Someone calls me coach

There is only a few weeks left in this semester, and I feel as if my blog has been one-dimensional. I read through my writing, and I have not truly expressed who I am as a person, beyond a ranting waitress, and a damn good one at that. I am a plethora of things, one of which is a coach. I have 19 girls who range from 8-18. I teach them different techniques, different pitches, mound presence, and I try to be a positive influence in their lives. A couple of years ago, a fellow athlete spent a Spring Break in Lake Havasu, AZ. She was photographed during a wet t-shirt contest, and she lost her scholarship. She was a phenomenal athlete, but because of poor judgment, and alcohol, her career was cut short.
A girl in my class told us a story about spring breakers developing disturbing pictures. Here's her story. This made me think about pictures, and other things that can haunt you for years and years to come. Because of stories like hers and that fellow softball player of mine, I try to be careful about what hits the net. Somebody looks up to me. Somebody thinks that everything I do is cool, and somebody wants to be like me someday. Regardless of age, most little girls try to act older than they are. Look around. Look at the teenagers wearing low-rise skinny jeans and low cut tops. Look at girls wearing make-up at 13 and having sex by 14. This kind of stuff goes on, and older girls set the stage and the example for it. Even if someone doesn't call you coach, I guarantee someone looks up to you. Be careful of the examples you set. Something as small as a facebook picture is sending a message to someone very impressionable. You can only control yourself and your actions, but don't forget who else if affected by them.