This spring break, the East Carolina softball team had the opportunity to play two tournaments at the University of Hawaii. Our roster of 21 players spent ten days in Waikiki, Hawaii, and played eight games against various opponents. Even though it's wonderful to enjoy the beautiful island on[1]  an off-day, the trip remains purely business, softball being the top priority.

The flight across the country and the Pacific was a 10-hour journey. With a surplus of movie choices, airplane Wi-Fi and endless snacks, 21 millennials enjoyed their long trip to Oahu. After arriving at the Holiday Inn Express in Waikiki, it was all about playing catch-up. Ten hours on a plane can cause a lot of stiff muscles so proper stretching and movement is vital before playing. The team had a quick turnaround after the flight, arriving on a Thursday and beginning tournament play that Friday. Further, Hawaii is five hours behind Greenville, which caused sleep schedules to be disrupted.

The first five games of the tournament posed a challenge for the Pirates. Not only were we facing fierce competitors, but we also were not playing to our full potential. Losing is frustrating, and being on a tropical island does not make the taste of losing any better. However, the beauty of the island did seem to offer the squad a certain remedy. When given an off-day on Monday, the team explored both the tourist attractions as well the more isolated areas of Hawaii, where we took in one breathtaking view after another.

I began my off-day with the sunrise at the Diamond Head State Monument. My teammates and I felt the sand and embraced the warm sun on Waimanalo Beach Park. We went paddleboarding and collected coconuts in Kailua and stood in awe of the Nu'uanu Pali State Wayside sights. That evening, I watched local surfers artistically sculpt their board in and out of rolling waves at Kuilei Cliffs Beach Park. At dusk, I shared a devotional with teammates on Cromwell's Beach, overlooking palm trees and a sunset. All of these adventures were fit into one off-day, and I could not have been more grateful for that jam-packed day of joy.
 
The trip opened my eyes to the fact that this beautiful world goes beyond the foul lines on a softball field. Even in the agony of a loss, one can still find beauty in the ability to play the great game of softball, especially in such a wonderful environment. 

One of my favorite stops was at a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop called Andy's Sandwiches and Smoothies, where the team was welcomed with pleasant smiles and incredible kindness from its employees. On their wall was a motto that read, "Positive attitude: Promise yourself to be strong, that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To take health, happiness and prosperity to everyone that you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is some good in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best. To be as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time left to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble."

Andy's motto resonated with the team. A selfless unit always performs better than 21 selfish individuals, and a positive attitude always finds good in any situation.

After the rejuvenating off-day, the team remained committed to one another and to the process of winning. Even though play seemed to improve, the team was still not reaching its full potential. Despite hard-fought battles, a number of missed opportunities resulted in more unsatisfactory outcomes for the Pirates.

But then, hit-by-hit, ECU softball began to find themselves again. It started with a win against Longwood University. Winning proved to be contagious as the team clenched another win against James Madison University, a team that had been receiving votes for the Top 25. On the last day of the Hawaii Spring Fling tournament, ECU went 1-1; defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff in five innings and losing to BYU in an international tiebreaker.

Records may show a substandard outcome from our Hawaii trip, but what they do not show was the team's ability to find confidence and joy even in a loss. Speaking for the team as a whole, the journey to Oahu was absolutely incredible and is a trip that will never be taken for granted or forgotten. The island showed me that even in failure, you can find beauty. Not a day goes by that I will not be thankful for the opportunity to play the best game in the world in one of the most stunning areas of the country. Every game is gift, and the chance to play it, whether in Greenville or on a field thousands of miles away, is a blessing beyond words.