If you would have asked me six months ago what this season would hold for me and my team I definitely would not have said that we would be all stuck inside, forced to be away from the softball field and social distancing from each other.  COVID-19 has had a huge impact on our community. Whidbey island is a small community where you walk into the local grocery store and see community members who typically say something like, ‘’hey great game the other day!’’ or ‘’hey how's the season so far?”  Instead, I've been greeted with a very different response lately, typically something like, “sorry about your season being cancelled.” I have to say that for awhile it did not seem real and I thought that this would blow over, but unfortunately, that is not the case. This is our reality right now and we have to do our best to keep our communities healthy. I have seen our community come together to support our local businesses who are struggling and might not be able to open doors again, and neighbors supporting neighbors, and through all this uncertainty I have been able to see some of my greatest blessings.

Ironically, I thought this season was going to be one of my favorites. Most people would say their senior season is the best, but for me, it was different. I was looking forward to making the most out of this last year with the girls who know me best. Our seniors have been the girls I have played with since t-ball and I was looking forward to taking in every single moment with them on the field. This group of seniors were the girls who helped me become me.  They have stood by me through the good and bad and they are some of the most inspirational girls I will probably ever come across in my life. I am forever in debt to them and everything they have ever shown me or taught me through the years and I will always look up to them. So to our seniors: I am sorry this had to end this way and I'm sorry you do not get the chance to step on the field again.  Just know that you had a huge impact on our program and always have a huge place in my heart, and because I have seen the way each of you handle yourselves on and off the field, I know you are stronger than this, you will make it through, and each of you are going to do amazing things in life.  I have no doubt about it. You are a group of young women who I am lucky to know and I thank softball for giving me the opportunity to be able to know each of you. I will be here cheering each of you on and will play next year for you. I love each of you so much!

Lastly, this has shown me that I will never ever take my time on the field for granted and will play every game like it's my last. I will appreciate the good and the bad games and everything in between. I never realized how much I truly loved softball until I couldn't step on the field. That has been the biggest heartbreak. I miss the laughs and just dancing on the field with my best friends. I miss every second that I stood on the field. I miss the fun practices and the really hard ones and I miss being on the field because that’s where I really felt at home and could be myself. I miss my best friends and my coaches. I miss it all.

I am blessed that I'll still have the chance to go out on the field again and I will never take that for granted.  Sports have taught us all to be driven young individuals, how to support one another, and how to work hard for what we believe in. Those are the things we will use throughout our life. Sports are so much more than just a game to most of us, and softball has shaped me into who I am today. I thank softball for all it has given me, for teaching me resiliency, hard work, dedication and compassion, and for helping me be me.

I’m forever thankful that God gave me the opportunity to play this sport for all these years and all the people that have become a part of my life because of it.  Even though I’m heartbroken we are not having a season, I know softball will be there for me once again and I can’t wait for that moment.  I’m truly lucky to have the opportunity and will never take a second of it for granted.