Emma Thomson
This is my long feature article about Alabama softball and their season getting canceled due to COVID-19
And then it was all gone
By: Emma Thomson
With only about a month of playing under their belt, 22 games to be exact, the Alabama Softball team and their season came to an immediate stop because of the developing pandemic from COVID-19.
Skylar Wallace, sophomore infielder, explains, “The corona has affected our season tremendously. I mean, to have it taken away within 24 hours was crazy. All the work that we had put in, the 6 AM weights, everyday practices, film session, all of it and then our season is gone. It was confusing and hard to understand but as time went on we started to understand it was for our own good.”
Breaking the news
Hearing through the news and the chatter around campus, the team knew that something was going on, but they didn’t know exactly what and what it meant for them and their season. But Montana Fouts, Sophomore pitcher, remembers the night so clearly that changed their spring. “At first we were told that we would go home for a week and then come back, so Skylar Wallace and I went to the grocery store to get some food. Not even an hour later, we were called back to the clubhouse to be told that our season was over. They had canceled the World Series and everything. It was hectic, heartbreaking, and confusing all at the same time. We had no clue what to do.”
(Roll Bama Roll) Montana Fouts, mid pitch, for the Alabama Crimson Tide
Canceled plans
The team had plans to take it even further than last year, losing in game 12 (semi-finals) of the 2019 NCAA Women’s College World Series. Wallace wanted to focus on just having fun, and controlling only what she could. “I know that you are going to fail more times than you will succeed so why get upset about that? Control what you can control and that’s all you can do. Have fun. Be present, and play the game I had been playing since I was 4. No added pressure.” While Fouts was planning on taking it game by game, and doing everything she and the team could do to reach their full potential. Skylar had a goal of becoming an All- American this season. And becoming MVP of the Easton Bama Bash, hosted in Tuscaloosa, Al, was a stepping stone for that. Competing in a positive way against herself, her teammates, and teams across the country was a huge goal for her and as for right now, there is no answer in sight for when she can return back to that.
Fouts, on the other hand, had two very simple, distinct goals. “ I wanted to be SEC Champions and win the World Series” And as for right now, those have to wait.
Uncertain future
When preparing for season, you have goals and big games to look forward to the most. Every athlete feels it in their body during a big game. With a big crowd and a lot of hype around a game, you don’t just feel it with your eyes and ears, the energy goes through your entire body. Wallace had a gritty approach to this season, and although plans changed, while talking to her you could feel it over the phone.
“ I was looking forward to every game. Every game is a competition. We have been told multiple times not to take any team for granted and that is absolutely true. Playing at Alabama, you know everyone is going to play the best game of their life so you have to top that and play harder. Not only that though, but playing the game with your best friends makes every game special. You never know when it could be your last so always play full out.”
(Alabama Athletics) Skylar Wallace at bat for the Alabama Crimson Tide
And it’s one of the reasons why the cancelling of the season brings out so many emotions because people always say the cliché ‘play every game like it’s your last’. Sure, it’s a good saying to play by but you can typically feel when it might be your last game, it could be a play-off knock out round game or a senior day or just the last game of the season. But with how abrupt this pandemic made the world, this team, as well as all spring teams, really had no idea when their last game would be or if they would even get that last game. Which made that over used cliché saying a reality.
Why this year?
When talking to Skylar and Montana, they were both very clear that this team was it, this was the year. After only playing 22 games, the team had struggled quite a bit being 14-8, while last season they went 60-10. Also including that they had a few injuries in the fall that hurt the team, and the struggles they had, only brought them closer. Wallace shared, “ we struggled in the beginning of the season, had a few injuries in the fall that hurt us, but all the struggles and adversity we faced brought us together. We fought for each other, played for each other, and held each other accountable.” But Bailey Hemphill, senior Utility (can play anywhere), didn’t want to let go of her senior season with her 19 sisters. “We were all so close and it really felt like I had 19 sisters on the team.”
Another Chance
On March 30th, the NCAA approved that all spring seniors will get another year of eligibility. Giving Hemphill another chance to soak in every moment as a 5th year senior. “I’m coming back for my fifth year to finish my senior season and earn a masters degree. I’m looking forward to getting a redo and competing for a national championship, I just want to enjoy every moment of the season with my teammates.”
Two sides to every story
If you look at a situation or an event, there are always two viewpoints you can look at. The negative and the positive. During such a scary, unknown time, it’s hard to see a positive of this whole situation. Let’s look at the negatives first, and save the best for last. Scholarships will be affected, with an unexpected returning class, and an incoming class on its way, money will play a huge part in who can come back. The timelines and the missed memories are up in the air right now because of the constant concern of this pandemic. There are so many things you can point to and blame for this being just an awful time. But you can also flip it and see another side of it. A positive side. For Skylar, this is seen as just another reason why you can’t take anything for granted, and it makes every moment on the field just a little bit sweeter. Montana, is seeing this a time to spend with her family that she wouldn’t normally have gotten. And it gives her just a little more time to work individually on her skills.
My take
I am a big believer in ‘everything happens for a reason’. Yes, I do agree it is one of the most cliché sayings there is to date. But it’s a little theme for this article, right? In my life, things have happened that didn’t make sense at first, for example, me getting an injury and having to medically retire. But I see that now, I get to experience so many more things that I wouldn’t be able to if I were still lacing up my cleats every day. So with this time of confusion and fright, let’s take a step back a look at what this reason may be. The world was always in panic, it felt as if nobody had time to ‘sit back and smell the roses’ (yes, another cliché again). But it’s true, everything was moving so fast it didn’t feel like we had time to breathe. But now we do. Spring sports and athletes have time to be with their family and loved ones. They have more time to prepare for what’s to come next. And for Alabama softball, maybe they weren’t ready for the season just yet. As said by Wallace, they struggled in the beginning of the season, and although they were just starting to find their groove, maybe with this time away, it will give them a chance to hit the ground running and start the way they want to and continue it throughout the rest of the season. Maybe it was their season, and it still can be, but maybe it wasn’t the year. And with this team, this season, but next year, everything will fall into place for them.
I am so excited to see the passion and the energy that these three women showed me on the field soon. They have belief in each other, and in themselves that carry to everyone they talk to, even if it is through the phone. I hope to see this team reach their goals and have another season to make the University and the community even prouder than we already are. I am so excited to see these girls show us what their made of. Come on, I had to end this with another cliché!
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