Shelbie Summerlin '19 Recruiting Profile

Hello, I am a junior from Holly Springs, NC.  Softball has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, and it has taught me many things about myself and life in general. Failure for example, you just can’t play softball and not learn about failure. I know what it feels like to go 0-3, dive with everything in me and still miss a ball, but I also know what 3-3 feels like and how it feels to make the game winning play. That’s softball for you. It knocks me down sometimes, but it also lifts me up in life, and gives me so much to work for. It has created within me the ability to stay positive in the face of failure, acknowledge mistakes, correct them, make adjustments, work through the hard stuff, and keep going no matter what. Hard work and practice, and practice, and more practice has made me into the student-athlete I am today. It has taught me how to work under pressure and never give up. Time management is an invaluable life skill that I know my dedication to softball has helped me develop and balance the responsibilities of a student-athlete on and off the field. Softball has made me strong, and strong is beautiful. Softball also requires my cognitive skills as much as the classroom. It has taught me about strategy and quick thinking: how many outs…where are the runners…where is the next play? Softball has taught me sportsmanship, playing fair, being respectful and being willing to accept the outcome of a game, no matter the circumstances. My parents taught me early to “win humbly, and lose gracefully.” But, that doesn’t mean I’m not competitive. I’m all about good competition and you should know that I hate losing more than I love winning.  Softball has made me a winner. It also teaches me about communication with coaches, teammates, on and off the field, and other adults. Knowing how to communicate with people is vital. I’ve learned problem solving skills from softball, and gained experience managing relationships. I may not be able to be best friends with every single player on a team, but I can respect and value each person in many other ways. And if I do that, then there will always be someone willing to braid my hair:-) Playing softball has taught me about having priorities and making commitments. I’ve missed more social events than I can count because of softball, but so has a lot of other dedicated athletes. It’s all about the heart. And that leads me to my final lesson softball has taught me. It’s taught me a lot about love. Of course I love the game, and I love the friendships I’ve made along the way, but softball has shown me how much my parents love me. I hope I never forget the sacrifices my parents and my younger brother have made so I can play…every mile traveled, every dollar spent, all the days, weeks and summers they all have given up to watch me, rain or shine, hot and cold, straight up love! Someday my batting average won’t matter anymore, but all of the above will.

The memories I've made with my family, teammates and coaches will last a lifetime. And yet, while I'm not completely defined by softball, as you can see, it has made a huge mark. Therefore, I believe I would make a great teammate because I recognize while I can’t control everything about the game, I can control my work ethic, the commitment and passion I display on and off the field, and the example I set for others. I’m excited about the possibility of playing softball at the collegiate level, and would be very thankful if given that opportunity. Playing college ball while reaching my educational goals would be a dream come true.

--Shelbie S. 

“We often can’t see what God is doing in our lives, but God sees the whole picture and His plan for us clearly.” – Tony Dungy