Many of you commented on my story last week about trying to play catch with my daughters and how it ended in tears.

Softballs are NOT soft. If a ball bounces off their glove and hits them in the face, they tend to hate you for a period of time. Because of course it was my bad throw that caused the problem.

Steve told me the exact same thing happen with his daughter. I felt better knowing I wasn’t the only dad making such blunders.

Well, that memory was apparently all too fresh when I went to my daughter’s softball practice last week.

I told the coach that I was happy to help out if he needed an extra hand.

He put me with some of the more experienced girls to practice pitching. I was to play catcher.

“Sure thing,” I said, “happy to do it.” And I was happy to help.

Until fear set in.

Everything started out just fine. We played catch to warm up. Then I got behind home plate so they could practice trying to throw underhand pitches.

The rain started coming down pretty hard, so I grabbed a rain jacket out of my car.

Not a big deal, but I soon found my ability to throw the ball was a little compromised with the jacket on.

I made one bad throw and then POOF, all of my confidence shattered.

It wasn’t that I was worried about what people thought. I became crippled with the idea of making a bad throw and hurting one of these young girls I volunteered to help.

I mean, it’s bad enough hitting your own daughter in the face with a softball, but someone else’s child!?!

All of a sudden, I couldn’t seem to throw the ball close to them anymore. It was either too short, over their heads, or off to the side.

I even took my jacket off so I could throw better, but that didn’t help either. The fear had crept in my brain and decided it was going to rule the day.

Visions of the not-so-soft softball bouncing off their faces must have transferred to my arm.

It got so bad that I just started throwing grounders back to them. Which might sound like a good compromise, but it was raining so hard that the field muddy by that point, so I was basically throwing the ball in the mud for them to pick up.

Sigh…

I would like to end this story with how I eventually overcame this debilitating fear, but as it was, the practiced ended, and we went home.

I haven’t yet attended another practice to redeem myself.

That’s assuming of course, I will redeem myself.

Fear can really mess with your mind and apparently your throwing arm.

I’m determined to get back out there and get over this petty bout of fear. Bruised ego and all.

I think I just need to practice playing catch with someone who doesn’t mind occasionally getting hit in the face. Yes, that’s it. Any volunteers…? 😉

Until next time, have an awesome day.

Mike Turner

Co-Founder: Impact Club Boise
Host: Idaho Speakeasy
Collaborator: Value Drive Approach
Founder: Front Street Brokers
Author: Agent Entrepreneurs
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