For publication on The Depth of Perception

By Kevin Freeman

Alright sports fans, it’s the bottom of the 9^th, bases are loaded, and this game could be the one to either make or break this team for the season. Here comes the pinch hitter, taking a few practice swings and striding up to the plate. The hitter steps into the box, looking confident and ready, making steady eye contact with the pitcher and giving a small nod and a grin as if to say “give me your best shot. I’m gonna split this ball in half.”

The recent change in condition and attitude of the new star hitter becomes obvious when the hitter suddenly stops, unblinkingly still while waiting for the pitch. Every muscle and tendon seems poised on the brink of sudden motion. The roar of the fans becomes quickly muted, and the crowd becomes as motionless as the hitter, waiting to see what happens next.

The pitcher makes a quick base check and steps into the windup, hurling the ball into the strike zone with a precision that only comes through years of practice. The question in everyone’s mind as the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand is “What is the hitter going to do?” The split second decision is made and what happens is… completely up to you.

Can you place yourself in this game? Can you feel your heart pumping adrenaline and life into every well trained muscle while every eye is fixed on you, willing you to make your next move? Perhaps instead of the hitter, you can relate more to the pitcher. Or maybe it’s one of the fielders waiting to catch anything that comes their way. Whatever suits your fancy, most people have played one part or another with pride, and some might even like to suit up again one day if the opportunity arises.

Softball and baseball are sports that provide some great health advantages along with the simple fun of playing. The activity involved isn’t quite as intense as some other sports, but the fact remains that a well conditioned player will beat out the occasional warrior every single time.

One reason for the continued success of a conditioned softball or baseball player is that the regular running, sprinting, bat swinging, heart pounding action helps the players to gain better control over their bodies through steadfast practice and well conditioned muscles. The health benefits derived from softball and baseball come partly through playing the game itself, but even more so through the training involved in mastering the game.

If you want to win in these games, you have to be ready to trigger a huge number of muscles with a split second decision. You have to be ready to sprint to each base before the ball has a chance to be returned. You have to be ready to train your body to respond in the exact way you want it to at the exact moment desired, and the only way to do this is through conditioning.

From sprinting up and down the field, to swinging weighted bats to build stronger muscles, and then stretching out after those muscles are warmed up and when they are cooling down, becoming a master at these games isn’t as easy as it looks. But the results from all of the efforts can certainly outweigh the pain and endurance needed to get there.

A huge amount of health benefits result from the cardiovascular fitness that is derived from sustained amounts of jogging and running in softball and baseball. The vast majority of these can only be obtained in the training sessions, but even the quick sprints on the field can offer some huge results. Players also build up muscle strength through regular workouts that often involve some weight training, and nearly always involve a healthy amount of calisthenics. Perhaps the best benefit of all is the flood of happy, healthy, endorphins both during and after training sessions and games.

If you would like to sign up for some softball or baseball games in your area, keep in mind that you will need to train at least a little to prevent many types of injury during play. But the main idea behind using sports to increase health is to enjoy the experience of playing. Get out and become a part of the team. Help yourself while you help your teammates achieve whatever goals you have set, whether they are competitive or personal. Having fun can be the best health benefit that anyone can gain from an activity, so remember to include plenty of laughs along with the healthy grunts that signal positive changes up ahead.

Kevin