South Texas Shooters (Photography That Is!)

2021 a year that is still providing magical moments and a slow return to normal life as much as possible. But that’s not the purpose for this entry, it is a moment to thank The Super Seniors of Softball all across the nation at all levels of college softball. During the first half of 2021 I was elated to get back behind a camera and lens and catch and capture moments on the field. I witnessed The Super Seniors of Texas State give their all and leave their all on The Field of Dreams in San Marcos. I have been blessed to be a small part of this incredible program and all the people who have made, are making and will make it magical.

2021 has also shown that across this country in all schools that have a softball program at the college level many Super Seniors where playing and performing their best on and off the field. At the end of the regular season Conference Championships took place and from there Regional Tournaments led to Super Regional Tournaments and on to The Women’s College World Series took place from D3 to D1 level there where magical moments. This year The WCWS was filled with magical moments and incredible passion and strength of character and conviction and heart and hustle with grace and grittiness. Super Seniors put it all out for all to see and be in wonder!!! I too was in great wonder of these incredible young women and their athleticism, I learned that these women fight hard and to the last drop of sweat, they put all their heart into the game they played for fun. This year names came out of the moments that have become memories for hundreds of thousands and role models for the young girls out there who look for leadership and role models who they can be like, who they can play like. I saw these young women and was in awe of the their strenght and grace, their passion and purpose, it use to be an insult to tell me that you throw like a girl, but if I could throw, hit and run like these girls I might have ended up on a Yankee roster a whole bunch of years ago. Today I am glad that I can be witness to their hits, throws and passion. I am fortunate enough that I can use my passion with a camera and lens to catch and capture the moments that will and have become memories for as I say my kids and their coaches and family’s.

I have been blessed to witness the magnificent plays of this years World Series that will be noted in the history books for having the most viewers, have played all games (17) for the first time in it’s history! I was amazed at how TV coverage was near equal to the pros game, there were 42 cameras in use during this years World Series, views from every possible vantage point. The broadcasters in the booth were and are the very best, their insight and passion put the viewer in the know! I am thankful to each and everyone of the broadcasters and crew!!

As the title of this entry is Super Seniors, I thank them for all the magical moments they gifted me and us with. To my Texas State Super Seniors thank you for each and every magical moment but most of all for every smile and every moment of trust you displayed for me. You provided me with so many smiles to my heart and memories for my mind! I again am blessed to know you and to be privileged to catch and capture the moments you create!!!

To all the young women who participate in this game, to all the women that have participated in this game and to the young women who are coming up in the game, to the coach’s, trainers, managers, staffs of each program and parents I thank you for your efforts may not always be in the stadium lights but without you they would never get the chance to be their best on the field and in LIFE!!!!!

It’s that time of the year and it has been over 700 hundred days but The Women’s College World Series Championship round begins tonight!!

So far this year from Conference Championships through Regionals, Super Regionals and through the elimination rounds In Oklahoma City, the play on the field has been astronomical, exceptional and outstanding!!! The athletes on the field has been Magical. Many Dreams Became Reality on the field and some Dreams Got Dashed on The Field. But in my humble opinion each and every girl that stepped on the field from Conference play till today and beyond are making their dreams come true. For each women who steps on a field and picks up a bat and ball you became a winner in my eyes, because through your love for the sport, you spent countless hours practicing, perfecting, fine tuning the sport that sparks the fire in your heart and eyes!!! I am blessed that what was suppose to be one day at the field to snap some pics has turned into a never ending striving to catch and capture the moments athletes who catch, hit, kick, run and throw “Like A Girl”! Are girls who turn into exceptional women again my humble opinion!!

This years WCWS has been exceptional with history making moments and athletic efforts that appear to be Super Hero Like! These athletes have me hooping and hollering to the point my fur people started looking at me like I have lost my mind and maybe I did just a little. There have been a few tears shed because of the efforts displayed and the sadness of knowing for some of these fine athletes it will be there last time on the field in the big light!!!

But the one thing that I am assured of is that there are more Super Heroes on the way and I look forward to seeing their moments and hope that I am able to catch and capture as many moments as I can for a long time to come. And it is also my dream to maybe one day stand in the photo well at The Women’s College World Series and catch and capture moments and memories there and it would be an added blessing and bonus if my Texas Family is standing our there on The Field Where Dreams Become Reality!!!!!

So let me close out by expressing my thanks to each and every athlete, coach, athletic trainer, team manager, parent that makes a little girls dream turn into Athletic Women’s Reality!!!!!

Lastly I will address the inequality that I am being made aware of between women and men’s athletics. These women work hard, display Heart, Hustle, Grace, Grittiness, Blood, Sweat and Hardships that the male athletes are not put through. Someone at the executive level needs to step up and do The Right Thing! Let’s make the future promising for that little girl who will become the fine athletic women one and off the field.