When You Feel Like Giving Up: The Heart of a Softball Player: Inspiring Stories of Perseverance and Victory

By Jimmy Mayo

This book, guided by the author Jimmy Mayo, is an inspiring journey through the world of softball. With a passion for the sport and years of coaching experience, Coach Jimmy aims to empower young female athletes. Together, readers will explore the mental facets of the game, conquer challenges, and eliminate excuses, all while thriving in the face of adversity.

Throughout these pages, you’ll also encounter heartwarming stories of remarkable players who have crossed paths with Coach Jimmy on their softball journeys. Central to this journey is the acknowledgment of a higher power, highlighting the role of faith in these athletes’ dedication and determination.

Whether you’re a seasoned player, a supportive parent, or just curious about the magic of softball, this book offers a profound understanding of the sport’s demands and the importance of faith in our lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jan 30, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385010356

Jimmy Mayo

Greetings, Meet Jimmy Mayo, a dedicated softball coach with over a decade of experience. His journey into softball coaching began when his daughter found her passion for the sport. Initially a baseball enthusiast, Jimmy transitioned into softball coaching, driven by a desire to support his daughter’s athletic journey. Throughout five years of high school coaching and seven years in travel ball, Jimmy has cultivated a deep understanding of the game. In this book, he shares his insights and experiences to inspire young softball players. Together, they’ll delve into the mental aspects of the sport, conquer challenges, and learn to thrive in adversity. Jimmy’s coaching journey is also enriched with inspiring stories from the remarkable players he’s mentored. With a strong belief in a higher purpose, Jimmy sees the divineness in the dedication of young athletes. Whether you’re a player, a parent, or simply curious about softball, Jimmy welcomes you to join this journey of passion, dedication, and faith in the game. Warm regards, Jimmy Mayo

Book preview

Copyright © 2024 Jimmy Mayo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1034-9 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1035-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023919738

WestBow Press rev. date: 1/15/2024

Contents

Introduction

1   The Internal Liar

Softball’s Internal Opponent

2   Excuses or Results

You Can’t Have Both

3   Embracing Versatility and Overcoming Challenges

Morgan’s Triumph

4   I Don’t Feel Like It vs. Your Softball Destiny

Stay Out of Your Feelings

5   Building Trust Within

Keep the Promises You Make to Yourself

6   From Doubt to D1

Alexia’s Unyielding Softball Spirit

7   The Coachable Mindset

It’s a Choice

8   So What, Now What

It Happened…Now What Are You Going to Do?

9   A Heart of Grit

Faith’s Resilient Spirit

10  Don’t Talk About It, Be About It

Keep It Real

11  From Me to We

It’s Not About You but It’s Always About Us

12  Stinkin Thinkin

Stop Watering Your Weeds and Start Watering Your Flowers

13  A Leap of Faith

Caylee’s Bold Move to Success

14  Game Day

It’s About the Preparation for Game Day

15  Don’t Blame Distractions

Fix your Focus

16  No Regrets

Making Every Moment Count

17  Chasing Dreams, Defying Doubters

Madison Proving Them All Wrong

18  Choose Your Sacrifice

Stay Disciplined

19  Two Sports, One Dream

Celebrating Daylin’s Achievements as a Dual-Sport Athlete

20  Leaders

Become the Heartbeat for Your Team

21  Choosing Unity

Building Strong Bonds within the Team

22  Kayla: The Reason That I Love Softball

Our Softball Story

Conclusion

About the Author

Introduction

Ladies, when you feel like giving up, I want you to hold onto this truth. We all struggle with this constant battle of believing in ourselves. In the world of softball, there are girls just like you who were on the verge of realizing their dreams. Yet, despite their potential, something held them back. Maybe it was fear knocking on their door, or perhaps doubt managed to sneak its way into their hearts. Those girls stood where you stand now, facing a pivotal choice. But for whatever reason they chose to tap out and give up on themselves just a step or two away from their dreams. That choice altered their dreams forever. Now imagine the weight of their decisions, perhaps regretting the paths they chose over persevering in the game that they cherished.

But here’s the beautiful part: your story isn’t theirs. You have the power to reshape your journey. See those tough moments as opportunities for growth, not as roadblocks or dead ends. Create a different ending for yourself. One without regret. Instead of giving in to uncertainty, view it as a chance to build resilience. Let the doubts you encounter become the fuel to ignite your determination.

And that’s where I come in – my goal is to guide you away from their pitfalls. Together, let’s dive into the heart of courage and self-belief, sparking a fire within each of you to conquer those moments when the urge to quit lingers. With open hearts and shared dedication, we’ll craft a new narrative, one that replaces doubt with persistence and transforms challenges into victories.

In the upcoming pages, I pray that you’ll find the inspiration and guidance to transform setbacks into setups on your path to success. Each of you has the potential for greatness, and I’m here to remind you of that every step of the way.

So, let’s walk this journey together, with an open heart and mind. I believe in you, and I know that together, we’ll unleash the champion that has been locked within. Get ready to embrace your full potential and create a legacy of triumph on the softball field and in life. Let’s make this journey one for the books!

Girls, I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to not fall prey to fear, self-doubt, and just simply not believing that you are enough. I know it’s easier to say and harder to do but for some of you, time may not be on your side. You may think that you have plenty of time, but that kind of thought process leads to complacency. You cannot afford to waste time on self-limiting beliefs. So, let’s change how we think right now. How we think of ourselves means everything in the sports world. Your thoughts will shape your beliefs and your beliefs will shape your actions. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the harmful things that we say to ourselves that can lead to disbelief. So, stop telling yourselves that you stink as a pitcher or that you are a terrible batter. It’s funny, you would never tell your teammates that they are terrible, but you are so quick to tell those same lies to yourselves. If you won’t say that to your teammates, then why would you say it to yourself? It’s unfortunate that you believe the lies that you tell yourself and the more you don’t get the outcomes that you are looking for, the more you start to believe those lies to be true. If you are not careful, you could consume yourself with these negative thoughts of yourselves that will stunt your growth. All this does is hold you back.

It reminds me of what I would call the Wizard of Oz effect. Remember when Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Man set out on an incredible journey to seek help from the Wizard? Each of them had specific needs that they were longing for. The Scarecrow yearned for a brain, the Lion sought courage and the Tin Man believed that he had no heart. But when they arrived to meet the wizard, two things became very clear. Firstly, the wizard was a fraud. Nothing more than a con man. Secondly, the best thing that they realized was that everything that they had been seeking was already within them; they simply hadn’t recognized it.

A similar pattern often emerges among you girls in this sport called softball. Some of you already possess the game IQ and knowledge (the brains) for the game; you just need to apply it. You are already courageous; it’s just a matter of realizing it. Lastly, your heart beats for you every day. It’s beating for a reason. So do something with it. Do not waste it. Do not take it for granted. Your heart knows no limits. Only the limits you put on it. You simply need to desire victory more than anyone else. Instead of tirelessly seeking what