With multiple games a week, freshmen Olivia Douglas and Jennifer Boeve
have found a way to balance everything in their everyday lives. These new to
high school freshmen have been starters on the softball team since the
beginning of the season.
“A lot of the older girls are really nice and make me feel like I fit in. It’s
welcoming,” Douglas said.
Boeve agrees, saying it has enhanced her overall experience. “Softball
has taught me to work hard and how to be a better teammate. We do lots of
team building activities, like the scavenger hunt with the QR codes that you
would scan onto your phone and then it gave you a trivia question,” Boeve said.
Being a varsity player as a softball player isn’t as nerve racking as most
would assume.
“Sometimes before tournaments I’ll get nervous, but not normally,” Boeve
Boeve had her first home run of the week last week.
“I didn’t think the ball was over the fence, but I felt really good because I
also had been pitching that game,” she said.
Between the busy week of practice and games, to the tournaments on
the weekends, these freshmen have a hold on balancing their schooling with
athletics.
Working hard to continue to be at their best is sometimes a struggle for
these athletes. Boeve makes sure using her weekends to make sure she’s
caught up with her schoolwork fulfills the student part of a student-athlete.
Douglas uses the block schedule to her advantage, which helps her stay on top
of her studies.
“I use T3 to get my homework done, which is why I like the block
scheduling,” Douglas said.
Both of the girls agreed, it can be challenging at times, but if they know
what they’re doing and stay organized, they are already set for success.
Boeve and Douglas would both like to continue their softball careers at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Douglas and Boeve are both pitchers, but also
play other positions when needed.
Some athletes have experienced having to pick between two sports. It
wasn’t that hard for Boeve though, who has had her mind set on playing softball
instead of volleyball since the beginning of middle school.
“If I work hard enough, then people will notice me,” Douglas said.
Hard work beats talent with talent fails to work hard. For these freshmen,
their softball careers are just beginning.
