Letter: Edina Youth Softball a Lifelong Labor of Love

Visit on a warm summer night and you'll see why I fell in love with Edina's slow-pitch softball program.

There you'll find a bubbly group of kindergarten and first grade girls eager to play ball. These are the youngest participants of the Edina Youth Softball Association (EYSA) and, for many, it's their first experience playing on an organized team. The pint-sized players, full of energy yet lacking any attention span, flutter around the field as they try to find their positions. The girls on the other team wait anxiously near the bench, wearing over-sized helmets, ready for their turn at bat. When they make contact with the ball, the crowd of parents erupts with pride and excitement. When a player fields the ball, her eyes light up and a big grin emerges. The energy from both sides is contagious and will undoubtedly put you in a good mood.

Many years ago, I was one of those little players. I had more athletic skills than anyone in my family but was clearly not cut out for the hard-core, competitive athletics that Edina is known for. My parents, wanting me to spend time outdoors and stay active, signed me up for slow-pitch softball. I was tall, awkward, and I had little understanding of the game. But I was embraced by the league, by the coaches, and by my teammates, and over time we figured out the rules. We learned strategy. We learned what positions we excelled in, and which ones we didn't. We became a team.

I continued playing in the EYSA league every summer through my senior year of high school. If they had let me, I would've continued playing during my summer breaks from college. It wasn't, however, my incredible softball skills that made me so loyal to the program. It wasn't my skills that made me come back, six years after I graduated high school, to coach the next generation.

My loyalty is because of the program's deep commitment to providing a fun, relaxed environment in which to learn the game of softball. In my opinion, EYSA remains one of the few Edina leagues determined to give all kids, regardless of ability, the chance to play. It's one of the few leagues where the emphasis is on improving skills rather than on being the best. Teams are largely built around social requests, because the league understands that girls (especially teenage girls) will be significantly more invested in an activity with friends by their side.

Don't get me wrong. Many girls in the EYSA league are fiercely competitive. They want to win. And a large number of them have incredible talent. But what makes the program so wonderful is that you don't have to be any of those to be included, and welcomed, on a team. As long as you have a passion for the sport, and a willingness to play, you are embraced.

I appreciated all of these elements as a player, but I see their value even more as a coach and EYSA Board member. From this perspective, I see a group of moms and dads determined to make slow-pitch softball an enjoyable sport for their daughters. I see a group of parents determined to help each child reach her potential. On the field, I see these same parents modeling a positive attitude and offering nothing but constructive criticism and words of encouragement.

The EYSA Board is enjoying the 2012 season, which will allow us to continue teaching the girls these important values through the wonderful game of softball. Parents, I urge you to show your daughters that, in a world of cut-throat, competitive sports, this opportunity is available to them.

Cassie Bonstrom
Edina Youth Softball Association

Have something of your own to say? Send us a letter by emailing ryan.gauthier@patch.com.

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