With Softball season around the corner, senior Emma Wolfe is ready to take the field!

Softball has been a big part of Emma’s life since she started playing Tee Ball at 5 years old. Back in Ohio, she played on a few different local and travel teams until moving to Collierville where she joined the Varsity team. Although she won’t be playing at the next level due to time constraints within her intended major program, she hopes to join a club team so she can keep playing for fun.

Being a student athlete keeps Emma busy and making schoolwork a priority can be difficult because softball season is time-consuming and unpredictable. Playing at least 3 games a week that last between 1-3 hours can fill a lot of space on the calendar. This can be hard to make time for friends, but luckily Emma says that “My teammates really are my best friends, so we have fun doing things together and in season a lot of my social life is with them.” Emma’s favorite part of softball is the team aspect and loves how they support and cheer each other on in the dugout. One of her favorite memories is how the team came together in the State tournament during her first year playing with Collierville.

During her softball journey, Emma has had many people who have influenced her in some way. When she was younger, her local and pitching coaches taught her the fundamentals and taught her to have a strong mentality. At the high school level, Emma says that “Coach Bradley, Coach Martin, Coach Barry, and Coach Bobo- have helped me recognize my ability, build confidence, and have encouraged me to be a leader to my team.” These coaches are one of the reasons why she continues to love this sport. But the person who inspires her the most? Her very first coach: her dad. They spend hours at the field hitting, catching, or pitching together. Emma considers his support and guidance as her biggest motivation. “He has been my catcher since I was nine years old, and I wouldn’t be where I am now without all of the time he has invested in me and my skills.”

For her final season, Emma’s biggest goal to contribute everything she can to help her team make it back to the state tournament and hopes that the team can grow together to have a great last season. “I’ve sacrificed a lot for this sport and knowing that this is the end, I want to make sure I don’t leave anything on the table!”