To all the teammates I have had over the last 15 years:

Thank you.

It has been a long journey for me. From starting at little league baseball, to playing on one of the best teams in Lake County, it was an adventure that shaped my life forever. You all have made me the person I am today. There is no amount of words that can thank any of you enough for all the memories, the wins, the losses, and the fun. They are times that I will remember for the rest of my life.

To my grayslake pride team:

Thank you for shaping me into a competitive athlete. You were my first travel family, and you all hold a special place in my heart. For an in house travel team we were pretty good, winning tournaments and being the first grayslake pride team to win a bid to nationals. How could I ever forget all the Trevian tournaments over Father's Day Weekend, or the rainouts where we would goof around in the car? We loved to play softball, and it was some of the best times of my life. When I walked away from the program, it was not because of any of you. If anything, that was the only reason I was holding on to stay. But I dreamed of playing in college, and moving onto the Lake County program was the best shot I had, so I hope you all understand. I loved you all, and I wish you all the best as a lot of you head to college or are in college now.

To my freedom team:

Thank you for allowing to play some of the best softball I have ever seen. All of you were such amazing athletes, and it was an honor to play with each and everyone of you. Because of Sara McConnell, Sarah Platt, Randy Jackson and Justine Shattner, I pushed myself so hard to be the best pitcher on the team. They shined, and because of their talent I was able to find my own. I also did not know that by joining this team I would meet two of the most important people in my life: Mal and Nikki. Mal's dad and my dad started talking, and before you know it we were sharing hotel rooms for every trip that summer. Me and Mal spent so much time together, and it became such a normal routine that to this day I can't imagine not knowing such an amazing person. And Nikki. Oh, Nikki. I don't think she really knew what she was doing when she started to catch for me, but it was a beautiful thing. Four years we ended up as a battery, and she was my person. She knew what to say to get me out of a slump, and she knew my softball IQ better than anyone. I trusted her unconditionally, and she did the same. This was the year where I met some of the best people, made the strongest of bonds, sprained both of my ankles, and finally went to my first nationals in Nebraska.

Another year of Freedom brought on a new team and some new experiences. It was not our best year, but it was a solid team. A lot of my former teammates went up to play for Liberty, but I was too young and not experienced enough to play on the next level. Some of my grayslake pride teammates came to play for us, and we also got a few others. If anything this was one of the most fun teams I ever played for. We were goofy, adventurous, and all around fun. This was the year we went to nationals in Minnesota, piling twelve girls into my mini van and going to the local drug store to get hair dye so we could have blue hair.

Then my time to play for Liberty had come. I was going into my senior year of high school, and I was reunited with Mal and one of my high school teammates Jamie. Followed by Jana and Jodie from Warren High School, and we had a pretty solid senior class. Our first tournament of the summer, we lost Jana and Jodie to the high school state tournament, as that weekend they ended up winning state, and Liberty winning our bid to Alabama. Jana and I were the two pitchers on the team. We had to rely on the success of each other to help carry the team. This team was very different in age, but we got along and had a blast playing some very competitive softball. I never saw the outfield, as I was a pitcher for this team and I loved every second of it. I didn't swing a bat because pitchers never hit, and I was surprisingly okay with that. I went into this summer believing that this could be the last time I ever play softball, holding onto every inning, game, and tournament like it was my last. Alabama came around, and we played alright. It was not our best games, but the experience is unforgettable. I remember the opening ceremonies and having a whole country concert right in front of us. A handful of us stayed to watch the concert, and had a blast. I also remember walking around the historical town of Montgomery with my dad, taking on the brutal heat while enjoying the culture and beauty of such an important city. When it came to say goodbye to my fellow seniors and the coaches I had grown to love and respect, we ended by running through the sprinklers of the field and holding each other tight. We told each other how much we loved one another and were going to miss each other, like it was the end.

The five of us went off to college, and we stayed in touch as much as we could. As summer rolled around after my freshman year, I emailed my coach from Liberty and asked if I could play. I still had one more year of eligibility due to my late birthday, so he gladly accepted me as a relief pitcher. For one more summer I got to hang on to my passion for the game. That season I did not pitch much, as we had two young, excellent pitchers that could hold their own. I was there for pinch situations, or when they had a bad day. When I wasn't playing, I would grab the medkit, and sit next to our pitching coach. Howie was a very wise old man. We would talk about anything and everything, from softball to school to life to animals to really anything that came to mind. He was so patient with each and everyone of the pitchers, helping us along the way to be the best players that we could be. I was blessed to have a whole season to get to know him and work with him. This was the year we went to South Dakota to play in a small tournament of eight teams. Two of the teams were pretty good, while the rest we could beat. It was early Sunday morning, and we had to beat the first team to win our bid. Mike told myself and Mal that the last two teams in the tournament had won bids early on, and the winner of this game would win a bid. I was put in, and ended up shutting the team out for us to win. I was practically in tears, and no one knew why because they didn't realize what was at stake. Two years in a row I had the honor of pitching the game that lead us to our national bid. We got to travel to South Carolina, probably my favorite trip, and compete out there. The towns were beautiful and the experience was great.

When I wasn't playing that final year, I was coaching the 14u Lake County Glory. They were not the best team around, but they had heart and spirit. I can say that for the 18u Lake County Liberty team I coached this year. Maybe it's just me, but regardless of the record it was a great experience. I got to experience what it's like to make the calls to pull someone out of a game or coach first. I got to experience first hand the thought process behind choosing players and analyzing their performance to best fit the team. The amount of knowledge that I have obtained over the past five years with the Lake County program is outstanding, and I could never thank any of them enough for everything. The other night, I turned to my sister at the alumni game party and said "this is a family, a family I found through softball, and there is nothing I could ever want more". Once Liberty, Always Liberty.