A Player's Perspective

The first semester of my senior year came and went so much faster than I could ever have expected. As I have heard from those who graduated before me, the second semester will pass even more quickly. I believe that all college students prepare themselves for graduation to some degree because it is a process we have all gone through several times before. Just as we prepared ourselves for the next stages of our lives after high school, we must now do this again as our undergraduate careers come to an end. Although I will miss Pomona greatly, I believe that I am ready to graduate. The one thing that I am absolutely not ready to face, though, is the end of my softball career.

Softball has been a part of my life for 16 years. It started out as just a game that my parents wanted me to play, but like the softball shirts always claim, it became a way of life. Some people might assume that playing the same sport for so many years would become monotonous, but I think that it has been the opposite. With every year that I play, I love the game even more. I worked my entire life for the chance to play softball at the collegiate level and, with the help of my parents, I was able to do just that. I am so thankful for everything that they have done because they not only pushed me to excel in sports, but they also taught me the importance of a strong education. I believe that it is because of them that I was able to play for the Pomona-Pitzer softball team.

Playing for the Pomona-Pitzer softball team has been one of the most defining aspects of my college career. Over the course of my years at Pomona, I have seen the softball program grow and improve. I believe that Coach Ferguson and the rest of the coaching staff helped mold us into a team that now commands and deserves the respect of the other teams in our league. I am so proud of what we have accomplished during these past three seasons, especially this past year when we placed fourth in our league and made it to the SCIAC tournament.

Although I know that years from now I will only remember certain games that we played, I know for a fact that I will always remember my teammates. I will remember the karaoke games we played in the vans, the locker room dance sessions, the after-practice meals, the dugout cheering, the way it felt when we worked as a team to win, and the fun we had together off the field. I will always remember that despite the countless hours we spent playing softball together, we still chose to spend time with each other after practices and on the weekends. We truly are a family and I will miss my fellow softball Sagehens more than anything when I graduate.

The end of my softball career is near, but it is definitely not here yet. I am so excited for this season to begin. I am confident in my teammates and hope that this season can be even better than our last. I know that this is my last chance to play on the Pomona-Pitzer softball team, but that just means that I am going to enjoy every ground ball, every at bat, every game, and every win that much more. Go Hens!

- Christine Calderon (Pomona '09)