My daughter Manteee (Samantha) has shown me a path that I like traveling. She has been and will continue to be an inspiration in my life. Her fearless nature and competitive qualities have swelled my heart. I am so lucky to have her as my daughter.
She loves playing softball. Her competitive nature shows up in many facets of the game. As a second baseman she dives for groundballs that have a chance of getting to the outfield. She races for fly balls and pop ups that she must get and usually does get. While batting she will take one for the team. She will allow a hard pitched ball to hit her so she can get on base. She will stand up to any pitcher, no matter how hard they throw, to get her swings in. On the bases is where she is fearless. Diving or sliding into a base with no apparent concern for her body has often scared me. Taking the the extra base when most girls just stand around has earned her a thumbs up from her coaches.
She has stepped in and played against players, in some tournaments, that are five to six years older than her. Some of these girls are over six feet tall. My daughter is five feet two inches if we put her on a stretching table. Her lack of...