Cedarville Magazine, Summer 2017

28 | Cedarville Magazine Cedarville Magazine 251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH 45314 1-888-CEDARVILLE | magazine@cedarville.edu cedarville.edu/magazine We worked hard to elevate our play by sprinting, running stairs, throwing, fielding, hitting, lifting, scrimmaging, and working on different mental aspects of the game. By our trip to Florida in February, we were ready to fly. With 10 freshmen and nine upperclassmen on our team, our expectations this season were high. Our freshman class was strong, and our upperclassmen experienced. Going into 2017, we had a young team, but we also had a talented one, and when you mix talent with hard work, good things happen. Exactly one week before takeoff, we met in the locker room to set team goals and lift the Florida trip and the season up in prayer. It was good to discuss our goals for this season and how we wanted to accomplish them, and it was sweet to bring them before our Father, ask for His help, and acknowledge that we can do nothing of value without Him. I’ve had so many conversations with my teammates about how much we love this team. It’s been such a blessing getting to know my teammates better and build friendships with them. We have great girls on our team, and I was excited to bond as a team through the highs and lows of the season. Our theme for this season was “Act of Worship.” We want to use this sport as a means to worship God and bring glory to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Romans 12:1–2 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We know that softball is not the most important part of life, but we also know we can glorify God if we approach it with the right heart and mindset. We want to play our best and compete hard so that others will see Christ in us on the field. We want to be unified so that Christ is glorified. We want to be selfless because Jesus is selfless. We want to honor our King with what He has given us to do, and at the moment, that is softball. We cannot do any of this without His help and guidance through the season. Kelsey Caldwell ’19 is a Yellow Jackets softball second baseman and outfielder. This preseason post first appeared on the Lady Jacket Softball Blog. Competitive, Unified, Selfless: Honoring the Lord in Sports LADY YELLOW JACKETS FLY HIGH WITH OUTSTANDING SEASON As Kelsey Caldwell noted in her In Closing column, the Lady Yellow Jackets were ready to fly at the beginning of the season. And fly they did — all the way to the No. 1 seed in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) tournament in May. They posted a 30-15 overall record for the regular season, 21-4 in the G-MAC. Congratulations, Lady Yellow Jackets, on a great season and for honoring the Lord with your talent, your sportsmanship, and your team effort. IN CLOSING