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
When the Love of the Game Fades: Claudia's Story of Walking Away and Looking Back
What happens when the love of a sport begins to fade under the weight of social pressure? This deeply personal episode takes us into producer Claudia's experience of walking away from softball in high school – a decision she now views as quitting too soon.
Madison flips the script, taking on the role of interviewer to explore Claudia's journey through a series of thoughtful questions that reveal the complex emotions behind leaving the game. "I would tell myself don't worry about what other people think about you, it does not freaking matter. Do what you love," Claudia reflects, offering wisdom that resonates far beyond the diamond. Her candid admission that quitting made it easier to walk away from other challenges in life opens up a powerful conversation about perseverance, regret, and growth.
Before diving into this emotional territory, the team breaks down Baker's narrow 15-13 victory over MGM, where errors nearly cost them the game. Madison shares her embarrassing moment of letting a ball roll between her legs in right field – a refreshingly honest look at how even experienced players face moments of failure.
The episode beautifully balances humor (the team debates what dog breeds they would be, with Claudia unanimously labeled a Chihuahua) with profound insights about identity and decision-making. Through Claudia's story, we're reminded that sometimes our greatest regrets come from letting others influence decisions about the things we truly love.
Have you ever walked away from something you loved? Share your story with us and join the conversation about finding the strength to push through difficult seasons rather than quitting too soon.
came up young. Glove in my hand, dirt on my cleats yeah, way before I had a fan. Late nights, cage lights perfecting my stance, got a dream in my heart.
Speaker 3:I ain't leaving the chance you're listening to the don't suck live family and softball podcast with your host ronald. Come on, he ain't calling nothing, just put on a t and madison smith, do you want me to die?
Speaker 2:episode five. What's up, girls? Hey guys, hey y'all man, I hope y'all having a good time hanging around listening to us talk about whatever comes into discussion, but we are yeah, yeah, it's been a lot of fun. I'm sure by now we had 10 listeners last week. I'm gonna go with. We got 13 this week I'm gonna say 15 only three more, I'd say like 20.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you got your friends listening, or?
Speaker 1:what I do.
Speaker 3:Friends and family.
Speaker 1:You could get your hair clients to listen. I could, yeah.
Speaker 2:Maybe you should sponsor the show. I will. Yeah, look, we're open to sponsorships. I mean, what's a fair sponsor price here? 10 grand.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, maybe 100. 100? Here, 10 grand. Yeah, yeah, maybe 100, 100. Oh, you're crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's 75 for me. Y'all split the 25, excuse me, no, yeah, well, look, let's get started this week in the quick pitch questions.
Speaker 3:Let's go what's the best excuse you've ever used for striking out?
Speaker 1:claudia, let's hear it from you for the first one.
Speaker 3:Oh okay um, probably either that wasn't a strike. Oh, that's a good one, I've always, yeah, anytime I strike down, I was like that's not a strike.
Speaker 1:Are we striking out, looking or swinging? I mean?
Speaker 2:for her, it has to be looking, looking which is the worst way to strike out.
Speaker 3:That's the worst way to go.
Speaker 1:Probably like. It wasn't a strike. It was too high, it was off the plate. Yeah, or or one of them I may have used it before is um, well, if I wasn't a smart guy, he would have called it anyways oh, I one time heard a girl say the dugout when madison was pitching.
Speaker 2:I don't know what's wrong with us. She's not even throwing that good, and I might have said that too. Whenever the team's struggling to hit, how can y'all not hit her?
Speaker 1:No, it does get annoying because you go up there to bat and you're seeing it flat and it's not going anywhere and nobody can hit it. It's like is it moving at the very end? Because I'm not seeing it?
Speaker 3:What's a small inconvenience that instantly?
Speaker 1:ruins your day. Oh, forgetting something at home when you're pulling out the driveway. I don't want to drive back up the driveway to go get it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good one. A small inconvenience, I mean when somebody needs a favor, that's inconvenience to you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you feel bad not doing it.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well here's what it is so at. Yeah, yeah, but you feel bad not doing it. Yeah, well, here's what it is so at. My work. I walk a mile a day to my car from from outside my car to my office, if somebody leaves, and then they call me and say, hey, can you bring me my badge? I left it in the computer because I'd have to go get a cart, go down the stairs, get a cart, drive to the gate, come back, I mean by that time, like well, I'm leaving too yeah, all right.
Speaker 3:Something that really sends me over the edge is when you go to get gas and you put your card on the thing and then it says the card not working or to go inside and you have to go inside. I instantly leave the gas station.
Speaker 2:I'm not even getting gas I'm going somewhere else or I'll go home.
Speaker 3:Negative nine miles, yeah that just annoys me so much well, something else too with you, Claudia.
Speaker 2:That I know is a small inconvenience is treat your hairdressers well. It's people who cancel on you before they're doing that.
Speaker 3:Yes, it upsets me so badly.
Speaker 2:We've got to do better, though, yeah.
Speaker 3:The cancellations. Yep, what's your most impressive fake injury? To get out of running laps and that's, in quotation, like fake injury.
Speaker 2:I mean I've personally never had to fake anything like that I will milk an injury at the house to keep me from having to do chores Of course you will.
Speaker 3:This is softball.
Speaker 2:But I mean, this is life too. I get to answer this question. Just say, if I had a mild headache, it becomes a major headache when there's something to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe if I had to come up with something, it would be like my stomach hurts, which isn't really an injury, but it's something to keep you from running, or just Taco.
Speaker 2:Bell got her, yeah the.
Speaker 1:Taco Bell from last night isn't sitting too well. I might have to sit this one out.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I remember one time I told my coach because I was that player that absolutely hated running I would do anything to not run, and so I told him that my bunion was hurting me. What's?
Speaker 2:a bunion.
Speaker 3:It's something on your foot, but I told him that I had to go to the foot doctor that day, so he let me skip out on running that day.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh. You could just say you have ingrained toenails or something.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was silly. What's an adult problem nobody warned you about as a kid?
Speaker 1:Well, I'm not an adult yet, so Well, somewhat.
Speaker 2:What is something that maybe you didn't know that you had to deal with? When you become a teenager yeah, when you were a kid.
Speaker 3:Maybe like getting gas.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because I barely know how to do it.
Speaker 2:I mean, your mom still puts gas in the car for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah Well, I didn't realize when I was a teenager I was going to have to worry about what I spend my money on. Because, I've started thinking like maybe I shouldn't go to eat at Chick-fil-A with my friends today Because I don't want to spend my money.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was so excited to be an adult. I'm still excited about being an adult. I was so excited to be an adult. I'm still excited about being an adult. I mean, nobody can tell me what to do, I don't have to be home at no certain time.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you have like amazing kids.
Speaker 2:And here's the thing too I went from being broke to being broke. Immediately I grew up broke, and then I had a kid at 19, which meant I was broke, Broke, broke.
Speaker 3:I don't know what. I don't know anything other than that means, claudia, um, an adult problem. Nobody warned you about probably figuring out what to eat for the night. That is so frustrating figuring out what you have to eat for the night, and now I'm the one that has to make my own food.
Speaker 1:It's so inconvenient because we I told mom the other day that we eat spaghetti so much that I'm starting to hate it and I was thinking, like when I, when I get older, I'm going to have to decide, like you have to figure out what you're going to eat. Hey, let's have chicken tender, you know, for dinner tonight. I hate it.
Speaker 3:That's crazy. What's the most dramatic thing you've ever seen happen in the dugout? That's a really good question.
Speaker 2:I feel like I need like an hour to think about that.
Speaker 3:Actually, I can go ahead and say mine, because so like there was a player one time on my team and she got really mad because she struck out, and so she takes her helmet and like, throws it in the dugout and it hits like three of the other players, so that would be the most dramatic thing that I had ever seen.
Speaker 2:I've seen. The most dramatic thing I've seen so far was y'all don't know who this is, but Big Poppy, Major League Baseball player. I guess he struck out. I think he got struck out on a bad pitch but he came to the dugout and beat the dugout to death with his bat, Broke the ice cooler, the phone.
Speaker 1:I feel like I've seen that.
Speaker 2:And somebody almost got hurt.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, yeah, I can't think of nothing. That's like really like one event that was really dramatic, but I've seen some people get mad or have an attitude and just do some crazy unnecessary things.
Speaker 3:What's your most? This would only happen to me story. I have a good one for that, so I'll go ahead and go. Um, so we were. I was playing for the nor Oregon Bobcats, obviously. Um, we were at Bryant and I was you keep saying that they're gonna have to sponsor this show yeah, I might get them to.
Speaker 3:Anyways, we were playing at Bryant and we were warming up and I was playing outfield that night, um. So we were doing our warm-up catches or whatever. So my coach hits it, but he hits it over the ball, over the fence. Well, nobody was. I was the last one to catch the ball, so nobody was out there yelling fence. So I ran slapping to the fence and then my foot got stuck in the fence like my shoe and it stopped the game.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like we, it took us like 30 minutes to get my foot out of the fence that's that is. It was actually crazy and I was like that would only happen to.
Speaker 2:I once got knocked out with my own foul ball.
Speaker 3:Oh wow, yeah, that's a good one.
Speaker 2:Inside pitch. I remember it like it was yesterday. First pitch right in the same spot, almost hit me in the elbow, caught a strike. Second pitch same spot, caught a strike, didn't swing. Third pitch I just checked it to kind of fight it off. Come off, the bat hit me square in the eye.
Speaker 1:Ooh, yeah.
Speaker 2:Knock me out.
Speaker 1:Whenever I played for Mississippi Legacy a few years ago which this isn't really crazy, but it's just something that embarrassed me and I always I'm the kind of person that I'm going to think things ahead, like if I'm about to get up to bat, I'm going to think, okay, if I hit a ball at a third base, this is where I'm going to run to.
Speaker 1:You know, like I'm just trying to think ahead with life, to not just softball. But it was the time had expired and we just had I was the last batter, so I had a, I had a hit, no matter what, we were already winning. Well, the pitcher throws me like a ball and then a strike and another ball, and then she hits me and I'm standing there like do I run to first base or do I just run to the dugout? And so I remember, just like looking around to like look for some validation from somebody if I said run to first or just walk to the dugout. And so I just kind of like stood there and I felt so embarrassed. But I mean, what do you even do? Do you just run to first?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Because like.
Speaker 1:I kind of just like started jogging and I turned around and like, look, am I supposed to be doing this?
Speaker 3:And kept going If turned around and like, look, am I supposed to be doing this? Kept going. If you could add one ridiculous new rule to softball, what would it be?
Speaker 2:Oh, that's a good question. Ridiculous rule Hmm.
Speaker 3:I got it.
Speaker 2:I'm kind of blank so no, if the pitcher walks you with four balls, they have to put the ball in the tee and let you hit it off of it.
Speaker 3:That's funny. It'd be like six years. Yeah, that's kind of funny.
Speaker 2:If you get walked, you have to get to hit the ball off the tee.
Speaker 3:Yeah, then you get a chance to hit.
Speaker 2:Interesting. What about you, Matt? Anything ridiculous.
Speaker 1:Something ridiculous, a rule, hmm, I'll take A rule.
Speaker 2:Hmm, I'll take another rule that I hated when I played church Once you hit a certain age, you had a bat opposite-handed.
Speaker 1:Nuh-uh.
Speaker 2:Because it was a co-ed softball.
Speaker 1:Oh, yep, I feel like if you get hit by a pitch, you should be able to choose if you hit again or if you take your base. Oh, that's a good one. Well, you know, some travel ball tournaments are set up that way, yeah like showcases, but sometimes it's really annoying because some of them you can't even get out of the way. It just comes straight for your head or whatever.
Speaker 3:And so if you could choose to go again, that'd be nice. I think. Maybe, like on your third strike, if go out swinging, they give you another one. That's ridiculous. So that's that's the one I'm choosing. If you had a warning label, what would it be? I'm gonna go ahead and say mine grouchy when sleeping, when I'm sleepy, I'm done, for I am done. I can't speak't think Like I just need to fall asleep wherever I'm at.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I've seen that part of you.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I would say like, once I get comfortable, I talk all the time and I talk fast and annoyingly fast.
Speaker 3:You do talk really fast, I don't even know what I'm saying half the time?
Speaker 2:A lot of be hard to read. Yeah, yeah, because I I have like I'm all a lot most of the time. I am joking in my life most of the time, but when I'm serious sometimes I'm joking, but then when I'm serious I'm also yeah, you can never tell, but like you're.
Speaker 1:You're so good at hiding what you're actually feeling that I feel like you just switch. If you could be, you'd be serious and like you'd be mad at me or something, and then you're just gonna be like, oh, switch it she. She thinks I'm joking, so I'm gonna be joking or yeah yeah, is that a compliment?
Speaker 3:I don't know, because I thought it's kind of scary, because oh, you can, because then, if you like know that you really upset somebody, you could be like well, I was just joking, yeah, and just turn it into a joke.
Speaker 2:I've tried that before, so that's kind of a red flag, ronald, when I've been joking with somebody, I'm like I'm seriously joking and they switch. You're just saying that. So I don't think that's a compliment at all.
Speaker 3:It's kind of a red flag. Yeah, it's a. Take it for what it is Worst mistake you've made on the field.
Speaker 1:Oh, my goodness. Well, one thing that I did was in the MGM game we just played actually our second baseman there was a ball hit between me and her and it was like the awkward one where you don't know who's going to get it. And both of you are running there and you're like, oh, she's going to get it because she's running backwards to get it. And both of you are running there and you're like, oh, she's going to get it because she's running backwards to get it. But then she's like, oh, she's going to get it because she's running forward and she looks like she can catch it.
Speaker 1:Well, the ball dropped and I went to go get it and I picked it up and I chunked it. I don't usually throw the ball like really far, you know, like I mean, I don't have the strongest arm in America and two, I'd rather throw it low than throw it over your head. I picked the ball up and I chunked it and it hit like the middle of the fence on the backstop, and I had already made an error that game and I was so embarrassed I was like no way, I just did that.
Speaker 2:At least the run didn't score, but I was did that at least a run didn't score, but I was like I just picked the ball up and chunked it so hard, not to mention me and some buddies from the game were in that right, standing right behind me and I've said it before, I stand back there. A lot of times I do joke, you know I mean again. Sometimes I go back there to be mad and frustrated. But in this one I remember feeling oh there you go what are we?
Speaker 2:doing, but and that was a moment of me having fun- yeah, but yeah, I mean, I don't remember. I don't remember ever making a mistake I can remember.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because you don't make mistakes you know I mean it was 35 years ago, yeah.
Speaker 3:I remember when we were at Baker playing Baker I was playing on varsity, I think I was like a sophomore at the time they finally put me in on shortstop against Baker and I thought I made the coolest play ever. Y'all. There was like a ground ball to shortstop obviously me. So I'm like running y'all. I dove for the ball and I could have just got around it so easily. But to make a scene, I dove for it. It was in like slow motion, like it was very obvious that I could have got around the ball and then all my teammates were like screaming at me what are you doing? And so the girl ended up like she was safe at first. That's how slow it was because I dove for it and then I got up and threw it. It was just. I was so embarrassed. I was like this was before. You know, the incident happened.
Speaker 1:I hate whenever you're playing a team and the person catches the ball saying it up like yeah, yeah, I caught it, and then dives like at the end of it, it's like that's no but yeah, I was so embarrassed, never made that mistake.
Speaker 3:Um, if you were a dog, what would you be? And I want everybody to answer for someone else. So, like, if I, I were a dog, what do you think?
Speaker 1:I would be Dog breed.
Speaker 3:Yeah, dog breed. I don't even know what dog breeds are. Hmm, You're a German Shepherd who?
Speaker 2:me.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:What does that mean?
Speaker 1:Those are like the aggressive but nice ones.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like they're very aggressive but they're loyal and they're protective over their people. Did you just Google the definition? Definition no, I had a German Shepherd. That's how I know.
Speaker 2:Oh okay, I'll go for you, claudia. Okay, you're a Chihuahua.
Speaker 1:I was going to say that no way.
Speaker 2:I was literally going to say that You're the same way, but you protect your people. You think you're so much bigger than what you are. You protect your people, and I mean it. You will fight for your people, but at the end of the day. I just feel like somebody could just get out of here.
Speaker 3:Just kick out of the way.
Speaker 2:That's kind of mean. I don't mean it in a bad way, I love it. You're a great friend, heather, and Madison, you would probably be.
Speaker 3:I'm scared she would be like a boxer.
Speaker 2:What I don't know. She's not that hyper. Yes, she is.
Speaker 3:She gets really excited. Yeah, you're right, but boxers are very smart too, are they I?
Speaker 1:thought people don't like boxers.
Speaker 2:I didn't mean a boxer's smart. I was saying, is Madison that smart?
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, Excuse me, I don't know. What do you think I?
Speaker 1:mean Come on now.
Speaker 2:Probably like a. I'm thinking like a poodle, like a standard poodle, like a full-size poodle.
Speaker 1:And what kind of traits do I have that give poodle?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I'm thinking of a dog that just wants to be don't say pet, oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:No, I do not. Just I don't want attention, no, but she's goofy when you say when you say the dog just wants to be pet, I'm thinking madison just wants attention all the time and I'm not.
Speaker 3:No, I don't think she's. She's not that person at all. I really think she's a boxer like. They're really goofy, but they're. They're smart, like and they do like attention from their people at times yeah, okay, I think I'm getting mixed up with a bulldog. A bulldog, not a bulldog. Yeah, not a bulldog.
Speaker 1:No, no, I don't think.
Speaker 3:I'm a bulldog, no, yeah.
Speaker 1:But I think I'm getting mixed up. What's the?
Speaker 2:most calm animal. Oh, that's true.
Speaker 1:Calm animal or dog. Calm dog, good temperament.
Speaker 2:Because that would be. Madison Is more to me like Golden Retriever.
Speaker 3:Oh well, I don't yeah, because they get excited. They get excited, they're happy, they're happy to see their people. Yeah, golden Retriever.
Speaker 2:I think about Madison the Circle yeah.
Speaker 3:Because Madison is so level-headed. Yeah, golden Retriever.
Speaker 2:Thanks guys, what's a?
Speaker 1:good one. What do you?
Speaker 2:think about for me, for you, wait from me, yeah.
Speaker 1:Hmm, let me think of the dog breeds that there is. I feel like German Shepherd is good, or what's that dog that's like, really fluffy, that looks like a coyote, but it's not a coyote, oh Cool. No, it's a dog, a husky oh a husky. Yeah, I don't know nothing about them, but you kind of give huskies hey look hepes when they can.
Speaker 3:He's a good one. That's what Huskies do, Okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And that is all for our quick pitch.
Speaker 2:Man, I never thought I'd think that hard about what kind of dog somebody is. Y'all might want to ask me that in like three weeks I'm going to do some research on that.
Speaker 3:On dogs. Yeah, okay, I'll throw it in again.
Speaker 2:Yeah and well, there you go your week five quick pitch questions. We love that part.
Speaker 1:And I mean we love it. You always learn something new about everybody. Yeah, pretty much.
Speaker 2: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 3:Do you love softball, family, questionable life advice? Then Don't Suck is the show for you.
Speaker 1:Tune in weekly for game breakdowns, hot takes and at least one embarrassing story that Madison will regret sharing. 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 old family fun and maybe a few sarcastic remarks Don't suck Life, family and softball, because life's too short for bad podcasts.
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Speaker 1:Big game.
Speaker 2:Big game. You only played one game this week and it was MGM. So to play one game this week and it was MGM. So let's get up to where we are with MGM. Mgm struggled a little bit getting started this season. Yeah, we've called it since week one. You can't count the team out.
Speaker 1:Can't count anybody out in our area.
Speaker 2:And they showed it out to that.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:It was a 15-13 ball game.
Speaker 1:Extremely high.
Speaker 2:Now, Kaitlyn Cohn only gave up one error run. She had nine Ks.
Speaker 1:With 13 runs. That's insane.
Speaker 2:With 13 runs, so what does that mean?
Speaker 1:We had a lot of errors.
Speaker 2:Six errors. We had 16 hits. As a team, we had a really good offensive game.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We could not figure it out in the field.
Speaker 1:And MGM only had one error.
Speaker 2:One error and you know, at some point we gave them life and I think it's going to be the turning point for their season.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I really do. I think their bats got hot. I mean, they hit hard all night. They really did.
Speaker 1:We gave them a chance and made them feel like it was right there in their hands.
Speaker 2:Yep, and so great job by MGM, because it was a nail-biter yeah job by MGM, because it was a nail biter.
Speaker 1:And so in the first inning, mgm tell me what happened. They didn't score any runs, had a strikeout and then two ground ball outs.
Speaker 2:So got out that inning quick and then Baker in the bottom scored three and we had some good hits that inning. Yep Three runs and then inning two same thing, mgm zero.
Speaker 1:And then Baker scored two.
Speaker 2:Yep. And then inning three zero and zero.
Speaker 1:Inning four that was the beginning.
Speaker 2:Y'all ready for this? Eight errors or eight runs on an error. Single double walk strikeout. Single pop-ups walk error. Single double walk strikeout. Single pop-ups walk error error strikeout. I mean, how do you come out of that?
Speaker 1:And one of those errors was me, by the way. I let the ball go right between my legs. It was our again, I was in right field and the ball had some skippity it was a really good hit and I'm not trying to make an excuse for myself, but it was a really good hit and it kind of it was spinning a little bit like weirder. I mean it was normal, but you know it was the line drive.
Speaker 2:You said you come in the dugout and you asked coach, what should I have done?
Speaker 1:Because yeah, because I haven't played out long and we practiced it at practice. But I mean you get in a game and you didn't practice for this line drive with the different spin on it.
Speaker 2:To come to you, I practiced for this little routine fly ball, where she should have probably taken a knee and let it either go in her glove or kind of ricocheted off of her body.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but you know my goofy self decided, hey, let's put like an infielder. And so I put my glove down and we were right under it and I'll tell you what.
Speaker 2:there's a video video or there's a post I've seen a few months ago of a guy who says he collects walk-off home runs when they're rounding third, because he says the way that he imagines that is like the way you enter heaven. I want to see somebody capture the look on somebody's face when the ball goes between their legs.
Speaker 1:I was running to the fence after my legs, I was trying to feel it. It went under my legs and once I realized I could feel my stomach drop because, mgm, that's a big game and you know, you give them some kind of oomph to their, to their you know, energy, and it's just going crazy. And I felt my heart drop and I turn around. I'm running to the fence and Gabby, our center fielder, is running with me and I turn around. I'm running to the fence and Gabby, our center fielder, is running with me and I was running mid run. I'm like Gabby, that was so embarrassing, I can't believe I just did that. And she's like oh, it's okay, just get the ball in.
Speaker 2:Gabby is super relaxed. But yeah but you remember what I said to you. I was out there. It's like, oh, the feeling of that. So I do appreciate you coming on here and laughing about it. I mean to me that tells me a lot about who you are, because as a boy, if you'd have brought up an error I made the next day or a week later, I'd be mad, I'd be hurt.
Speaker 1:You know, after it happened I was in my head like Madison really, what are you doing? This is really sucky. But you know, I just got the next one.
Speaker 2:Yep. So then we scored what? Nine runs? Yep, I mean big inning right there in the fourth for both teams, and then inning five. We continued on with the errors. They scored five more runs.
Speaker 1:And we only got one.
Speaker 2:Yep. And then inning six. Both teams went zero. And then, luckily, inning seven. Y'all got out of the ballgame.
Speaker 1:Three up, three down 15-13.
Speaker 2:I mean, what a tough, tough outing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, insane.
Speaker 2:And you know, hats off to MGM to kind of keep hitting it. You know, and that's what you tell your team hit the ball, make them make a play on it, and they did that. And I would imagine at this point this is going to help them build some confidence and get their season going. I mean, I'm not saying that they wouldn't do that, but this definitely helps. So great job, Coach Barkley, MGM and didn't we talk about this the other day? Would you rather have a great game and An ugly win or a good lose.
Speaker 2:Well, y'all had a ugly win as a team, so yeah, maybe y'all figure that out. So you're uh again. Game highlights caitlin pitched nine k's one earned run, so shame on us for not, for you know, getting her out of that game yeah mgm had five k's with 12 earned runs against them.
Speaker 1:And I think MGM pitched three or four pitchers that game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they had a young girl come in too from right field. Somebody had told us earlier in the game that she was super athletic. I can't remember her name, it's hard to say the M. Yeah.
Speaker 1:McKayla.
Speaker 2:McKenzie, mckenzie, I think it is Mackenzie.
Speaker 1:No, Mackenzie's not sorry.
Speaker 2:It's Michaela.
Speaker 1:I think it's Michaela. I'm sure it is Something with an M.
Speaker 2:I'm sure we'll be saying her name again.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So congratulations to you, girl. And then with that again, baker had 16 hits, baker had six errors, mgm had one error. So I'm just glad we got out of it. You know, I was hoping to be able to knock the jitters out, especially at our home place.
Speaker 1:You know it's our field, we know it, but now we've got to play them at their place and we already let them get that close to us.
Speaker 2:So, mad, you're slowly kind of going down. Your batting average now is at 390. You're still over your your season goal at 360. Your strikeouts are at 13. So, babe, you're five away from that. I mean we're not worried about it. I mean, you know, keep fighting for your goal. Your ERA is still staying at 2.98. You didn't pitch this week. You've been able to get a little time off because of your finger.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So that's really nice. And then still at 53 strikeouts, and then you've thrown 881 pitches to this point? Yeah, and are we at halfway yet? Or right before Almost? Yeah, almost halfway. So look around the area, you've got Bryant. They lost to Fairhope. Fairhope man, that's a good team, they've got a lot of talent, and again Bryant does too. And then Bryant also lost to Mobile Christian 9-10.
Speaker 1:Which I don't think will play Mobile Christian this year, but I'm pretty sure they're pretty good too.
Speaker 2:We have an old childhood friend over there, Miss Anna Claire, who's had a great season so far she's been dealing it in the circle. Yep and Bryant had 16 hits in that game. So look at that, the bats are starting to come around for them. Mobile Christian had 14 hits and both teams committing three areas apiece, three errors apiece. So I mean, again, great week. I mean, you know, I told you it doesn't matter, I know you're going to have games like that, so it's important to get the win.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:All right, so this week we're going to do something a little bit different. You know, claudia normally asks us questions and runs it around. This week we're going to let Madison take a turn and ask claudia some questions. You know, claudia, it's been some old. She's old now, so it's not like I'm not ancient no, it's not like she'll probably remember this stuff too well, because I mean, you know when you get up in age like that was only like seven years ago.
Speaker 3:Yeah, eight years ago.
Speaker 2:So we thought this would be a great opportunity, a great great week for Madison to switch the tables on Claudia and let's ask Claudia some questions about her school and softball and where she's at today.
Speaker 1:So are you ready? I'm excited.
Speaker 3:I'm nervous.
Speaker 1:All right, so we're going to take it back. What did high school feel like for you in the beginning?
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, so fun. Like I was playing softball, I had my friends. You know, you're fresh, 15, 16, you get a car, you get to start driving. I just had a lot of fun with it starting out what was your first car? Uh uh, honda accord twin twins, twins twins.
Speaker 1:Twins, twins, twins.
Speaker 2:I drive a Honda Civic now.
Speaker 1:You know, almost triplets Honda gang.
Speaker 2:Show me a guy who's over 250, 35 years old, 36 years old, driving a Honda Civic. It's me. Only you 40 miles a gallon.
Speaker 1:Were you ever the type to have a five-year plan, or were you just surviving it one semester at a time?
Speaker 3:Surviving for sure, I never had a plan or a goal. I mean, I had things that I was like interested in doing, but I could never be set on just one thing. Yeah, because I've always found an interest in all different aspects of careers and life and stuff like that. So I was one of those that had a really hard time deciding what I was going to do career wise.
Speaker 1:So this is not really on topic, but what made you decide to do cosmetology?
Speaker 3:Okay, you want to know that story. Um, I was at my, I was at my ex's uh, like friends or whatever and we were all hanging out. Well, this lady drove this like nice lifted truck and I asked her what she did for a living.
Speaker 2:Was it squatted? No, it wasn't. No, it was just a nice truck and I asked her what she did for a living.
Speaker 3:Was it squatted like, was it? No, it wasn't, no, it was just a nice truck. And I asked her I was like, what do you do for a living? She said I do hair. And I was like she was like I get to have fun with hair all day and I make enough money to buy this and she has all these nice things and stuff. And obviously in that moment you don't think, oh, she's put in a lot of work, like it's a lot of work because you know I do it now. So but yeah, that's that's what made me do it. And I was like, okay, I'm signing up for school and I did it.
Speaker 1:And here I am wow, what was something people assumed about you in high school. That wasn't necessarily true, oh gosh, I was such a brat.
Speaker 3:Um, probably thought I was a brat, but it was true. I mean looking back like obviously. Then I would say like, oh, people probably think I'm like bratty or I was. I always put off this like tough persona in high school. But anybody that truly knows me, I have a very sensitive side to me.
Speaker 2:So which is where Chihuahua comes from Exactly.
Speaker 1:OK, so what was the moment you started feeling like I don't want to do this anymore? As in softball. As in softball. As in softball.
Speaker 3:I let things really get to my head and I had a hard time fighting it off. So it was probably like sophomore year and I wouldn't say there was like bullying, but the people you know, young teenagers aren't the nicest, yeah, and I had a hard time with that and I just mentally could not come out of it. And that's when I started like hating the sport just because of I feel like who you're around helps you love it even more. Like when you're winning and doing stuff with people that you enjoy doing it with, it makes it fun. But then when you don't enjoy the people that you're doing it with, it makes it fun. But then when you don't enjoy the people that you're doing it with.
Speaker 2:It's just no longer fun.
Speaker 3:So this is your teammates, that yeah, I mean teammates that kind of pushed me that way and um did any of your teammates have goals like to play after high school, or they were all? Kind of just there. I feel like a lot of them were kind of just there. I feel like a few definitely were headstrong in it, but most of us really just played around, didn't take it as serious as we probably could have.
Speaker 2:I'm interested in one thing too. You know I played baseball coming up, but I feel when I was a kid, teenager, my teammates were a lot more of my friends like they. We didn't talk down each other. We we might talk down each other to their face as joking or even more mad, but we never did it behind their back. And one thing I see with girls a lot more is I hear and I see a lot more talking behind the back and not to the face.
Speaker 3:Well, I don't even agree with that. I think it's more so of like they'll make a sly comment just so you can hear it but they won't say it to your face, it's kind of behind your back, but also they want you to know that it's being said.
Speaker 2:And seeing my buddies, we might talk trash to each other, but somebody else wasn't going to talk trash about my buddy.
Speaker 3:So that is kind of the difference I see with men or boys and I think with me too. When I was a sophomore I had a few friends that were like around my age, but most of my friends were older, like most of the girls on the team were like. It was like probably eight or nine of them that ended up going away at the same time, like seniors. So I feel like there was a big group and then there was that gap between me and them and yeah, you know, so yeah did, quitting feel like a failure or freedom at the time.
Speaker 3:uh, at the time it was a freedom. I remember I quit, let's see, it was the summer before junior year. I played summer ball and then I texted my coach and I was like, look, I don't want to do this anymore. And yeah, but for sure, at the time it definitely felt like a freedom. I could go do all the things that I was sacrificing, you know, out on. So I was able to go hang out with my friends and just do basically whatever I wanted. But now, looking back, it seems like a failure to me.
Speaker 1:Would you keep playing If I?
Speaker 3:could go back, I would absolutely push through. I would tell myself don't worry about what other people think about you, it does not freaking matter. Do what you love, do what you want to do.
Speaker 1:How did the people around you react? Did they support it or make you feel guilty?
Speaker 3:Well, of course Coach was not happy. Why would he be? He lost a pitcher, His star player.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the star outfielder, yeah.
Speaker 3:No, for sure, I was really getting outfielder. Here we go. Oh my goodness, I'll have to show y'all one day you are not humble. Oh man, I am about pitching. What was the?
Speaker 1:question again how did the people around you react? Did they support it or make you feel guilty?
Speaker 3:Teammates were kind of whatever they were. Just it didn't really I don't think it affected them. They didn't really care too much. Like you know, it was just another player gone. Yeah, what about your parents? Like, were they supportive of you quitting, or? Um, I I don't. I never really asked them how they felt about it, honestly, and I was the type that I didn't care what my parents thought. You know, like they knew nothing. I knew everything. Um, I'm pretty sure my dad was probably upset with me, I mean, and you think back, like your parents sacrificed a lot for you to do this as well. Like, as kids, we don't realize that, but when you get older you do start to realize like, hey, like my parents had to miss out on this on the weekend to go to my tournaments and pay for this and do that. So, um, I know my mom was probably relieved. She was probably like, oh my gosh, we don't have to go here anymore. But, um, I think she just wanted me to be happy and whatever I was doing.
Speaker 1:So yeah, looking back now, do you think you quit too soon, or was it the best decision?
Speaker 3:you made. I definitely quit too soon. I I was owed that senior walk. I'm kind of really upset about that, like I never got to do the fun senior thing yeah and you know, I had played my pretty much my whole life, since I was seven years old, eight years old, Do you think about that a lot now? I do. I do think about that a lot and I miss it too. I miss it a lot.
Speaker 2:I dropped out of school in 10th grade and it is something I wouldn't say weekly, but probably monthly or so I think about like I don't have high school friends anymore. I don't have high school friends anymore. I don't have I don't get to go to graduation parties or anniversary. What are the high school reunions?
Speaker 1:Unions. Yeah, which mom went through high school all the?
Speaker 2:way, but I mean, she doesn't really talk to many people from high school Well and again when you have kids at 19, everything changes because you know, we had friends going to college and they didn't have kids. I mean we I have friends now that don't have kids.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's crazy to think about and, like I'm 16, yeah what did that experience teach you about pressure from others or yourself?
Speaker 3:yeah, it taught me. Um. Well, first of all it taught me, especially if you love doing something and you have a passion for something, to never let other people affect your decision on that, so always just stay headstrong in it, know that. You know you'll always do the best that you can do and that's all that you can do.
Speaker 1:If you could go back and talk to high school Claudia in that moment, what would you say to her?
Speaker 3:I would say don't be an idiot. Or actually, if I could go back now, I'd say don't suck so.
Speaker 2:I think she would have liked that no she was a little brat.
Speaker 3:But no, if I could go back, I would sit her down and be like, look, you're making a pretty big mistake here, like you'll eventually get over it, but try to push through. Don't listen to these girls. Don't listen, you know, um, don't listen to the people that are putting you down and just try to push through, and this is what you love to do. Don't let other people take that away from you.
Speaker 1:Do you think it's harder to quit something or stay in something that's slowly breaking you?
Speaker 3:Oh, that's a tough question. I think it's really. Oh, I don't know. I'd have to say it's probably harder staying in something that's slowly breaking you.
Speaker 2:It's definitely easier to quit to me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean it's easier to just say I'm done, oh yeah, it's easier to quit?
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure. But yeah, it's definitely.
Speaker 1:But when you think about how you feel after, then it's like to quit. Yeah for sure. But yeah, it's definitely. But when you think about like how you feel after, then it's like yeah, Well, you know, most people walk around with a victim personality anyway.
Speaker 2:So when you quit something, you have pre-programmed your brain to think.
Speaker 1:It wasn't me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, yeah for sure. How do you think that moment shaped how you handle stuff now with your relationships, jobs or even your goals? Uh, yeah, so I think that, um, with relationships and friendships and jobs and goals and stuff like that, it made it easier for me to just walk away, basically just quit um, just because I did make that huge decision.
Speaker 2:But you know, I had a lot of stuff going on at the time and stuff, so yeah, and then you know I've known you now for over a year and, um, you had a, you had a history of getting stuck in some places. That may not have been the best for you and you know, over the last year you've been, you've been building on that, getting stronger, kind of chasing your dreams like one thing, just kind of hearing from you. You know and know what you are. You tell me your personal stories. I feel like you kind of gave up on what you deserve and you know you quit chasing dreams because you cared about other people's dreams too much and I don't know if that was related to softball.
Speaker 2:Maybe that was related to other relationships that you had, but you know it's been fun for us to get to watch you become kind of your own person.
Speaker 3:Yeah, for sure, I've always been the type person to just like whoever I'm around or whoever I love, like I'll do whatever they want, like I always put people before me. But this past year I've really like focused on myself and what I actually want out of life, and it's been very rewarding.
Speaker 2:So well, it's been a reward for us too, and and you've been a great shape to for my kid to see and and it may not mean much to you, but we're proud of you and so proud and so, uh, you know, claudia doesn't sponsor this show yet and I don't know if it's proper to ask her to sponsor when she's the producer.
Speaker 2:But Claudia does cut hair, she does nails and I did landscaping for years. And one thing in that business when you cut grass for a living, usually your grass is pretty tall and looking at Claudia's nails right now they need to be done.
Speaker 3:Dude, if you don't leave me alone, I've been ripping them off. Leave me alone.
Speaker 2:But, like I said, we're proud of her.
Speaker 3:Hey look, I don't have time to do my nails because I do everybody else's and I get my hair cut free. Yeah, you do, so there's your sponsor.
Speaker 2:And so do my girls, but we love you and we're proud to have you here with us. So, look, that's week five out of the way. We've got some really big things coming up, and you know, we sit down and we write down ideas and people we might want to talk to in the future. I mean, we have some stuff lined out that who knows where we're going. So we're really hoping that y'all enjoy it and if y'all have anything, please reach out to us, you know, on Facebook, instagram.
Speaker 1:Twitter, tiktok email. We're on everything.
Speaker 2:We're streaming on every place that you could possibly listen to our podcast. We're looking forward to seeing the response to it. And so, girls, y'all have anything.
Speaker 1:Don't suck.
Speaker 2:Yep, thank you.