Anyone who knows me understands my passion and love for the sport of softball, so back in March when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, you can imagine how upset I was. A million questions were running through my head and I couldn't imagine what was next. How long would this last? What does the future of softball look like? When would I get to take the field again?
In November, Alyssa (Wiebel) told me about an opportunity to play with a team in Florida over the summer. At first, I wasn't too interested because it was so far from home and I figured I could just find a league in Illinois. The longer I thought about it, the more I realized how good of an opportunity it was for me to step out of my comfort zone and experience something new, and I am so glad I took that leap of faith.
I have never been far away from home for so long and I knew this experience would give me a good grasp on what life is like for some of my teammates who don't go to school in their hometown. I haven't always been the person to go out and meet new people – I'm usually more on the reserved side when I'm out and about. So far, this opportunity has been good for me to kind of explore a new path away from my hometown and family.
I arrived down here on June 12 and immediately got to work with my team – the Myakka City River Mocs. My team is one of seven participating in the Florida Gulf Coast League (FGCL). We only practiced for three days! Our first team practice together was seamless, which made me feel as if our team had a great chance at being successful this summer. The scrimmages were a bit scrappy at first, just because none of us had played a game in months.
Despite only being down here for a little over a week, I've learned so much from my teammates and coaches. My eyes have been opened to how different programs at other universities have a unique way of doing things. Each player on my team brings something special to the team and I'm fortunate to have learned so much from them already in a short amount of time. Every day, I look forward to stepping on the field, developing lasting friendships with my teammates and making memories down here in Florida!
I'm excited to take all of Redbird Nation on this journey with me – Go 'Birds!
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