#1 HEART…. is the first requirement. Even if you have the other four qualities, without heart you can never qualify. A player with heart makes commitments, while others make promises. A player with heart isn’t afraid of losing, and when she does, she learns from it and grows. A player with heart goes through a problem while others go around it. A player with heart is part of the solution, not a part of the problem. A player with heart has the knowledge and courage to say yes or no, while ordinary players say maybe or perhaps, usually at the wrong times and for the wrong reasons. A player with heart has a certain amount of recklessness and aggressiveness, and delivers more than what is expected of her. A player with heart seems to have a personal war with the way things are and an overwhelming desire and willingness to make the sacrifices that bringing about change demands. A player with heart is a CHAMPION…

 

#2 HUSTLE… is the second requirement. Such a player is the Mayor of Pain City. Proud of the occasional bruise, this player leads the team in aggressive play and spends more time in the dirt than most players spend in total concentration. This player pays no attention to the score, but always plays as if her team is 3 runs behind and running out of time. This athlete doesn’t know how to lose, and every game for her has a goal, every minute on the field has a goal within a goal. No time is wasted, no second lost, no excuse is made. When an inning is finished she runs to the bench, she runs off of and back onto the field because walking is for losers and a 5H member is never a loser…

 

#3 HUNGER… is the third of the five requirements. A member of the 5H club is always hungry, always thirsty for one more chance to practice; always looking for another game, another person to take on one-on-one, another challenge, another goal. Like a starved person at the dinner table, she always wants another helping. A hungry player wants to learn more; she studies the game like it’s the only opportunity she’ll have to cram for an important final test. When she takes the field, she plays the game like it’s the last chance she’ll ever have to experience the joys, frustrations and rewards of softball. And when everyone else is relaxing, she is cramming her pockets full of information, advice, coaching and all the other ingredients in the recipe for success – because when it’s all over, she is still hungry.

 

#4 HOPE… is the fourth requirement. This athlete is a believer, a person who understands the necessity of blind faith. This is a player who trusts in her coaches and their ideas. She knows that hard work pays; she doesn’t know when it will pay, but she believes from the depths of her hard working athletic soul that it eventually will pay. This player is positive even when all appears lost – she keeps on keepin’ on because she knows victory is possible no other way…

 

#5 HAPPINESS… is the final qualification. For members in the 5H Club, it is the end product of the other four. It is the satisfaction a player feels for herself, her team and her coach when she knows that everything has been done to the best of everyone’s ability. It’s the peace of mind you feel when you know you are totally prepared to do your best. It’s the confidence of knowing you don’t have to look for excuses because you’ll never need them. It’s your arms raised in victory having fought your way back through a six game day to win the Championship. It is the tears of love you shed for each other during that beautiful moment when you ALL know you are totally together as team, laser focused…

 

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These are the five words that give STRENGTH and radiate POWER….

HEART.........HUSTLE.........HUNGER.........HOPE.........HAPPINESS