The TGFSP is first and foremost somebody's little girl.  At one time she looked as cute as a button dressed in pink with pig tails.  She played with dolls, helped mom bake cookies and probably earned a few bucks baby-sitting.  She has been and always will be somebody's very special little girl.

The TGFSP still has all those little girl attributes.  The only difference is now she looks cute as can be dressed in sliders and shorts.  If she is wearing ribbons in her hair, they are probably team colors.  She still bakes cookies - for the team bake sale, and has probably earned a few bucks - at the team car wash.  Now she is, and always will be, somebody's special little second baseman, shortstop or catcher.

The TGFSP takes great pride in how much dirt she can collect each weekend.  Go to dinner on a night she is not playing and it takes her an hour of primping to get ready.  Go to eat after a game and she'll walk right into the restaurant with dirt all over her face, hair matted down, stained shirt, and brownish white socks - or brown toes with sandals - and scream, "Where's the grub?"

The TGFSP is ready, willing and able to play at the drop of a hat.  If she can get away with it, she will play on two or three teams.  She has a huge wardrobe - plenty of tournament shirts, and shorts from all the teams she has played on.  Her parents do her school shopping every weekend at the tournament T-shirt booth.

The TGFSP needs an athletic scholarship.  Her parents have spent thousands on camps, private instruction, batting cages, gloves, bats, equipment, uniforms, player fees, concession stands, travel, and motels.  They are broke!

The TGFSP is a fierce competitor.  She knows you only get out of something what you put into it.  She is not the type to take the easy way out.  Standing maybe 5'2" and weighing 110 lbs. soaking wet, she is willing to stand in against a pitcher throwing heat from a distance so close pro players would get nervous.  She is fearless as she plays first or third base at 20 feet from home plate, saying, "I dare you to bunt" or " Go ahead, just try to drive one down my throat!"  But mostly, she is proud, for no matter what size she may be or what position she might play, no one can tell her that softball is in anyway soft!

The TGFSP is playing the game for all the right reasons.  She could hang out at the mall, stay home and watch TV, or hang around the pool.  Instead she has a tight schedule, hangs out on the practice field with a coach in her face, spends her time getting baked on a 95 degree dusty field with no shade and loves every minute of it.

The TGFSP has more spirit than any athlete who plays a team sport.  Softball is also the only sport where a player's ability to cheer can possibly effect a team's roster.  Sooner or later every fastpitch coach will find a player, who can't bunt or hit very well, is somewhat of a liability in the field, and spends a lot of time on the bench - but you've got to love her - always a big grin, always cheering, always a sweetheart.

The TGFSP learns many valuable lessons during her career:
Last year's sunflower seeds from the bottom of her gear bag aren't too bad, if you soak them in Gatorade.
You can stay at a Comfort Inn for $6 a night, if you put 8 in a room.
Hotels don't really monitor pool usage hours, and you can go swimming anytime you want to.
Continental breakfast means: 3 bowls of cereal, 2 bagels, 3 donuts and 4 glasses of OJ.
Never wash your socks, when you are on a winning streak.
Never wash your socks, when you are on a hitting streak.
Never wash your socks after you've scored the winning run, scored any run, or were even close to scoring a run.
Never ever trust your mother, when she promises she won't wash your socks!!!

The TGFSP dreams of double plays, slap bunts, the long ball and future gold.  Regardless of the sacrifices, the money, the occasional bad coach, the little hardships (like drinking water that has had sweaty hands in it) the TGFSP has a lot of fun - enough to make her come back year after year.  While she knows she will always be somebody's very special little girl, she also knows that her destiny is to become one of tomorrow's leaders!