare yourself for when it happens again? So you basically use that for motivation.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's good.
Speaker 3:And here's something too that Madison we didn't say. But when she played that Sarah Lynn game, you know the one year they lose tough, tough night, I mean it was very tough for all of us. You know the one year they lose Tough, tough night, I mean it was very tough for all of us. The next year when they get the win and I remember they pulled out of the game and I wouldn't say she had the perfect game going, but it was pretty clear or pretty close to that, and I said, man, why are they pulling her? And I remember her going to the dugout and looking over at me and she said I'm pitching tomorrow and I think y'all were playing Bryant, because I remember the conversation and Bryant had hit like nine home runs that night of that game and I knew Madison at this point had never given up a home run. So I knew the next day that was over because, bryant, they had the Wisher twins, they had Madeline's sister.
Speaker 1:Allie.
Speaker 3:Allie Ladner. Who's the girl oh?
Speaker 1:yeah, I know what you're talking about. I can't think of her name, I mean they had some killers on there.
Speaker 3:But one thing I said to Madison then was the night we won that game. I said hey, kid, how's redemption taste? And her words to me was that was last year. So you know, madison deals with things a lot different than most of us, would. You know? I would have went in there as a guy. I would have went in there ready to prove a point where Madison was going in there just to do her job.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's how I keep my mind set. A lot of times A lot of people are like how do you? You don't show any emotion. Or I mean I get excited when things happen, but when I get into certain situations where I'm in trouble on the field or I'm kind of struggling and I try not to let it bother me, it's like I'm just going to do my job. Or are my defense's making errors while I'm doing my job out here? Like we got it.
Speaker 3:Yep, young players, especially pitchers, remember that, or I mean everybody in general. When you're struggling or your team's struggling, just keep going. Eventually that will end and that game will end and one day it'll be a story that you could talk about and guess what? You can find a way to make the light side of it.
Speaker 2:So all right. Our last question did that experience change how you act as a teammate or player now and that's bouncing off of the question of have you ever dealt with a coach or teammate? That made things tough.
Speaker 1:I think so, cause it definitely helped, especially now I'm in high school and you know high school girls or 16-year-old, 15-year-old they're going to say, they're going to have things they want to say and you're going to hear things from everybody. You don't know if it's true or not, but it kind of helps me think like it doesn't matter what other people say, like it doesn't matter what other people say. As long as I know people who support me, and like I know that I'm better than what they think, then I'll be fine.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and we had talks too, even when she got pulled up when she was young. And I'm not saying the girls were necessarily just mean to her to be mean to her. It's hard for a seventh grader to fit in with an 18-year-old.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, for sure you know, and luckily it's hard for a seventh grader to fit in with a 18 year old.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, you know and and luckily we had two girls that really took her in and kind of adopted her, so she was protected in that aspect. But she did hear stuff and I used to tell her all the time hey, remember what it felt like and be better. Be better than what you feel today. So when you have the young kid coming on your team like you've got Kenley Carter coming up with you all this year and last year love on her. You know what she's going through. I'm not saying that Kenley's not had a good season. I mean she's played excellent this year. I'm just saying find a way to build her confidence in any of these kids. So absolutely.
Speaker 1:I feel like that's definitely something else that's helped me grow as a person. Off the field too is just like being able to be in the same situation that other people have been in, and so I can kind of relate like to Kenley and be like hey, like you got there, maybe you walked five batters or maybe you struck out two and your defense made five errors. It's fine, like the world's not going to end and you're going to be. You're going to go out there next inning and you're going to. You got another inning to go out there and try again. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, as always. I mean, the circle doesn't define you as a pitcher and neither does a softball game. Yeah, you know it's a lot bigger than this and you know players out there listen to this. You know really not necessarily what you say to your teammates. I would think that, as a player, if you come to me and you said hey and just for instance, hey, you suck tonight. Like you better figure it out, man, like you really are sucking, or you know, you got to pay attention, you're not, you're missing your signs for coaching, I would rather hear that from my teammate than hear hey.
Speaker 1:Then hear hey, Chad said you suck. Yeah, that would hurt, yeah, but there's also a difference between being like, well, you need to fix your swing because you're striking out and this is whatever, and then also being like, hey, you know, next time try and keep your hands up and look down on the ball, because your tone and like, your attitude towards somebody can really make a difference.
Speaker 3:Or how about? Hey, I know you've been struggling to play. What if we stay after practice tomorrow and I throw you some front toss?
Speaker 1:Yes, I mean man talk about building a culture.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Is that it, Ms Clodders?
Speaker 1:That is it.
Speaker 3:Hey, great episode again. Week four out of the way and looking forward to getting week five out of the way. Please like subscribe, send us any questions you have. Y'all know the routine. Thank y'all.
Speaker 1:Don't suck, thank you.