Hannah Norris '17 Recruiting Profile

~~I first fell in love with the game of softball when I was five years old living in Sturgis, South Dakota. The field wasn't very well maintained and had quite a bit of weeds growing in the infield. When I attended my first tee-ball practice with five boys and only two other girls, I remember that I wanted so badly to be better than the boys on my team- and I was. A few short years later I was able to play on all-girls fastpitch softball team in a league that my dad and one of his friends had started in Sturgis. We had hand-me-down equipment, crappy bats, and used balls. Which we had gotten from a neighboring town but I didn't care. I was just happy to be playing softball. Over the next few years as the league grew and we got newer equipment I found myself falling more and more in love with the game. I remember feeling butterflies as I laced up my cleats and a sense of fulfillment after a good play or a successful at bat. I loved to hear the cheering fans and teammates. Today I still feel that same sense of fulfillment and yes, butterflies every time I step onto a field. Now after 11 years of playing softball I still have the same love and desire to play. I've gone through a few gloves, many pairs of cleats, multiple bats, and quite a few winning and losing seasons. I've met lots of great friends and learned many of life's lessons through the game of softball. As I look to my future I know softball has a place in my life. Softball has afforded me many opportunities to travel and compete against very skilled athletes and I would like nothing more than to continue to compete at the collegiate level. I am currently working hard on the field, at school, at home, and in the gym to make my dream a reality.