Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

It seems like yesterday when I was sitting up in the Cardinal Lounge in my athletic orientation class and Ward gave us the assignment to write a one-page Senior Salute.  I was only a freshman and I had never even read a Senior Salute.  “What the hell am I supposed to write in this thing?!” I thought, “I haven’t even played a game yet!” So, I resorted to my most prized skill, a skill that has only been perfected after four years at St. Mary’s, the skill … no no … the art (the word art implies a much greater eloquence) of BS.  I thanked people who had got me to where I “was.”  I encouraged teammates I didn’t know.  I made assumptions about what my softball career would be like. 

Now I am here, a real senior with real experience and emotion, writing a real Senior Salute … and as much as I would like to … not BSing.  What has my four years as a Saint Mary’s fastpitch member been like?  Like a rollercoaster ride … no … that is much too cliché for me … like battling a mighty and raging tempest in a clipper may be closer to the truth but too melodramatic … no, my four years was … a fairytale.  Yes, a fairytale.  One with villains and heroines, twists and turns, magical moments, drama and comic relief.  Like any story told, either by book or film, there are always acknowledgements… guess what?! My story is no different.

To my coaches:

Nick Haag, my baseball coach back in the day.  Thank you for treating me as an equal.  I was the only girl on the team and you could have easily not given me a chance.  I wonder if any of those boys that I struck out remember me?... and while I am at it… thank you to all the boys on my team for being my brothers and sticking up for me every time I got taunted by other teams.

Mrs. Lepak, thank you for getting me off the track and field team.  I bet most people reading this have no idea that I wasn’t going to play softball in high school.  I was going to be a thrower like my brother Sam, but the 7th and 8th grade team only had 10 people on it and 2 of them got put on academic probation so they couldn’t play.  I’ve played softball ever since.

DWL, I know we had our differences when you coached, but thank you for always speaking maturely to me and not holding grudges.  I can still recite verbatim your pre-game speech and I sill have my broken shoelace on my bag.

Mike Richtman, I wish you could have continued to coach longer at L-A; you have a lot to offer the program. 

OK, on to more familiar names…

Niki Lynch (you will always be Niki Lynch to me, sorry Trav), thank you for preparing me to play ball at SMU.  I am proud to say I’ve been running through the line four years longer than anyone on this team ☺.  I know it was on your recommendation that Coach Fennern recruited me.  You always believed in me and trusted me to get the job done on the field.  I owe you … .

Coach Fennern, thank you for teaching me how to be a student of the game.  Your enthusiasm for the sport is contagious.  I learned more about the sport of softball in my two years as your player than I had learned in my whole previous lifetime. 

C Bray … I am communicating to you without using words right now … and I hope you can understand everything behind my thank you to you.

To Miller and all the other coaches in my life, I wouldn’t be the strong person I am today if it weren’t for all of you.

OK, so now I have all the coaches out of the way that only took me an hour to write.  Maybe there is a chance I will finish this sometime before I graduate …

Back to the thank yous … Donny … Donny, Donny, Donny … thank you for all of your dedication to SMU Athletics … you are without a doubt the best SID in the MIA … I am going to miss you making fun of me next year … did I really just say that? … OK, that’s enough nice things about you ;-)

Twinter, keep my couch open for me, don’t let anyone steal it, leave stuff in the hallway for Donny to trip over … and since I probably won’t have a job after I graduate … maybe keep a non-working chair open too … haha.  On a serious note, thank you for keeping the athletic department going, it would fall apart without you.

Ambjor, you can fix anything!  Thanks for keeping me moving and for the iced lattes and for the chats at work.

Kristin, thank you for the job this year!  I hope I was a good worker, besides the fact that I overflowed the tub on numerous occasions.  Sorry I haven’t been around much lately.  Keep in touch next year.

Jamie, you have a hand in every hit I got this year.  Thank you for waking up in the morning to make us better. 

To my fellow seniors:

G, we started out with seven in our freshman class and we are the only two to stick it out the full four years.  After our class is out, no one will be around to remind people how easy they have it compared to us.  No eight-hour practices, no double form running and all the conditioning.  We are the last of the old school players.  Thank you for all the memories, all the dates (when you have money later in life you are going to buy ME dinner), and all the conversations.

Fitz, FITZ! ☺ You are a great person and a great teammate. I am so glad I got to know you over the past two years.  Who else is going to watch Will Ferrell movies with me on the bus, and in the lounge, and everywhere else!  SHAKE & BAKE Fitz! SHAKE & BAKE!  I am so glad you got your chance to shine this year.  Let’s finish strong!

McGraw, my third-base buddy and honorary senior …  I can still remember our first away game of your freshman year … you were five minutes late for the bus and I thought Coachie was going to kill you.  Literally!  I’m glad you’ve opened up since you got here.  Good luck next year at Evanston!

To my fellow captains:

I don’t think any of us realized how stressful being a captain could be.  Cassie, thank you for being a great friend and leader.  You are my hero!  You “found” your voice this year… lol!  Thanks for always listening and for keeping the game fun.  You are the best throwing partner ever!  Bood … oh, Bood.  You smoked me in home runs this year … and I am ok with that ☺ Thank you for being my relationship guru … or as Sharpe would say … my Dr. Phil.  You are a great player, teammate, and friend!

To all my other teammates, past and present, I’m not going to say much because you should already or will soon be getting a more personal good bye from me.  Steph, Pulvy, E, Grobe, Herbie, JJ, Ang, Hanna, Kellie, Z, Maddy, Balls, Lulu, Jill, Sharpe, Mal … you are the most talented group I’ve worked with while I’ve been at SMU.  Learn to trust those abilities and you will dominate every game you play!

OK readers … only a few more I promise.  Mom and Dad, thank you for supporting me through college and thank you for letting me play sports as a tyke.  I don’t know if you will ever understand, but I love this game and I love these people.

Finally, Jung.  I love you … (let the rumors fly) … people will never know how much of a support system you were for me.  It was hard for me not having you around this season, but I guess we all have to grow up sometime.  I’m sorry I didn’t get to wear the number (I would have swam in that jersey anyway :-P ), but I know you always believed in me and told me straight up how it was. Thank you!

To close, I’d like to leave you with some lyrics…

    I’ve been lonely, I’ve been cheated
    I’ve been misunderstood.
    I’ve been washed up, I’ve been put down,
    Told I’m no good.
    But with you (my teammates) I belong
    ’Cause you help me be strong.
    There’s a change in my life since you came along.


And so my fairytale comes to an end.  Will there be a sequel?  That’s up to the future generation … what part will you play?
 
God Bless!

Havin’ a day RED!