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ABOUT
Crystal Pappion describes herself as a “Real Mom of Travel Softball” and she has the air and car mileage to prove it!
She and her husband, Rhon, have been all over the country (Canada too) helping their daughter, Halie, live her dreams of playing softball at a high level, both now and in the future.
Halie is a 2022 Extra Elite 100 lefty pitcher who attends Barbe High in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and has had great success on the fields including being named a club All-American at 12U, winning her first travel ball national championship at 14U and, earlier this year, leading her high school team to a Louisiana 5A state championship.
After going 19-1 with 186 strikeouts in 129 innings and batting .420 with nine home runs, the athlete was also chosen as an Extra Inning Softball 1st Team High School All-American.
But it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows: Halie has had to deal with adversities from leg surgery to hurricanes, but has still come through triumphant and recently committed to play softball at Boston College!
After going on some amazing college tours and speaking to some great coaches, I’ve made a decision that would fit best for me academically and athletically. I’m proud to say that I have verbally committed to further my education at Boston College! Go Eagles! 🦅 #ACC pic.twitter.com/xmCD1jcVea
— Halie Pappion (@HPappion) August 13, 2021
That means Halie will be a second-generation college player as Mom herself was a talented and speedy outfielder back in her day at McNeese State. And, along the way, has made friendships with luminaries in the sport of fastpitch such as Jennie Finch, the Olympic and Arizona Wildcat All-American.
When I first met Crystal, I quickly realized she was articulate, funny and had great insights into everything fastpitch—from playing on the right team to injury recovery to finding the right college in recruiting.
We appreciate her sharing her thoughts on all things softball and hope you will enjoy what this “Real Travel Mom of Softball,” as she describes herself, has to say!
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball
*****
When asked to write a blog type article on travel ball from a “Mom’s” perspective, I sought the advice from the author of “A Parent’s Guide on How to Make all of the Right Decisions as a Parent,” only to learn that one does not exist.
Given the obvious, I will make an honest attempt at briefly rendering our experiences, what we have learned, what we did wrong, what we would do if we had to do it again, and a few other things.
My hope is that it will be somewhat informative, not a depiction of what is right and what is wrong. I am not qualified to do that and that is certainly not my intent!
I played college softball many, many moons ago, and let me just say that there is no comparability between the level of ball and the abundance of technology now as opposed to when I played.
I would be willing to bet that anyone who has played 20-plus years ago (like me) would say the same. Softball moms today are a little more “intense” than they were in the past and I do not recall rankings and All-American selections back then, and all the pressure that comes with being on those lists.
The craziest thing of all to me is that a little girl from a small town in Louisiana—who only played one year of fastpitch previously—was playing on legendary coach Mike Candrea’s field in Arizona and in the batter’s box was facing Jennie Finch (the rest, as they say, is history).
During my college years, I was not considered one of the most elite college players, but I had a lot of speed and was a team player. I received some honors as a center fielder and was the recipient of a fully-paid college education.
Things have changed tremendously, though, since then.
The Club Experience
Our family began our select travel ball journey in Louisiana when Halie was 10 years old. Everyone wanted to be on that local team—it was “the team” to be on.
It was run by some fantastic people and coaches who had a lot of love for the game and for their players. These coaches are still friends and supporters today.
A weekend experience with the Texas Chaos expedited us to Houston to experience travel ball on a different level, a level that challenged and allowed our child to grow in ways we could have never imagined.
Our daughter was able to play with a group of girls and coaches who provided her with the opportunity to participate in the inaugural 10U PGF in California (and become runners up on the biggest stage at that time) and to be selected an All American who played on the “field of dreams” in Oklahoma City at the age of 12.
Halie would remain with this same “core” group of girls for the next four years.
This was a special group of young ladies and parents and when she joined them, she was welcomed with open arms as the Cajun lefty from Louisiana. This group had already won national championships and was highly regarded in the travel ball circuit.
Everyone knew who they were, and they were feared. Halie had the opportunity to play with some of the most talented girls in travel ball and most of these girls are now preparing to play D1 softball at Power 5 levels (and for some of the most highly-regarded softball programs in the country).
Allowing her to be challenged, to play with girls who were initially better and more experienced than her, allowed her to grow, mature, and elevate her game. That team always played up and the coaches always ensured that they faced the best competition.
It’s Why It’s Called “Travel Ball!”
Leaving our home state was not easy nor was it well-received at the time, but we did what we felt was best for our kid. Most of those relationships are now intact, in realization that it was not a personal decision.
Halie is better for it, and we would make that same decision all over again.
Yes, we traveled three hours to Houston and back for weekday practices and every weekend for softball tourneys, but it has all been a part of the process and an integral part of Halie’s exposure, growth, and development as a player.
Since beginning travel ball at the age of 10, Halie has been to California and competed in PGF five times, competed in Colorado twice, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Texas multiple times, Kansas a couple of times and has traveled to Michigan, Canada, Indiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Mississippi, Chicago, Tennessee, and Massachusetts for school visits, camps, or softball related travel.
She has won championships and gained experience, life skills, forever friends/sisters, and more memories than she could ever dream of!
Making the Tough Decisions
At times we have had to make tough decisions and choices, choices that were out of favor, but we did our best with the knowledge that we had at the time. Could we have done things differently on some occasions? Absolutely, but we made the decisions we did at the time for a reason.
You live, you learn, you grow, and you move on from it because in five years, will all of this really matter?
We have met some great people/families, and we have met a few that we are no longer in contact with. That is okay—everyone is not meant to stay—but if we, as adults, can focus on our primary reason for being here (our daughters), we can alleviate a lot of misunderstanding.
You do not have to remain friends with everyone. Do your best not to burn bridges. I have heard a lot of parents say, “My child will never play for that organization or that coach (again)” but there is a high probability that their statement will not hold true; I have seen it many times and that is okay.
You do not owe anyone outside of your family any explanations of why you made the choice that you did. Sometimes it may even work out better the next time. I have seen a lot of healing and forgiveness in this sport. People often admit to their shortcomings and there is opportunity for resolution and to move on as well as opportunity for grace and redemption.
We have seen it and we have experienced it personally. Never say never. Softball is a small world and we do not know what lies ahead and what kind of opportunities will present themselves.
Choosing a Team… & How to Maximize the Experience
When dealing with coaches and organizations, always be honest with yourself about your daughter’s abilities and have realistic expectations. State your intentions for your daughter and ask for that honesty to be reciprocated. This allows for parents and coaches to make decisions based on transparency.
Sometimes, it will be a “no thanks, I’ll pass” and at other times it will be the right fit. Early on, allow your daughter to be in a program or on a team that will help to develop her and give her the fundamental skills.
Make sure she is on a team where she has the opportunity to be on the field and get the experiences. Once she gets to a certain age and level, there is no time for that development- she is expected to know and execute. It is what it is.
Know that coaches are human and imperfect. They will make mistakes and wrong decisions, some with the best of intentions and some without. Most times, you will be able to distinguish. Sometimes, it is just not a good fit.
Communicate and give the coach the opportunity to correct things if you are unhappy or in disagreement. If they do not know, how will they do better or improve?
Coaches/organizations have other girls on their team, jobs, families, and the many demands of “life” outside of softball going on and may not be aware of your concerns unless you voice them. Give them the chance to hear your concerns before you just leave a team.
In many instances, coaches do not even know there is an issue until a move is made. Many things can be rectified if given the chance. Do not forget the 48-hour rule. If ultimately it is not the right fit, move on quietly and gracefully.
Never try to disrupt a team if you leave. Just because you want to go, it does not mean that everyone else does.
Enjoy the Journey
We are so grateful for the opportunities that Halie has been afforded, the coaches who believed in her and pushed her, the coaches who were tough on her and had high expectations of her, the organizations that invested in her, and the teammates that she has had the privilege of playing with.
Her teammates have been a big part of her love for and dedication to this sport. She has made many great memories and has loved all of her coaches (and still does) but she would tell you that her favorite summer of travel ball was the summer of 2019.
They won the Colorado Sparklers Power Pool Championship, the USA Elite World Championship in Kansas City, and placed 3rd in PGF—after being placed in the loser’s bracket early on—and battling back.
On paper, they were not the most talented team, but they were very close, had a great time together, and had chemistry on the field like no other. They loved one another and played for one another. They were well coached. It was for her, a summer that she will always remember and hold in high regard.
Player (& Child) Oversight
If your daughter is a pitcher, help her take care of her body. Pay attention. Give her time off and make her rest. Hindsight is 20/20 for us as parents in that area. We are definitely a living testimony.
Make sure that she listens to her body and take caution when she tells you that something is not right. They know their bodies. Pitchers at this level want to be on the field and they often sacrifice their bodies to be on that field. It is not worth it by any means.
Softball only lasts so long and your daughter will have to live with that damage for the rest of her life. You only get one body. Know the difference between being hurt and being injured. There is a clear distinction.
I often joke that our child will be in much better hands when she is off to college because they will take better care of her. We do our best to provide every resource available and we are there every step of the way, but we are not trained; just imperfect parents trying to raise a tough kid who can battle in the toughest of circumstances.
Make sure that your daughter is an unselfish teammate and one who will cheer on others. One who will respect the game and work hard. It is an honor and a privilege to play softball at this level. Ensure that she always remembers that.
Appreciate the honors that your child receives, but do not allow it to define her worth. Do not let it go to her head and do not let it go to her heart if she is not recognized. That is all that I have to say on that. I have seen so many girls who were not recognized use it as their motivation. I have often seen girls on those lists get surpassed by the ones who were not on the list. Never get complacent.
Elite travel ball takes a lot of time, money, and sacrifice. Quite often, people tell us that we spend so much money on travel ball, that we could have paid for college several times over. I will not argue that, but I always tell them that we could never pay for the memories, experiences, and opportunities that we have had as a result of those sacrifices. We would not change a thing.
The Fruits of Your Labors
In closing, while I may not have all of the right answers and advice for being a travel ball mom, I DO know that softball is an amazing sport and that the next several years will be fun for our family.
In the near future, every time we turn on the television to watch college softball, we will know someone on almost every team and we will most definitely be watching former and current teammates playing for national championships and we will be cheering them on.
All the things from the past will not really matter because, in the end, this is why we do this… and we get that.
