One final at-bat… Lady Cyclone softball seniors share emotions on a lost season
Published 12:38 pm Friday, April 17, 2020
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Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Maggie Johnson
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Kaylen Shell
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
EmmaGrace Wilson
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders
Marley Wagner
BY IVAN SANDERS
STAR SPORTS EDITOR
ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com
Just like a pitcher that sends in a blazing riser to record the final out in a sectional softball game with the bases juiced and the home team trailing by one, Governor Bill Lee delivered the final hope that most area prep spring sports teams didn’t want to hear when he recommended schools remain closed for the spring semester.
It was a hard message to hear especially for senior athletes that had invested many years preparing to enjoy their last hurrah in the final year of high school.
Star Sports Editor Ivan Sanders caught up with the Elizabethton Lady Cyclone softball senior players before Lee’s announcement and asked the same questions of each. The following is each response provided by seniors Marley Wagner, EmmaGrace Wilson, Kaylen Shell, and Maggie Johnson.
Marley Wagner
Q. How hard has it been to be sidelined for your senior season of softball?
It really just hurts me emotionally because I have waited for this year since I was a kid and it was just taken away so fast from me and there is nothing I can do to fix it.
Q. I know the game is just part of playing. How hard has it been being away from your team and coaches?
It has been so hard not to be able to be with my teammates and my coaches. I am so used to seeing them every day. I miss all the laughs we had over anything and everything. My team is like a second family to me and I miss them very much.
Q. What has something like facing this adversity taught you far beyond athletics?
Never take anything for granted because it could be taken away in a blink of an eye. It has taught me to be thankful for all the friends that I have made and all of the awesome experiences that I have had.
Q. What has been the response from family and friends around you during this time knowing this was your last season of softball?
My parents and grandparents were also devastated to hear the news that my senior season is over. They do feel sorry for me but they say God has a bigger plan for me and tell me to use this time to get better and be in the best shape of my like because college softball is something I really hope to see in the future.
Q. What message would you send to younger players who will be following in your steps in regard to not taking a season or opportunity for granted?
Live every moment like it’s your last. Make every play like it’s your last. Play every game like it’s your last. I never thought something like this would happen but I’ve worked hard in my softball career and I don’t regret all the things I’ve given up for softball.
So never regret the things you do for the sports you love.
Q. What would be your message to your head coach Ken Hardin about his support of your prep career?
Coach Hardin has been the most driven and devoted coach I’ve ever had. He has pushed me to be the best I can be. He has taught me many lessons not only for softball but also for life.
Q. Do you get any consolation from others on Facebook that are posting their senior photos or does it remind you of what has been taken away from you knowing that you have lost almost half of yours?
Although I feel loved by all the recognition, my senior year has been taken and nothing can replace it.
EmmaGrace Wilson
Q. How hard has it been to be sidelined for your senior season of softball?
I think you look forward to your senior year in school and in sports. This year, we could have been a really good team. We got off to a great start and it’s hard to accept what’s happened because it was all stopped so suddenly. I knew this would be the last season I’d play, but I never would have thought it would end like this.
Q. I know the game is just part of playing. How hard has it been being away from your team and coaches?
The hardest part has definitely been being away from my teammates. I miss all of us joking around and going to eat with friends before the games. I really just miss being with all the girls – we were really getting along great this season.
Q. What has something like facing this adversity taught you far beyond athletics?
Sometimes God closes a door in your life, and you don’t know if he’s going to re-open it, but until then you just have to keep moving with life.
Q. What has been the response from family and friends around you during this time knowing this was your last season of softball?
Everyone around me knows that this honestly is just heartbreaking, but everyone is still being hopeful that we will be back. It’s hard with it being my last season, but this is hard for all seniors.
Q. What message would you send to younger players who will be following in your steps in regard to not taking a season or opportunity for granted?
Never take anything for granted in sports or in life – you never know when something will be over. You never know which game might be your last.
Q. What would be your message to your head coach Ken Hardin about his support of your prep career?
We have really great coaches that don’t just focus on making us successful in softball. They want us to be successful in school and in life even after we leave EHS.
Q. Do you get any consolation from others on Facebook that are posting their senior photos or does it remind you of what has been taken away from you knowing that you have lost almost half of yours?
It’s honestly nice to know that you aren’t forgotten. But, it’s also hard to look at because it makes me feel like people have given up hope of going back and I haven’t yet. I think that we don’t need to give up hope on our lives returning back to normal and getting to have some type of delayed senior season.
Kaylen Shell
Q. How hard has it been to be sidelined for your senior season of softball?
It’s been really hard not being able to be with all of my teammates for one last season. We always have so much fun and this virus has caused us to miss out on our last memories with the people we love.
Q. I know the game is just part of playing. How hard has it been being away from your team and coaches?
Team bonding is something Coach Hardin and the rest of the staff really encourage. It’s always great to get a win and then go out to eat after a game together as a team.
Q. What has something like facing this adversity taught you far beyond athletics?
This pandemic has taught me to appreciate the little things in life. Like having food, a shelter, and clothes to wear. It is truly saddening to see what this virus has caused in our world. I hope to move forward soon.
Q. What has been the response from family and friends around you during this time knowing this was your last season of softball?
It’s always sad to think about never getting to step on the field again. My family has always supported me and made me feel so loved. They are sad, but they are excited for the future ahead. I am so thankful to have the family and friends that I do that have supported me not only in softball but also in soccer and basketball as well.
Q. What message would you send to younger players who will be following in your steps in regard to not taking a season or opportunity for granted?
Girls, please do not wish away your high school years. They are truly some of the best memories of your life. Especially being an athlete – work hard at every practice and enjoy being there with your team.
I know practice isn’t always fun and sometimes we wish it would hurry and end, but you will seriously miss it when it’s over. Make the best out of every second and give your all because it will end soon.
High school flew by for me and I know I will miss it very much. But most importantly, give all the glory to one the one above.
Q. What would be your message to your head coach Ken Hardin about his support of your prep career?
Coach Hardin, thank you for the endless hours of time that you have put into your staff, players, and the field that you keep looking wonderful at all times. Thank you for the late-night hitting sessions in the cages and for always staying positive.
I know I don’t get to spend the offseason with you and the team because of other sports that I participate in, but when I look in the stands at a soccer or basketball game and see you there supporting it means so much to me.
You have not only supported me in softball but also in my other sports every year of my high school career. You have always encouraged me to play as many sports as I want and I truly appreciate that.
Thank you for everything.
Q. Do you get any consolation from others on Facebook that are posting their senior photos or does it remind you of what has been taken away from you knowing that you have lost almost half of yours?
I am thankful to have been able to play my senior soccer and basketball seasons. I truly miss being on the softball field, but I have put all my trust in God knowing that he will get us through this.
I hope that we will gather again on the field for a couple of last games. It’s hard knowing that my senior friends who only play softball or baseball have gotten their season taken away and I pray for them to find hope in stepping on the fields soon.
Maggie Johnson
Q. How hard has it been to be sidelined for your senior season of softball?
I don’t think I can honestly put into words how hard this has been. We have worked so hard since middle school for this season and now it could possibly be over.
I think its also hard for our parents as well. They have invested so much time and money into us as players and we couldn’t even give them one last season.
Q. I know the game is just part of playing. How hard has it been being away from your team and coaches?
My teammates and coaches are the best there is. To be a part of the Lady Cyclone family means so much to me. I look at my teammates as my sisters and it has been so hard to go without seeing them for almost a month now. Our coaching staff is the best in the area. I would give anything to go to practice with them right now.
Q. What has something like facing this adversity taught you far beyond athletics?
Always be prepared. I don’t think anyone really thought it would get this bad, so we weren’t really prepared. So always having a backup plan is a good idea.
Q. What has been the response from family and friends around you during this time knowing this was your last season of softball?
My family has been super encouraging and supportive. My dad is constantly reminding me to stay in shape, keep working on my mechanics, etc. My friends are all in the same situation right now as well.
Getting put out of your final season isn’t easy, so we are constantly texting or calling each other to keep the morale up and to make sure we’re staying in shape.
Q. What message would you send to younger players who will be following in your steps in regard to not taking a season or opportunity for granted?
You don’t truly understand how much this game means to you until it’s over. This game has been a part of our lives for so long, and it’s so hard to just leave it behind. Continue to love the game and every second of it, because it’s gone before you know it.
Q. What would be your message to your head coach Ken Hardin about his support of your prep career?
Thank you. I couldn’t ask for a better head coach. They Cyclone softball program is like no other. Since freshman year, I have grown to be a completely different player because of you.
You have spent countless hours with me in the cages and on the field pushing me to be a better player. I cannot say thank you enough. These past four years have been a blast.
Q. Do you get any consolation from others on Facebook that are posting their senior photos or does it remind you of what has been taken away from you knowing that you have lost almost half of yours?
I think that they are trying to support us by doing so, but its kind of a harsh reminder that they got to finish their senior year and we don’t get that opportunity. I do appreciate all the support that the class of 2020 is getting though.
