This past weekend in Kentucky went by in a blink of an eye. I was constantly telling myself to take it all in: the stadium, the fans, the feeling, and the moments with my team. Even with that in mind, I still left feeling unsatisfied. I had this burning pit inside me that left me feeling empty because there was so much more in store for my team and our time couldn't be over. That is when I realized this is not the end of the story, only the end of the chapter of this season.
With teary eyes and throats full of emotion all 22 of us stood in the outfield after the last out was made to hear the final words Kate would say of the season. She talked about how the lessons this game and the weekend taught us would grow us for next season and in life for our seniors. As usual, she was right, our story lives on to be written.
To the four seniors who will never put the uniform on again; your personalities, work ethic, and energy will live on in our program. The foundation you have built continues to be alive in us players who were inspired by them and will be taken on the field with us next season and so on to the next generation, so that way your stories can live on forever.
The story of Mac Dunlap, who is the definition of gritty and the best Big Ten third baseman to have as a pitcher because she wants every ball on the field to be her out. Of Maegan Hollins, the most selfless person I've ever known who constantly served our team in any way she could to elevate us. Of Emma Bartz, who dedicated an extra year in school to give us that extra spark on the bases for one more season. The story of Morgan Newport, who kept us in every ball game with her bat, arm, and love for the game. All four made a lifelong impact on our program that took us to the next level and now it is time to raise the bar even higher next season.
From here, I promise you there is no place to go but up for us. We will return 18 players who experienced what it was like to play in a COVID Big Ten season and the NCAA tournament which brought us a lot of valuable lessons. Now we aren't just satisfied to compete in it, we want to win it. The work for next season has already begun and all eyes are only looking forward, but I wanted to take one last chance to reflect on the season it has been and express how thankful I am for each moment 2021 brought me.
Finally, I want to thank all of you who followed along with my blogs this season. It touched my heart how many of you expressed your desire to read them every week. My team's story is my favorite one to tell and trust me this was only the introduction....
See you soon,
Sydney #26
With teary eyes and throats full of emotion all 22 of us stood in the outfield after the last out was made to hear the final words Kate would say of the season. She talked about how the lessons this game and the weekend taught us would grow us for next season and in life for our seniors. As usual, she was right, our story lives on to be written.
To the four seniors who will never put the uniform on again; your personalities, work ethic, and energy will live on in our program. The foundation you have built continues to be alive in us players who were inspired by them and will be taken on the field with us next season and so on to the next generation, so that way your stories can live on forever.
The story of Mac Dunlap, who is the definition of gritty and the best Big Ten third baseman to have as a pitcher because she wants every ball on the field to be her out. Of Maegan Hollins, the most selfless person I've ever known who constantly served our team in any way she could to elevate us. Of Emma Bartz, who dedicated an extra year in school to give us that extra spark on the bases for one more season. The story of Morgan Newport, who kept us in every ball game with her bat, arm, and love for the game. All four made a lifelong impact on our program that took us to the next level and now it is time to raise the bar even higher next season.
From here, I promise you there is no place to go but up for us. We will return 18 players who experienced what it was like to play in a COVID Big Ten season and the NCAA tournament which brought us a lot of valuable lessons. Now we aren't just satisfied to compete in it, we want to win it. The work for next season has already begun and all eyes are only looking forward, but I wanted to take one last chance to reflect on the season it has been and express how thankful I am for each moment 2021 brought me.
Finally, I want to thank all of you who followed along with my blogs this season. It touched my heart how many of you expressed your desire to read them every week. My team's story is my favorite one to tell and trust me this was only the introduction....
See you soon,
Sydney #26