By Mirjana Hutnik – 9th Grade, Peters Township High School

For the past five years, I have been playing at an elite level of fast pitch softball. I have built so many bonds and relationships through this that I will be forever grateful for.  If it was not for these people I would be no where near where and who I am today.  I have no one but these people to thank for almost everything I have and know today.  During my time playing I have been provided with so many valuable life skills.

One of the first things I learned about was rejection and failure. I learned that not everyone is going to be my biggest fan and number one supporter.  Despite of all this respect still must be shown.  No matter how many times I failed I had to learn to flush it and recover not only for myself but for my teammates.  That was the next thing I learned; the game is about the team and not the individual people on it.  In addition to these valuable life lessons, I learned so much more.  The little things that I picked up along the way are amazing.  I learned things I never thought I would such as salsa dancing, how to throw a correct punch (hoping I never need to use that one!), and how to complete homework in a pitch black car while speeding down the highway.

Every day I was with my team I learned something be it big or small, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that my life had something positive added to it every day. I guess I can’t pick just one experience that changed my life for the best. There is no one, defining moment that absolutely changed me. In the end, life isn’t about the one, tell-all experience, its about all the little ones put together.

 Mirjana Hutnik is a freshman at Peters Township High School.  She likes to play softball, travel, watch Netflix & hang out with friends.