jennifer benda

“What is free time? I’m a single mother. My free moments are filled with loving my little girl.” ❤️Kacee …Pitbull advocate…wanna-be world traveler..

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

8u softball pitcher in the making..

[Liberty North Softball @LNEagleSoftball]

2026 Youth Softball Camp is a wrap. We had a blast working with these young ladies the last 3 days.

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

My little athlete

[Don Williams @Don_K_Williams]

Athlete: Coach… I think I want to quit.

Coach: Okay. Then let’s talk about why.

Athlete: I’m tired. All the early mornings, the pain, the pressure. Sometimes I wake up and wonder what I’m even doing this for.

Coach: That’s not quitting. That’s being human. Doubt shows up when you’re close to something that matters.

Athlete: But I’m not even sure I’m good enough. I look around and see people stronger, faster… happier.

Coach: Comparison is a liar. It shows you everyone’s surface but hides their struggle. You don’t need to be better than them. You need to be better than yesterday.

Athlete: What if I never win? What if I give everything and still fall short?

Coach: Then you’ll walk away with something most never touch—truth. The kind you only find when you’ve emptied yourself for something bigger than comfort.

Athlete: So… you think I should keep going?

Coach: I think you already know the answer. You wouldn’t be having this conversation if you truly wanted to stop. You just want someone to remind you that it’s worth it.

Athlete: It hurts, Coach. Some days, it really hurts.

Coach: Good. That means you care. And nothing worth having comes without pain. Now breathe. You’ve made it through every hard day so far.
Most quit before the breakthrough!

Don’t be like most!

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Dress like an LPS employee.. she chose her mama.

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Me and the mini with some pre-Christmas pics

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Friday Fit check

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

My girl

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

My princess!!!

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

I have a second grader!!

[Baseball Dudes Inc. 🇺🇸⚾️ @BaseballDudes48]

Expectations

Woah…Slow down…

They’re 8…They’re 9…They’re 10…They’re 11…They’re 12…They’re 13…

They are kids. They trip for no reason when they are walking. Their knees hurt because they are growing. They are starting to go through puberty. Their social life is becoming more and more important to them. They’re kids!

We as adults seem to forget this. They have a bad day, it doesn’t matter how much they train or who their coach is, it’s going to happen. It’s just that, a bad day. We have to keep this in perspective. If you played growing up, don’t forget how hard it was. If you didn’t, it may be hard to truly understand, maybe go out on the field and try to do everything they are doing.

These kids love the game. They just want to play with their buddies and have a good time. They train to be the best they can be and we take that very serious, but let’s not forget that this is a game. As they grow, their passion for the game and getting better will determine their future in the game but in the end, they should never have a bitter taste in their mouth because of a coach whose priorities were in the wrong place and treated their players like garbage. They should not hate Baseball because of how their parents talked AT them when they had an off day. It’s not easy to hit. It’s not easy to locate every pitch you throw. It’s not easy to field a ground ball on a bumpy youth field. IT’S NOT EASY!

I have been in the dugout for many games (who knows how many youth games and approx. 3,400 professional games) and unless your last name is Jeter, and you are on a winning team nearly every year, you WILL most likely see just as many losses as you will wins, over the course of your baseball life. It’s just a game. I love to compete, but I’m here to tell you, that losing a baseball game is not the end of the world. They won’t win every game just as they won’t lose every game. In fact, the truth is, EVERY player can grow more from those loses (when they learn how to process them correctly) than they will from success as failure is a much better teacher.

Coaches and Parents, understand this, at the end of the day the wins don’t mean anything AND the losses don’t mean anything. It’s the experience they are gaining. It’s them getting to do what they are passionate about. It’s them developing great life skills along the way.

Find a coach. Find coaches. Find a program. Find an organization that understands this. One that focuses more on the person than they do the win. Find those with a passion for the kids and teaching. Find those with experience and knowledge. Find those that genuinely understand what “the process” means and have the patience for it. Find those who have, and have proved to have, a mindset on development, no matter what time of year it is.

THIS IS YOUTH BASEBALL, not the big leagues. Keep your Expectations realistic.

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

My little slugger this weekend #softballislife

[Liberty North Women's Soccer @LNEagleWSoccer]

Camp time!!!

https://t.co/GJeL1mnvNV

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Softball Saturdays

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Vacay mode

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Weekend full of softball.. the girls went 5-0 and took home first! 🏅

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Softball camp, gymnastics camp, dog walks and soccer season starting… spring break has come and gone!

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Fun weekend so far!

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Kacee had a blast at the Princess ball at LN last night.. March 2025

[jennifer benda @BENDAJ2003]

Music concert and scooter time.. ❤️ this girl!