“This is my favorite time of the year because the competition makes our game great.” says Brooke Vestal, a 2018 pitcher with the Texas Bombers 16U team who has committed to Oklahoma and is our newest blogger.

Today, she tells us her thoughts on the summer club season and, with the goal of advancing far in the PGF Nationals, talks about some things she’s learned along the way that is good advice for all players…

Click here to see blogs from Brook and our other standout players!

Check out our video interview with a young Brooke at PGF Nationals last summer!

Read about Brooke and her decision to commit to Oklahoma…

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I’m happy to be back as the club season begins for all of us who live softball.

The latest update from my softball life is, “Hello summer!”

Tournament season is here and I can’t wait to compete with and against the best players. This is the part if the year we all work for. Our hard work now comes to the point of competition!

Great tournaments are ahead for all of us.  Win or lose, we will all grow from the process. Unfortunately, every team but one leaves a tournament disappointed. The good news is that we take memories from each battle.

My Bomber team is working hard to be ready for PGF Nationals and I know the rest of the softball world is gearing up as well. This is my favorite time of the year because the competition makes our game great.

I am in no position to offer advice to the great players out there, but I have picked up a few things along the way.

I am very aware of my body language and how I can use it to help my team. When things get tight, it is my job as the pitcher to convince both teams that I am in control. If I am shaking my head over slumped shoulders, I am losing the battle.

We have all walked up on games and instantly known who is on top. Body language is visible for miles, and we can all see it. Good and bad.

As a pitcher, I know that I have control of the game’s pace and energy. The pitches do not work every game, but If I look beaten, I am giving away too much. Some days are better than others, but as pitchers we are there to fight one pitch at a time and our teammates feed off what we do and how we look doing it.

When my inside fastball misses by six inches outside, the batter doesn’t know it was a miss unless I show her with my reaction.  My job is to keep my shoulders high and bust her inside on the next pitch.

As pitchers, we signed up to lead the team from the circle, and the way we handle our emotions impacts the game.  We touch the ball before every play, and we cannot project a negative image to the opponent or our teammates.

We get too much credit for the wins, and we can control the losses by not letting the other team beat us between the ears.

Don’t give the hitters an inch… they are too good!

Viva Bombers 14 HTX and may the best team win!!!

— Brooke Vestal