Isabella Nigey '22 Recruiting Profile

I knew I loved playing softball at 8 years old.  I never thought my love of the game would grow the most when I couldn't be on the field.  In November 2018, I experienced a pars fracture of L4, which sidelined me for 9 months, due to a delayed diagnosis.  During those 9 months, my High School team won the Iowa State Class 3A State Championship.  I have never felt a bigger part of a team, then I did during that season - yet I wasn't able to play.  I learned the game from a completely different angle,  I saw my teammates from a different perspective, and I fell in the love with the game at a new level.  Now that I am back on the mound, I am more driven than ever to be the best teammate and the best player I can be.  Sometimes it takes losing something you loved to gain something you love even more.  This year has made me a better person all around and I wouldn't change that.   Bigger than softball, I found a resilience and dedication that extend past the field.  I know I will need these qualities to fulfill my goals of playing competitively in college,  inspiring and being inspired by my teammates, and graduating with honors to allow me to succeed at whatever comes next.