Olivia Hess '20 Recruiting Profile

My love for softball started at the young age of five and has taught me life skills not only about the game of softball but leadership and how to overcome hardships. In my young days, I played on a recreation league, sponsored by our small town. Then at the age of eight, a travel team was formed by the high school coach and a few of the local dads. It is these coaches that I credit my fundamental skills. I was taught that the importance of a good outfielder, for it is these girls that can be a difference between a win and a loss. The coaches took the time to teach me the fundamentals of each spot in the outfield, and by fourteen, I could play either of the three positions. It was second nature, and I would instinctively move at the crack of the bat.

During the early years, when most of the girls on the travel team quit the recreation league, I loved the volunteer coaches and the ability I had to try different positions, and it was there I discovered my love for being behind the plate. Commanding the field, being the eyes, ears, and voice to lead my team is a fantastic attribute that has followed me into organizations such as NHS, where I serve a President.

It did not come easy, and the summer going into my Freshmen year, one afternoon on my way to the local pool, my world turned upside down. As I served on a skateboard to avoid a distracted driver, my board hit a rock and sent me flying to the ground. The result of a broken arm that would sit me out of what I believe to be one of the most crucial travel seasons. Broken bones heal, and my mom reassured me I would soon be back out on the diamond. As the seasons changed, my mom had been right, and my arm had healed. My Freshmen year was about to start, and I could not have been more excited! Then the unimaginable happened, while sliding into second base at an early practice, the second baseman laid the tag right on my chest, pushing my weight back onto my arm. The result was an audible crack, a call to my mom, and a trip to Stat-Care. It was confirmed that with only a 5% chance of a repeat beak, there on the x-ray was my second broken arm within nine months.

The second break resulted in surgery to place a plate in the weak point of the bones. The devastation I felt was like no other; I had to sit out most of my Freshmen season. I was advised to not go back to playing. As softball has been my passion, I was not going to accept that. I pushed myself to be even better than I was before the setback. Not only physically, am I stronger, but I am also physically stronger, and mentally, my mindset is stronger. Most of all, though, my love for the sport has withstood the hardships and grown with a desire to continue my career at the collegiate level.