Ricky Bumgardner Jr | 1.19.2026
A Message to Parents on the First Day of High School Softball in Florida
Today, fields across Florida come alive. New Jerseys (Hopefully made by Four One Sports, wink-wink). Fresh dirt. Nervous excitement. Big dreams.
For many families, today marks the first day of high school softball—a moment that feels long-awaited, yet will pass faster than anyone expects.
Parents, this season is not just about your daughter’s performance. It’s about your posture.
Scripture reminds us in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Before the first pitch is thrown, commit your attitude, your words, and your reactions to Him.
High school softball is a short window in your child’s life. Four years feels long now, but one day you’ll blink and realize the cleats are packed away for good. What your daughter will remember most is not her batting average—it’s how she felt walking to the field with you.
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Choose Calm Over Control
There will be missed plays. Tough coaching decisions. Limited playing time. Hard conversations. These moments will test you more than they test your athlete.
Choose calm.
Choose grace.
Choose faith.
Your daughter watches how you handle disappointment. When parents stay grounded, kids feel safe. When parents panic, kids carry pressure they were never meant to bear.
Call on the Holy Spirit to keep you calm—before you speak, before you text, before you vent.
Make It Fun—Because It’s Supposed to Be
High school softball should be challenging, but it should also be joyful. Joy doesn’t come from wins alone—it comes from freedom.
Let your daughter:
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Laugh with teammates
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Learn through mistakes
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Compete without fear of letting you down
Fun is not the enemy of excellence. In fact, athletes who feel supported often play freer and grow faster.
Get Involved the Right Way
Being involved doesn’t mean coaching from the stands. It means serving the program.
Get involved by:
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Volunteering for team meals
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Helping with team events or fundraisers
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Supporting the booster club
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Encouraging all players, not just your own
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Thanking coaches and umpires
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Being present without being overpowering
Show your daughter what it looks like to build community, not division.
Be the Example of Faith
Your daughter will face pressure—on the field, in school, in friendships. Let her see faith lived out, not just talked about.
Pray before games.
Speak life after tough days.
Praise effort over outcomes.
Trust God with the results.
Galatians 6:2 calls us to “carry each other’s burdens.” Sometimes that burden is stress. Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes it’s expectations. Parents, help carry the weight—don’t add to it.
This Season Is a Gift
One day, the car rides, postgame ice cream, late practices, and weekend tournaments will be memories. Don’t rush through them. Don’t miss them by focusing on what should be instead of what is.
This season is a gift.
Your child is a gift.
So today, as high school softball begins in Florida, step into the stands with faith, patience, and joy. Let this be a season where your daughter feels supported, free, and loved—no matter the scoreboard.
Play hard.
Love louder.
Trust God with the rest.
Meet the Author, Ricky Bumgardner Jr
