I had played softball in PE enough to know the basics... or so I thought. I stood there leaning on my bat listening to Coach McGownd's speech. As he spoke I began to absorb everything he said. Gone are the days when you simply had to step up to the plate to hit. Now, everyone at bat had a purpose and guidelines to follow to maximize the batter's chances of successfully hitting the ball. There was so much information: correct stance, correct mechanics, how to position yourself in the batter's box based on what you wanted to do (e.g. bunt, throw the ball, opposite hit, slap), and so much more. When Coach McGownd finished giving us our instructions, we moved to our assigned station and began doing the assigned drills. I watched with joy as the older, more experienced players took their swings. The soft clink of metal bats against balls and laughter filled the court. I waited patiently for the older players to take their turn. When my turn came, I picked up the club, walked to the tee, and followed it as my brain took notes and began checking each step I had just learned. I took my swing and was rewarded with a nice popping sound when I made contact with the ball. I knew then that the sound of the bat making contact with the ball would become one of my favorite sounds. I continued to rotate through the exercises enjoying the repetitiveness of the task. Time passed quickly as I got lost