My name is Michelle Delloso and this is my Story!
I love sports. I can’t think of anything I wanted to do more as a child than play with my brother and his buddies. Luckily for me, the boys didn’t see me as just another girl. They saw me as someone who was inspired, motivated, and confident. How did I get this way? By loving what I was doing and working really hard at becoming the best I could be.
I grew up playing baseball. Keep in mind, this was in the 1970’s, so girls didn’t have as many opportunities as they do today to play organized sports. I played baseball and other sports, but baseball was my first love. I played up until age 12, and then I was told girls could not play baseball beyond Little League. WHAT? At about that time, I remember watching the NCAA Women’s College Softball World Series tape delayed on ESPN. I remember seeing these young women playing and thinking, “I want to do that.” I also realized that playing softball might be a golden ticket for a college scholarship. I decided to start playing this sport, they call softball, as well as five other sports. At about this same time, I also realized that I wanted to work for a shoe company when I was older. I thought, “How cool would it be to design shoes and inspire people?” Yes, I already had my sights set on what would be some of my FUTURE at age 12. AGE 12!
My Sports Goals and Dreams:
- Play in college on a softball scholarship (age 12 dream): check.
- Earn my college degree, so I can continue to work in sport: check.
- Compete at some of the highest levels in sport to inspire many later in life: check.
- Play baseball professionally against the men, while playing in some of the biggest major league stadiums where I always dreamed of playing since I was a kid: check.
- My name and signature on a bat: not really a goal or dream (it just happened), and I was a female so very cool: check.
- Sign an endorsement deal with one of the shoe companies, so I can inspire others: check.
- Work for a shoe company, so I can inspire many and build cool shoes (age 12 dream): check.
- Work for some of the biggest brands in the sporting goods industry, while utilizing them to support unique marketing initiatives for female athletes and sports: check.
- Empower girls and women through sport, while building additional opportunities that enable them to be become inspired, motivated, and confident: check.
- Build something bigger than myself: check.
How were all of these goals and dreams achieved?
Believing anything is possible and a little bit of the following:
HARD WORK
DETERMINATION
COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
PERSERVERANCE
PRACTICE
A LOVE AND CONVICTION FOR WHAT I DO
Yes, all of the words describe what it took, which created me being:
INSPIRED – I loved sports and never felt that I would ever have to stop playing. I truly have not, as my career feels the same as when I first laced up the cleats = I love it, it is fun, and I can smile every day doing it. I have been dreaming of my future continually and know that I can do anything I set my heart to do. The key is to keep dreaming. To keep on keeping on!
MOTIVATED – I am in charge of my destiny – no excuses – knowing that if I want something bad enough, I will get it. I want to work hard. It is through hard work that you know if you really want what you are willing to work for. I always believe somebody is working harder, ALWAYS!
CONFIDENT – The product of all of the above, to include being inspired, being motivated, and having experience, is the ability to be confident. Experience is attained by learning from trying. Sometimes, trying in some eyes is failing, but there is always a lesson learned; this is called experience.
How did I get in front of a crowd of 10,000 people to speak, in front of a 93 mph fastball in a major league stadium, and attempt to squat 340 pounds in front of the football team? I was confident. I succeeded with the crowd of 10,000, I made contact with the 93 mph fastball, and I crushed the 340-pound squat to set a record! Confidence is knowing that you are going to do your best. Accept that. You are not going to be perfect, and you may not be the best, but be YOUR best!
WHY I STARTED MY PASSION PROJECTS:
I was blessed to realize at age 12 what I wanted to achieve and have it all work out. Some call it “lightning in a bottle”, while others call it my “destiny.” I call it BEING ACTIVE AND DOING while HONORING THE CALLINGS that reside in each of us as humans. By being active in something that one enjoys and doing all one can do to achieve, one stays inspired, motivated, and confident, and this all builds self esteem. What can building positive self esteem early on in someone do? It can truly pave the way to one’s future. It can help one later in life in the college classroom, boardroom, the sales meeting, and any other arena one decides to enter. Wherever life leads a soul, it will be the inspiration, motivation and confidence which will carry one forward in achieving GOALS, DREAMS & CALLINGS. Empowerment built through being involved in sports and out in nature has helped my mental health wellness and that is why I am an advocate of participation in sports and the outdoors.
I remember my gym teacher telling me early in life that I was “fast.” I may not have been fast, but it didn’t matter. I believed it, because she said so, and I was young, innocent, and influenced. Teachers, coaches, friends, parents, siblings, and other kids are all influencers. The key as one gets older is to acquire the self esteem and confidence to look within without needing or being influenced by other’s opinions of us. Becoming your own influencer is developed by learning from experiences, following the heart tugs, and believing in yourself by making that little voice in your head a positive one as much as you can. Participation in sports and physical activities to include the outdoors will help one in the ability to overcome obstacles, while instilling the skillsets necessary to achieve goals, which ultimately, will breed confidence.
I hope my message and story resonates with others, and I hope to instill in people of all ages that being involved in physical activities (such as sports and the outdoors) can help to develop mental health wellness and empowerment. Are we ever too old to achieve something like hiking the Grand Canyon from Rim to Rim or taking on other new sports and outdoor activities that keep us happy and healthy? I think not, and it starts with the voice in our own head, saying YES, YOU CAN!
Keep on Keeping on!
Michelle Delloso
