Today you had a great excuse to not go to school or work (not really but go with us here) as this is National Poetry Day.
As we’re in the media business, and love us some creative writers, we would have happily written you a pass to get the day off (not really again, but, hey, we’re creative writers)!
On Monday we announced our National Poetry Day player contest to see who could submit the best poems involving softball.
We’re happy to announce today that our 1st place poet is Riley Holloway who plays for Fury Premier 2026 TN and our runner-up is Paige Talley who competes for Wildcats – Weil out of So Cal.
Below you’ll see their works and we find it interesting that both have a major thing in common: they both are catchers!
There’s an old baseball saying that catchers make for great managers, but we didn’t know they made for excellent creative writers as well!
Whether that’s 100 percent true or just a coincidence in this case, we congratulate the two on their top-notch poetry skills (and we hear they’re pretty good on the fields as well)!
Finally, here is a cool thing both can now say forever: they are published authors and, take it from us, that looks pretty good on a college application!
Without further ado, here’s both winning entries (and a spotlight on our overall winner)…
*****
For the Love of the Game
Author: Riley Holloway
Age: 13
Coach: Adam Ventura
Team: Fury Premier 2026 TN
Position: Catcher/utility
It’s the butterflies in your stomach
When you wake up on tournament day
It’s the gratefulness you feel inside
When taking the field to play
It’s the warm-ups with your teammates
And building that special bond
It’s hoping the best for all of them
In this game and beyond
It’s wondering if you worked too much
Or maybe not enough
It’s knowing that no matter what
Your job is to play tough
It’s the adrenaline pumping through you
When the umpire says ‘Play ball’
It’s feeling the weight of the bat in your hands
And sending one over the wall
It’s the swell of pride when you make a great play
And hearing the crowd cheer with glee
It’s the frustration of losing precious time
When your coach and the ump don’t agree
It’s the thrill in every victory
And the humility of each defeat
It’s the handshakes and the high fives
When gameplay is complete
It’s exhaustion and melancholy on the drive home
Wishing you were back on the field
It’s the determination to improve more every day
Because that’s what hard work yields
It’s dreaming of the day you commit
And what school will announce your name
It’s sacrifice, pure joy, and grit
All for the love of the game
*****
Friday
Author: Paige Talley
Age: 13
Coach’s name: Del Frazier
Team name: Wildcats – Rob Weil
Position: Catcher
I pack my stuff
Set the alarm for 3 am
Tomorrow my friends have plans
but I won’t be with them
I’m heading off to do what I love
Getting on the field with my bat and glove
I’ll get some sleep to travel and join my team
But the reason I go so early isn’t quite what it may seem
I live in Clovis but play in Orange County
I’ve been blessed with a lucrative bounty
Every weekend my parents drive me down so I can play
And at a hotel is where we will stay
Rob gave me a chance to show my work behind the dish
Now I’m there working towards attaining my greatest wish
A scholarship to play is the ultimate goal
I’ll keep working hard, because I’m on a roll
My D1 dreams are a plan that’s set in my mind
I work hard for straight A’s too by putting in that same grind
I’ve done it all, the big and the small
And in the end, it will be worth it all
There’s no looking back when I have my glove and bat
The future is bright now… I’m a Weil Wildcat!
So, remember my name and my number too
I’m Paige Talley, a Catcher, Number 22
*****
Extra Insights… More on Our Grand Prize Winner Riley Holloway
What are your team’s top accomplishments?
This is my first season with Fury Premier and we have only been in one tournament, but I wanted to join this team because they were No. 1 in the state last season, and you have to play with the best to get better.
What are your top individual accomplishments?
Making Fury Premier was a big deal for me. I was also the only 7th grader to start every middle school game last season and the only one from my grade to make all-tournament at the end of the season.
What are your strengths in softball?
I would say my strong arm and accuracy. I’ve played catcher and third base, so you’ve got to be able to make good throws to your teammate to get the out when you are in those positions. I’m reliable with that. And mental awareness. Probably comes from watching so much baseball and softball but I am always trying to think two or three steps ahead.
What is your favorite softball memory?
Going to the Christmas softball camp at Tennessee when I was 8 and my group leader was Matty Moss. It was the most exciting moment in my life to that point because I had watched her so often and I felt like I was meeting a celebrity. And she gave good advice. A lot of that has stuck with me ‘til this day.
Do you have any softball superstitions?
Not really. I just get out there and play the game.
What is the funniest thing you have ever seen happen on a softball field?
When playing in a tournament a few years ago, our pitcher made a strikeout, and all of the infield came to the circle to congratulate her. The only problem was that there was a runner on base. I’m pretty sure she stole a base or two. It’s only funny looking back on it.
If you could meet anyone in the softball world, who would it be?
Jen Schroder! Her story is just so cool. She wasn’t even a regular catcher until her junior year in college and now she has her own line of gear and training camps… it’s awesome what she has done.
What is one thing you have learned from your coach that will always stay with you?
My hitting coach taught me about mudita. It means “unselfish joy” in Buddism and it’s basically celebrating your teammate’s successes like they are your own. It also means that I have no business getting upset over a strikeout unless I get equally upset by a teammate’s strikeout. So that keeps me in check with my emotions at the plate.
What is something many don’t know about you?
I have a large collection of baseball cards from the 80’s and 90’s.
Who is your hero and why?
Yadier Molina. Just when you think he’s done, he comes back for more and he dominates. Toughest guy in baseball. I hope to see him play before he retires next year.
What other activities/hobbies do you enjoy outside of softball?
Playing basketball, fishing, dancing and collecting baseball cards.
If you could have dinner with anyone (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Mookie Betts. I think we have a lot in common. He’s from Nashville and he’s gone so far in the MLB. Just seems like the nicest guy too. I’d love to talk with him about all things baseball.
What is your favorite quote or motto?
“Be curious, not judgmental.”
