Losing my father has had a tremendous impact on my life. I was only four years old when this role model was taken from this world. They say it gets easier as time goes on, but that is not the case. Losing a parent at such a young age, I didn't truly understand what it meant at the time. It was not until I got older that the realization hit me. My father would never be there to dance with me at my quinceañera, watch me graduate high school in the top ten percent, or be there as I signed my letter of intent for college softball. Not having my father here has not only been a challenge to me, but my mother as well. Now a single parent, she has worked tirelessly to always provide me with the life I have now and am forver grateful for it. My father was always into sports. In high school, he was a star athlete and played on recrational teams as he got older. Becuase of this, my brother and I were put into sports from young ages. I started playing softball when I was eight and immediately fell in love with it. This sport has given me a home away from home where I feel I can be myself around teammates who have the same love and passion for the game. Not only is it an escape from reality, but it has helped me to feel closer to my father. Knowing the love sports gave him and the joy it gives me lets me know he would be proud to see how far I have come not only in this sport, but in life. This sport has taught me how to be independent, to overcome obstacles, to be hardworking, to learn how to work as a team, and is what helped me to land a spot at a school that has my career path. Without softball, I don't know where I would be in life. I hope I can be an inspiration to other little kids out there to not give up on their dreams and to show that they can still continue life in the name of their lost parent. Every time I step out on to the field, I play in my father's name and for the love he had for the game. Even if our parents are not here physically, they are still watching wherever they are and I want other kids to know they would be proud to see what we are accomplishing.