I have never been the best person at being on time – and I quite often procrastinate on the most simple things. If I really want to make this thing baseball thing happen, I am going to have to really put an effort into getting to the gym, eating right, and sticking to a schedule. I have a gym that is open 24 hours, so there is no excuse about trying to work it into my schedule.
Tomorrow I hit the gym.
So, this baseball thing has been on my mind for several years and I figured that it was going to be either now or never, so I contacted the Gems and everything is moving along – quickly. I had my first meet & greet with some of the other women in the league and quickly realized that I was the oldest woman in the league hands down. Everyone was very nice and so many interested in what position I want to play and how I found out about the league.
The first batting practice I was in town for was on Wednesday April first at Stella’s Batting Cages in Lyon (a long way from Chicago). I was able to hit at around 65 mph, which made me feel pretty good. I was keeping up with most of the women, although one of the women, Jen, was absolutely phenomenal, perfect batting stance and nailed every pitch. I later found out that Jen actually has sponsors and she plays all over the world – how cool is that?
The next get together was for a Friday night practice/workout at Clarendon Gym in Chicago. This was a tough 2 hour workout – which left me with muscle soreness in places that I didn’t know existed. I hard a hard time walking for the next 5 days. But – this does not deter me in the least, it only makes me want it more. I am looking forward to getting better and better each week and being the best I can be for tryouts on April 19 and 25th. The good news is that I will be in the league no matter what – they will just be evaluating skills to see where each person should be placed.
There is life after 40.
My latest crazy idea is to start playing baseball (not softball) again – when I haven’t played organized ball for a long time. However, I go to the batting cages (love it) and work our religiously. I remembered hearing about a women’s hardball leagues somewhere in the Chicago area, so I decided to do some research. I found the Chicago Gems, an all-female baseball league which has 4 teams and plays in Bedford Park. I sent an email to the address on the web site, basically here is the body copy:
Hi -
My name is Shellie Hall and I have been searching for a women’s hardball league and I came across your site. I would be interested in finding out more about your ballclub and playing ball this year. I played softball because there were not any hardball leagues for women. I have coached Little League Minors and I now warm up pitchers on my son’s Little League Major Team. I just recently started catching and I love it. I also like to play 2nd or 3rd base. If there is room for someone like me in your league, I would love to hear back from you.
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Shellie Hall
Well – shortly thereafter, I heard back from 2 League Officers, Dana and Christine, who were both very friendly and said I would be welcomed into the league. I started receiving mailing-list emails and we had our first meet & greet event last Friday night at Diversey River Bowl in Chicago. There were about 20 women that showed up and I had such a great time talking baseball with other women who love it just as much as I do. Come to realize, that I will be the oldest member of the league – so I will definitely have something to prove. I am totally up for the challenge.
Yesterday I hit the batting cages and was able to hold my own in the 45mph lane. I realized that I need to get new contacts because my right eye is set to see near and my left eye far. I need to see good with both, so I ordered new lenses today. The batting cages are also a great way to relieve stress – everyone should try it.
I will keep you posted.
Okay – so I have gotten the blog moving again and am very happy with the design, etc. I plan on writing just about everything that is fit for human consumption, except of course for those things in life that just do not need to be made public. I just want a way to let others know that life after 40 is not a dead-end, and you can do anything that you set out to accomplish. Okay – I know that sounds like the ramblings of a motivational wannabee, but it has kinda worked out that way for me.
Some of my adventures that I will share with the world include: Motherhood, The Chicago Cubs (you can check out my Cubs Blog at GoCubs2009), The Chicago Gems (Womens Baseball League) and Life in General. This is very cathartic for me and hopefully I can provide you with some fun reading along the way.
Shellie
My life on a blog…
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