Not Perfect, Still Capable by Lily

Not Perfect, Still Capable by Lily - August 2026 Scholarship Essay

During my first summer tournament with my new select softball team I met a coach who would change my perspective on the sport forever. Somehow, the coach I originally found intimidating became my favorite within a few months. Growing up as the oldest daughter, I had developed an almost obsessive need for perfection in everything I did. From a young age I cared deeply about my grades and hated feeling inexperienced or wrong. As I got older that perfectionism followed me into softball. Instead of viewing feedback as an opportunity to improve, I often took it personally. I began to feel resentment when corrected because it made me feel inexperienced and incapable. This became very difficult in softball, a sport where failure and correction are unavoidable.

As a pitcher I had become so focused on avoiding mistakes that I would think about everything that could go wrong before the pitch even left my hand. Instead of focusing on the pitch in front of me, I worried about giving up a hit in the gap, making an error, or disappointing the people watching me. My coach was able to read my tense body language and told me “get out of your head lil, let your defense work, you got this.” At first, her advice was difficult to follow. I thought being prepared meant constantly analyzing what I was doing wrong, but I began to realize that overthinking was keeping me from trusting my skills I had worked so hard to develop. My coach was not telling me to stop caring about my performance and whether or not I could get strikeouts, she was teaching me to trust myself enough to accept that mistakes would happen, and my team will be there for me when they do.

The first time I fully understood what she meant was during a game against Diamond Athletics, the best team participating in the tournament. I pitched better in that game than I had all summer. Instead of worrying about every possible outcome, I focused on every pitch and trusted the players behind me. When I couldn’t strike out batters, I focused on getting weak contact and trusting my defense to make the play. We ultimately lost the game, but for me it wasn't a loss. All four of my coaches were proud of me and even surprised by how well I performed. For the first time, I understood that a good performance doesn’t mean a win or strikeouts, and a mistake does not have to mean I failed.

That game changed the way I approach feedback. I began to understand that my coaches were not pointing out mistakes because they thought I was incapable, they were correcting me because they believed I could improve. Now when receiving feedback I try to listen before becoming defensive. If I do not understand a correction, I ask questions instead of assuming I already know what I am doing wrong. Most importantly, I try the adjustments as much as I can before deciding whether it will work. This has taught me that accepting feedback does not mean admitting that I am incapable, it means being confident enough to recognize that there is always something I can learn.

The lesson has extended far beyond the softball field. I no longer see being corrected as a reflection of my intelligence or ability. Instead, I try to understand what the feedback is teaching me and use it as an opportunity to grow. I still have moments when my perfectionism makes me want to get everything right the first time, but I have learned that growth does not come from avoiding mistakes. Growth comes from being willing to listen, adjust, and try again. Softball taught me that I do not have to be perfect to be capable. Sometimes, I just need to get out of my head, trust the people around me, and allow myself to learn.