While my career with Hastings High softball has been successful this year, it has been a very interesting journey to get to where I am today.
In the fall of 2014, I got the chance to be a starter on the varsity softball team at HHS: an opportunity I took for granted, big time. I cannot speak for the other four freshmen who saw the varsity field, but it is safe to say that we were all a little disappointed with the outcome of our first season. Although we won the conference tournament, we placed third at our district tournament and did not get to compete at state. On paper, it was a winning season, but our whole team felt like we had come up short.
From that point up until now, many things have changed throughout our team. Personally, I tore my ACL and meniscus during the winter of my freshman year. The day after I was cleared for full activities with my knee, I fractured my arm. A week after that, I got an MRI which revealed that I had a herniated disc in my back. It was very frustrating to not be able to practice and play like I wanted to. I missed the pain-free days of my freshman year, but eventually I had to accept that this was the hand I was dealt.
As a sophomore, I was fortunate to play fifteen games, including four in the state tournament. We finished fourth in the state, but anyone on our team will tell you that we still have some unfinished business.
After my sophomore season, I had back surgery that unfortunately could not completely fix my problem. The surgery was kind of my last chance to get better, and after that, I was all out of options. Unfortunately, I am not the only player on our team who has had to overcome injuries. Many of us are playing this year with a new appreciation for our ability to play. We have rediscovered our love for the game. It is more important to have fun and give 100% than it is to win.
Some of the games we have played this season have been some of our most exciting ever. With the postseason coming up, we are 24-3 with wins against multiple ranked opponents. We won a very competitive tournament in Hastings on September 17 that had five of the top seven ranked teams in Class B. Our junior pitcher, Olivia Douglas, was honored as the National Player of the Week by MaxPreps which is an incredible honor for both Olivia and our team.
This success is great, but our team’s job is to ensure that these successes are not the highlights of our season. We still have a lot of good softball ahead of us and we are working toward our goal of being able to compete for a state championship on October 14.
About the Writer:
My name is Jennifer Boeve and I am a junior at HHS. I am a captain on the softball team, and I’m involved in FMP, science club, and National Honor Society. As a kid, I attended Longfellow Elementary School. I have one brother who is a freshman at HHS.
