The 2026 Beijing City Slow-Pitch Softball League Spring Season has wrapped up, marking the end of my first softball season as well.

It was not a perfect season, but it was a meaningful one.

This season gave me moments I’m proud of and highlights worth remembering. Some of them will stay with me for a long time: my two triples, my catches in left field, and the win against The Ruo. In the final inning of that game, I threw the ball home to Liang Hanzhe, who recorded the final force out at the plate to end the game. It was one of those moments when everything came together, and we walked away with the win.

Of course, there were also moments I still think about. A few balls seemed catchable, but I hesitated, held back, and let them fall, turning them into hits for the other team. I’ve often joked about other people treating the ball like it was too hot to handle. But on one play in the outfield, I had my own version of that moment — the ball was in my glove, and somehow I still couldn’t hold on to it.

That is also part of competition. It gives you real game experience, but more importantly, it teaches you how to handle yourself mentally when the game is on the line. Every inning, every play, and every mistake becomes part of the learning process.

Baseball and softball are never about one person. The losses don’t fall on one person, and the wins don’t belong to one person either. What matters more is how the team works together, stays connected, and gives everything as one. This season reminded me that the most meaningful moments are often not the ones you create alone, but the ones you share with the people around you.

What I’ll remember most, though, are my teammates from New Generation, our coaches, and the friends I met through this season. What made this season even more special was that it introduced me to many like-minded people who share the same passion for the game.

The people are what made this season feel complete. I’m grateful to Wang Xiaoli, Chen Weirui, He Haotian, Oliver, Chen Jing, Zhang Yang, Zhang Ermin, Liang Hanzhe, Wei Zechuan, Zhang Kaiyuan, Yuan Taoyun, Li Tao, An Bowen, Kelly, Tao Chen, Shi Zong, Zhang Wei, Shi Zhoubao, Li Yiwei, Xu Mohan, and Tian Huimin, who also came to cheer us on in the final game.

Thank you to Coach Li Xiaobao, Coach Wang Haoya, and all the New Generation coaches who have taught and guided me. I still don’t know all of your names, partly because you didn’t coach us that often, and partly because some of you were too low-key to leave a name behind. But I remember the practical advice you gave me on the field.

The season has ended, but what it gave me will stay with me long after the final out. ■