The ball flies in the air and the batter sprints to the base. As the other team scrambles to retrieve the ball and erupts in chaos, the runner slides into home plate and the crowd cheers with hoorays. Standing on that base and going back to the team brings a flood of emotion and joy that many of our HHS senior softball girls know they won’t feel again. The HHS softball team had 6 seniors this past season: Jayla Coleman, Christine Vineyard, Natalie Vineyard, Gaby Santiago, Kelly Tyra, and Julie Howard.

“I’ve been playing softball basically since I came out of the womb,” said Christine Vineyard.

A lot of these seniors have been playing since they were very little and it has become an integral part of their life. Most of these girls have grown up together and have even played on the same teams.

“Christine and I started playing together when we were little. It was always nice to see her succeed in ways that I wasn’t,” Gaby Santiago fondly remembered.

The girls have supported each other throughout their HHS softball seasons and Ms Nicole Herman, the softball coach as well as the Administrative Assistant, has built a strong relationship with the girls. She has left an impact on each of them that they will cherish and forever remember. The girls have also built a relationship with all of the new and upcoming softball girls. Now that the season has ended, the seniors wanted to leave a message to existing and future players.

“Always keep practicing and work hard. You are never too good to learn something new,” said Natalie Vineyard. Furthermore, Kelly Tyra said, “Try your best and leave your mistakes behind you, because they definitely take a toll on your team.”

Going through the ups and downs of the sport, they won first place in districts last year, and second place this year with a renewed tenacity. They know how hard softball can get, and how important teamwork is. As the girls get ready for life after high school, the lessons that they have learned on and off the field will be carried onto their next chapters.

As Santiago recalled those lessons to leave a message for the upcoming softball players, she said, “I would say to never let your head down, and to understand you aren’t going to be the best player on the field all the time. Support each other always, take care of yourself, and if you’re standing around watching… you know the rest.”