Richings Park Trophy Cabinet

Back to Richings Park for the first time this summer (I think anyway, I go to a lot of softball diamonds...). I like it there, it was the place Betsy's first ever GB Trial took place four summers ago when she was ten. I especially like it because they sell tea and have toilets that aren't repulsive.

I've spent a lot of time there every summer since, watching the squad train. It's been blazing sunshine, torrential rain, sunburn weather, windburn weather and everything in between. I've got burnt by the sun and huddled under a blanket. I've made some nice friends and laughed a lot. I've worried about Betsy being the newest / the smallest / not getting selected (she'll be devastated!) / getting selected (she's too young!) / getting hurt / recovering after getting hurt. I watched her loathe a girl who accidentally threw a bat at her and nearly broke her leg, and then watched the same girl become one of her best softball buddies.

I've drank numerous cups of tea and eaten many biscuits and watched Betsy love every minute - even the difficult ones. I am sad that her original coach, Coach Caroline is not there this year. She is studying for her final year in her Law Degree. I find this particularly inspiring as she is Dyslexic and told me that she cannot spell at all, everything she does needs checking and she takes four times longer than anyone else to do the work. Coach Caroline spotted Betsy when she was ten. She said to me, 'I knew she was special the moment I laid eyes on her', so you can imagine that she would always have my unswerving love and loyalty for saying such a thing!

Anyway, it was nice to be back.

Came home and was subjected to football.