Growing up, I was the only daughter in my family. I have two brothers, one older, one younger, with me sandwiched in between. Neither of them had any interest in sports. Not watching, not playing, nothing. I, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. I loved everything about them. I played soccer, swam on the swim team, danced in ballet: anything I could do to be active, I absolutely adored. There was one sport, however, that I loved above all else: baseball. I had always liked watching the games on TV, but when I began playing tee-ball, there was truly no looking back. I loved going to practice, learning how to throw and hit, and getting to use my pink glove. Even at six years old, I watched the Atlanta Braves almost every night and could name their entire starting lineup. My obsession only grew as I aged. I played on baseball teams full of boys for many years but eventually switched over to softball. Being around a group of girls who loved the sport just as much as I did only made it more fun. I played recreationally first, and later on my high school varsity team. I watched the Braves implode year after year, finally had hope (only to be crushed weeks later) when they won their first division pennant in five years in 2018, and cried and cried (finally!) this year when they won it all. Nowadays, my playing career is over, but I hope to find new ways to fulfill my love of the game in college and beyond. I’m planning on majoring in Exercise and Sports Science, with the hopes of one day getting a job within the field that I adore so much.